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Crimson Rose butterflies sweep across Mannar skies
View(s):By Malaka Rodrigo
Lahiru Walpita, a wildlife enthusiast based in Mannar, often finds himself in the right place to make fascinating observations. Mannar, separated from India by just a 25-kilometre sea stretch, is well known as an entry point for migratory birds. But last week, Walpita witnessed something different—streams of Crimson Rose butterflies flying across the island.
“From September 29 to October 1, I observed the mass movement of Crimson Rose butterflies along Mannar,” Mr Walpita shared in a Facebook post, inviting other enthusiasts to look out for the spectacle. He recorded between 4 and 12 butterflies per minute, mostly between 7 and 9 in the morning, moving steadily across the island. While such movements have been noted in Mannar before, Mr Walpita’s records add to a growing picture of these butterflies’ seasonal journeys.
A Crimson rose butterfly by Lahiru Walpita
Interestingly, butterfly watchers in South India also report sudden swells of Crimson Rose numbers in the coastal city of Rameshwaram, the closest point to Sri Lanka. “Based on our studies, this is indeed a migration of Crimson Rose butterflies from India toward Sri Lanka,” explained Prof. Kapila Dissanayake of the Sabaragamuwa University.
In 2022, Prof. Dissanayake, working with Indian enthusiasts Paulmathi Vinod and Sadasivan Vinod, documented large congregations along the Tamil Nadu coast, publishing their findings in the journal Taprobanica.
In addition to the team of researchers, fishermen and whale watchers too had witnessed Crimson Rose butterflies above the sea between India and Sri Lanka (Gulf of Mannar) flying towards Sri Lanka during January–March in 2022, Prof. Dissanayake said.
“We haven’t yet observed a reverse movement from Sri Lanka back to India,” he added. “There’s speculation that the butterflies may continue eastward across Sri Lanka, exiting from the eastern coast towards Asia, but more studies are needed to confirm this.”
The Crimson Rose (Pachliopta hector) is one of South Asia’s most dazzling butterflies. Its black wings, bright white patches, and vivid crimson body make it instantly recognisable, while its slow, graceful flight has long captured naturalists’ attention. The butterfly’s striking red body isn’t just for show—it warns predators of its toxicity, a defence gained during its caterpillar stage when feeding on Aristolochia plants.
Butterfly expert Dr Michael van der Poorten notes that such migrations are not new. “As far back as 1872, the Crimson Rose migration from India to Sri Lanka was documented. Later, naturalists like Ormiston and Woodhouse also recorded these events,” he said. Unlike bird migrations, butterfly movements are mostly one-way, as their life span—just two to three weeks, sometimes a month—doesn’t allow for return journeys. 
Butterfly migrations remain among nature’s most spectacular sights. While the Monarch butterfly migration in North America—where millions travel up to 4,500 kilometres to overwinter in Mexico—is the best known, South Asia too witnesses remarkable movements. “The Crimson Rose is not the only migrant,” Dr van der Poorten explained. “Species like the Little Orange Tip also move from India to Sri Lanka, and no doubt other stragglers cross over in smaller numbers.”
Sri Lanka occasionally witnesses impressive inland movements of butterflies, especially following the monsoon seasons. These mass flights, commonly known as butterflies moving towards Adam’s Peak or Sri Pada, are often seen as swarms drifting across the countryside and involve several species.
Among the most common are the Lemon Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona), Common Emigrant (Catopsilia crocale), and the striking Albatross (Appias albina).
Such movements help butterflies disperse, find new habitats, and sustain healthy populations, while also offering a rare and fleeting natural spectacle across the island’s skies, even though their directions are not always towards Adam’s Peak, experts say.
As climate change and habitat loss place butterflies worldwide under pressure, these migrations are powerful reminders of nature’s resilience. In Mannar, the sudden flutter of crimson wings across the skies is a fleeting but vivid spectacle of the wild wonders still unfolding in Sri Lanka’s landscapes.
Pix by Lahiru Walpita and Chathura Udayanga
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