Generally yellow to white with greenish or yellowish wing-bases, these medium-sized butterflies are very similar and easily confused with each other. Slight difference between male and female and within the wet and dry forms further compounds the problem. However, the Common emigrant never has cell-spots on the underside of the hindwings, the Lemon emigrant has reddish antennae and silvery, red-ringed cell-spots in both wings and Mottled emigrant has faint greenish striations on the underside of the wings.
Behaviour
These butterflies are common in Chennai, and can be seen flying in a swift, bouncing path either low or high. They are also migratory, flying in trains of several individuals during this time. They are fond of mud-puddling on damp patches of ground in large numbers and always rest with the wings closed so the upperside of the wings is rarely seen. They range throughout the Indian sub-continent as well as beyond into the oriental and Australasian regions.
