Yellow vein lancer
This forest skipper's wing veins are broadly outlined in yellow, and its caterpillars feed on only one tall understorey palm rather than ordinary grasses.
| Where | Lowland and hill forest edges |
|---|---|
| Size | 34 to 36 mm wingspan |
| When | January to December |
The Yellow vein lancer is a dark brown skipper whose wings show veins broadly marked in yellow, with opalescent spots and streaks running between them on both wing surfaces.
Adults are fast, darting fliers that gather at the flowers of Leea indica in forest reserves, while caterpillars develop on the mountain nibung palm Oncosperma horridum.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Brown, Yellow
Active
Day
To people
Feeds only through a coiled proboscis at flowers and poses no known risk to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Dark brown to blackish wings crossed by a curved white band, unlike the Yellow vein lancer's broad yellow-marked veins and opalescent streaks.
Questions
Is the Yellow vein lancer dangerous to people?
Feeds only through a coiled proboscis at flowers and poses no known risk to people.
When can you see the Yellow vein lancer?
The Yellow vein lancer can be seen from January to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Finnish Museum of Natural History - Zoology Unit, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Skippers›Pyroneura
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.