The Common Sergeant Butterfly (Athyma perius) is a medium-sized insect in the Nymphalidae family.

The male Common Sergeant Butterfly has black wings with white markings. The undersides of its wings are yellow with white markings edged with black. Its thorax is black with bluish spots, and its abdomen is brown with white bands. Its antennae are long. The female is blackish-brown with a double row of minute black dots on her wings.  

Its wingspan measures about 5-7 centimetres (2-3 inches).

The Common Sergeant Butterfly is native to south Asia and south-east Asia. 

The female lays eggs on the underside of plant leaves, which hatch into caterpillars (the larvae stage). The caterpillars feed on leaves and after about 14 days, the caterpillars pupate. The pupa is like a cocoon, but it is called a chrysalis. The adult butterfly emerges from the chrysalis. This process is called metamorphosis, which means transformation or change. 

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM