Horsfield's baron
Its caterpillars feed on Melastoma malabathricum, a shrub of nature reserves and abandoned land, where velvety black, greenish blue males look nothing like the plain brown females.
| Where | Nature reserves, parks and wastelands |
|---|---|
| Size | 35 to 65 mm wingspan |
| When | January to December |
The male Horsfield's baron is velvety black with a broad greenish blue border along the hindwing edge that continues narrowly onto the forewing margin, while the larger female is pale ochreous brown with a row of white, helmet shaped spots on both wings.
Caterpillars feed on Melastoma malabathricum, and adults fly through rainforest, nature reserves, parks and abandoned land across West Malaysia, Sumatra, Palawan, Borneo and Java.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Black, Blue, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Not known to bother people; it is usually seen resting or feeding at damp ground.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has pale brown wings with pearly bluish edges and dark brown, spear shaped markings, without the broad greenish blue border of the male Horsfield's baron or the white helmet shaped spots of the female.
Questions
Is the Horsfield's baron dangerous to people?
Not known to bother people; it is usually seen resting or feeding at damp ground.
When can you see the Horsfield's baron?
The Horsfield's baron can be seen from January to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Cheongweei Gan, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
Report a mistake in this entry
Butterflies and moths›Brush-footed butterflies›Tanaecia
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.