About Cyrestis cocles Fabricius, 1787
This species is Cyrestis cocles, originally described by Fabricius in 1787. For the wet-season form, both males and females have a broad transverse median white band on their forewings and hindwings. The outer margin of this band is straight, while the inner margin is highly sinuous. The basal portions of the wings (from the inner edge of the white band to the wing base) and terminal portions of the wings (from the outer edge of the white band to the termen) are more or less greyish brown. These areas are crossed by slender sinuous black lines and broader ochraceous-brown lines, and the black lines have very narrow white outer margins. On both the forewings and hindwings, the slender subterminal black line is very conspicuous. Within this line sits a transverse postdiscal series of irregular, obscure grey ocelli that have dusky centers. The wing termen is narrowly greyish, and the cilia are white. The underside of the wings is pearly white with a faint pinkish or pale lilac tinge; the markings from the upperside are more or less faintly visible through transparency. The transverse postdiscal line of greyish ocelli is the most prominent feature on the underside, and the ocelli are often centered with black. The antennae are dull brown. The head, thorax, and abdomen are pale greyish brown, and the thorax and abdomen have white lateral longitudinal bands. The underside of the body is white. For the dry-season form, the upperside of the wings is much paler. Sometimes the entire upperside fades to creamy white, with no wavy markings except the slender transverse black lines and the line of postdiscal ocelli, which are almost always present to some degree. The underside is white with no pink or pale lilac tint, and the markings are more faint but follow the same pattern as those on the upperside. In terms of distribution, this species is found in India in Sikkim, Bengal, the Eastern Ghats (Andhra Pradesh), and Orissa. Its range extends further into Burma, the Andamans, the Malay Peninsula, and Indochina.
