Grass Demon - Ancistroides Folus - Animal India

The Grass Demon (Ancistroides folus) is a small yet prominent butterfly found across Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Myanmar, China, Indochina, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, Borneo, and Indonesia. It typically inhabits deciduous and semi-evergreen forests and belongs to the skipper family, Hesperiidae. Considered an occasional pest of ginger and turmeric plants, this butterfly is most abundant in the open regions of hilly jungles. The Grass Demon prefers forest edges or clearings with dappled light, which may explain its distinctive black-and-white coloration. This pied pattern helps the butterfly blend effectively with its surroundings, making it difficult to spot once settled. When basking, it perches on the upper side of leaves with its hindwings pressed flat against the surface and its forewings held half-open at an angle above the hindwings. This unique posture sets it apart from other butterflies in Peninsular India. Additionally, on August 27, 2024, a Grass Demon was observed in Tehatta, West Bengal, India, sitting on a basil leaf or brick wall and feeding on the droppings of a Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis) using its long proboscis, while occasionally mixing in some watery matter from its excretory organ.(Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)