Unkana ambasa batara (Hoary Palmer)

This Skipper is a fairly large species, usually equalling or exceeding the Coconut Skipper (Hidari irava) in size.  It has dark brown wings with a number of spots on the forewings.  The distinguishing feature of the Hoary Palmer is the strongly whitened hindwings.  In the female, the basal two-thirds of the hindwings above are also whitened. It is a fast flyer, and often returns to the same perch if not disturbed.  It has been observed in shaded forested areas, feeding on flowers as well as bird droppings.   The extra long proboscis is unique in this species, where in the pupa stage, the proboscis projects considerably beyond the abdomen.  The long proboscis comes in useful when reaching deep into flowers for nectar, as can be seen in this picture. The pale green caterpillar is known to feed on the rolled up leaves of Pandanus fascicularis and Psychotria viridiflora.  The adult butterfly is not common and has been only seen on a few occasions.

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