Yellow coster
This butterfly and the Tawny coster are the only two representatives in the region of a butterfly tribe that is otherwise almost entirely African.
| Where | Forest edges and wet grassland |
|---|---|
| Size | 50 to 70 mm wingspan |
| When | February to December |
The Yellow coster has ochraceous yellow wings marked with black veins and margins, with males brighter and females duller and more broadly marked in black.
Caterpillars feed on nettle family plants such as Boehmeria, Debregeasia and Girardinia, and adults fly along evergreen forest edges and wet grassland, often at moderate elevation.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Yellow, Black
Active
Day
To people
Adults are thought to be distasteful to bird predators; safe to touch.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Similar sized and often confused, but has a tawny orange rather than yellow ground colour; this pair are the only two Acraeini butterflies found in the Indian region.
Questions
Is the Yellow coster dangerous to people?
Adults are thought to be distasteful to bird predators; safe to touch.
When can you see the Yellow coster?
The Yellow coster can be seen from February to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Renjith Jacob Mathews, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Brush-footed butterflies›Telchinia
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.