Orange Oakleaf

Orange Oakleaf

Kallima inachus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Dehradun

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

12 Verified sightings at Dehradun
56 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Orange Oakleaf

Kallima inachus, the orange oakleaf, Indian oakleaf or dead leaf, is a nymphalid butterfly found in Tropical Asia from Pakistan to Japan. With wings closed, it closely resembles a dry leaf with dark veins and is a commonly cited example of camouflage.

The butterfly wings are shaped like a leaf when in the closed position. When the wings are closed, only the cryptic underside markings are visible, which consists of irregular patterns and striations in many shades of biscuit, buff, browns, yellow, and black. The veins are darkened and resemble the veins of a leaf. The resemblance to a dried leaf, a masquerade, is extremely realistic and gives the genus its common names, the oakleaf or dead leaf.

When the wings are open, the forewing exhibits a black apex, an orange discal band and a deep blue base. There are two white oculi, one along the margin of the apical black band, and the other bordering the orange and deep blue areas. The hindwing is more uniformly blue but diffused with brown patches along the termen.

Male and female butterflies are similar except that the female is generally larger and has the apex of the forewing protrude to form a longer point. Females also... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
2 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
~30%
3 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~20%
4 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Dehradun 🇮🇳 India
~20%
2 Taipei 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%
3 Bangkok 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Orange Oakleaf in Dehradun?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Orange Oakleaf sighting in Dehradun on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 26th most-seen of the 73 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Orange Oakleaf in Dehradun?

May

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report an Orange Oakleaf in Dehradun on a given day, against under 5% in June–July, September and November–March, the lowest months. That is one of Dehradun's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain against 370 mm in July.

What time of day is best to see an Orange Oakleaf?

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Orange Oakleaf sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Dehradun the best place to see an Orange Oakleaf?

Yes

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Orange Oakleaf sightings, Dehradun has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Taipei (Taiwan, about 10%) and Bangkok (Thailand, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Orange Oakleaf live in Dehradun?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Orange Oakleaf that you can see in Dehradun (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Tawny Coster (about 40%), Lemon Pansy (about 30%) and Plain Tiger Butterfly (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Orange Oakleaf sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Orange Oakleaf is recorded against all the insects logged in Dehradun (12 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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