Caltoris canaraica

Caltoris canaraica, the Kanara swift, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae.

Distribution
This skipper is found in Southern India (Kerala, Karnataka Tamilnadu and south-western Andhra Pradesh).

Description
"Male and Female. Upperside dark brown, basal area olive-brown. Male: Forewing with two small oval semi-diaphanous white spots at the end of the cell, three spots obliquely before the apex, and three on the disk; hindwing without makings ; cilia brownish-cinereous. Under side paler brown, irrorated with ochreous scales which are thickly disposed along the costa and apex of forewing and across discal area of hindwing: forewing marked as above, also with a small whitish spot above hind margin: hindwing with two discal white spots. Female: forewing with larger spots than in the male, also with a minute dot beneath the lower discal spot and a triangular yellow spot above hind margin ; hindwing with three discal semi-diaphanous spots. Underside: forewing as above: hindwing with four discal white spots, and a fifth at end of the cell."

- Edward Yerbury Watson

Habitat: Canara (Ward)

Host plants
The larva (caterpillar) has been recorded on Bambusa bambos, Bambusa vulgaris and Pseudoxytenanthera monadelpha.