Bug FAQChocolate Albatross
Appias lyncida · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pieridae
The chocolate albatross is a small forest butterfly with a wingspan of about 5.5 to 7 cm; males are white above with chocolate-brown margins and bright lemon-yellow below, while females are white heavily clouded with dark brown. It lives in rainy highland forests up to 910 m, often near streams and clearings, and is found throughout the year in parts of India and across South and Southeast Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males are white on the upper side with chocolate-brown or black edges and bright lemon-yellow underneath with chocolate markings. Females are white and heavily clouded with dark brown.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 55 to 70 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is a forest butterfly that prefers rainy highlands up to about 910 m. Adults fly swiftly close to the ground in jungle clearings and along stream banks.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In the Nilgiris it is locally common and can be seen throughout the year. Adults sometimes visit flowers, such as Verbena in Kodagu.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
When are chocolate albatross butterflies active?
They are present year-round in the Nilgiris and are locally common.
Source: Wikipedia
Do chocolate albatross butterflies visit flowers?
Yes, they have been recorded visiting Verbena flowers in Kodagu.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pieridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appias_lyncida
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.