Tiny Grass Blue

Adults are primarily active during warm daylight hours, flying low over grasslands, roadside verges, and open woodlands. They perch on flowering plants to bask and feed, displaying an erratic, fluttering flight interspersed with brief glides. Tiny Grass Blues are often solitary but may aggregate where nectar sources are abundant. Females lay single eggs on the flower buds or young shoots of host plants, ensuring larval food availability. Larvae are cryptic green caterpillars that feed on the flower tissues of Acanthaceae species. Pupation occurs in sheltered leaf litter or attached to stems, with adults emerging after a brief pupal stage of around ten days. They complete multiple generations each year, with flight periods peaking in spring and summer. Seasonal rains drive host plant growth, synchronizing breeding cycles. Butterflies utilize warm microhabitats near the ground, often within 30 centimetres of soil, and exhibit strong site fidelity to nectar patches.

Larvae consume the buds and young flowers of host plants such as Hygrophila and Phaulopsis species, obtaining essential proteins and carbohydrates for growth. Their green coloration provides camouflage against foliage, reducing predation risk. After five to seven days of feeding, caterpillars form a small, hairy chrysalis that supplies nutrients during metamorphosis. Adult butterflies feed on nectar from a wide range of wildflowers, favouring Lantana camara and similar blossoms. Nectar provides sugars for muscular flight activity and vital energy reserves for egg development, while occasional pollen uptake supplies proteins. Mineral-rich moisture from damp soil and mud-puddling supports ion regulation and reproductive health. This dietary flexibility ensures sustained energy for multiple life stages across diverse habitats. During peak breeding, adults may consume nectar volumes equivalent to nearly half their body weight each day to fuel reproduction and migration.

Mating begins shortly after adult emergence, with males patrolling host plant patches to locate receptive females. Courtship involves rapid aerial chases, fluttering displays, and scent release. After copulation, females seek suitable host plants to deposit single eggs on buds, young leaves, or flower bracts. No parental care occurs, and each female may lay 20 to 50 eggs over her lifetime, often spaced across multiple plant individuals.

The Tiny Grass Blue is widespread across Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and many Pacific islands. Populations are generally stable and common in disturbed and undisturbed habitats alike. Their ability to use multiple host plants and exploit various nectar sources supports resilience to environmental changes. Although total numbers are not precisely measured, local declines may occur where pesticide use or habitat loss reduces host plant availability.