Byblia ilithyia

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Spotted joker (Byblia ilithyia)

The spotted joker is a medium-sized butterfly in the Nymphalidae family, found across parts of Africa and Asia, including central and southern India and Sri Lanka. It has a wingspan of about 50–56 mm.

Appearance:
- Male: upperside is deep orange with a broad black edge on the forewings and several black bands. Hindwings show a black patch near the base and a broad black band toward the outer edge; the wing margins have white-tinted scales.
- Female: similar to the male but with a paler ground colour and slightly narrower black markings. The underside is a duller orange with comparable patterning.

Larvae (caterpillars) feed on plants in the Tragia genus (involucrata, plukenetii, dubanensis, glabrata, cannabina) and on Dalechampia capensis.