Bug FAQCommon Small Flat
Sarangesa dasahara · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hesperiidae
The common small flat is a tiny butterfly with a wingspan of about 30 to 35 mm. It is generally dull black or brown, sometimes showing a semi-transparent spot, and the underside is grey-brown with faint dark spots. It lives in forest edges, openings, savannah grasslands and scrub, mainly in the Deccan plains at lower elevations, and is seen most often at the end of the rainy season.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from about 30 to 35 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in forest edges, openings, deciduous forests, scrub and short-grass savannahs. Occurs mainly on the Deccan plains and hills, preferring lower elevations.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on Acanthaceae herbs and shrubs such as Asystasia species and Blepharis asperrima.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults fly very fast in an erratic, jerky manner. They usually rest on the underside of leaves but will bask with wings fully spread on the upper side.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Most commonly seen at the end of the rainy season, with fewer individuals in the post-monsoon months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range is within the Indomalayan realm.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Males look similar to Sarangesa purendra but are a little darker; males and females are alike in shape and colour.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
Where can I find this butterfly?
It lives in forest edges, openings, scrub and short-grass savannahs, especially on the Deccan plains at lower elevations.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on herbs and small shrubs in the Acanthaceae family, such as Asystasia species and Blepharis asperrima.
Source: Wikipedia
When are they most visible?
They are most commonly seen at the end of the rainy season, with fewer sightings after the monsoon.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hesperiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarangesa_dasahara
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.