Common sailer
This butterfly glides on stiff, shallow wingbeats held just above horizontal, coasting between short bursts of flapping flight.
| Where | Forests and open ground across tropical Asia |
|---|---|
| Size | 50 to 60 mm wingspan |
| When | January to December |
The Common sailer is black above with bold white bands across both wings, a club-shaped white streak in the forewing cell, and rustier brown tones on the underside.
Caterpillars feed on a wide range of legumes and other plants, and adults are common at forest edges, wasteland and riverbanks, gliding rather than flapping continuously in flight.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Black, White
Active
Day
To people
Glides on stiff wingbeats; safe to observe and does not bother people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Smaller, with a wingspan of about 40 to 46 mm, and narrower white banding on the forewing than the broader bands of the Common sailer.
Questions
Is the Common sailer dangerous to people?
Glides on stiff wingbeats; safe to observe and does not bother people.
When can you see the Common sailer?
The Common sailer can be seen from January to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Swiss Natural History Collections - SwissNatColl, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Brush-footed butterflies›Neptis
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.