This is how we feed them.They love rich nutritious food ...
In this video you can see our Manthalir Salabham (Common Baron)
Friday 9 October 2020
Thursday 8 October 2020
Sunday 4 October 2020
Stages of pupating - Common Mormon
Look at those changes from the earlier post of this caterpillar. Length of larva shortens during the last days of 5th instar. Gradually the caterpillar comes to rest and becomes pre-pupatory larva. The pupa suspends itself with a silk girdle from the stem.
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| Common Mormon caterpillar |
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| Pre-pupatory larva (Common Mormon) |
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| Pupa (Common Mormon) |
Pupating video - Time lapse
Wednesday 30 September 2020
Thursday 17 September 2020
Those colours ....
"Don't waste your time chasing butterflies.Mend your garden and the butterflies will come "
- Maria Quintana
Common Emigrant (Lemon Emigrant) with his/her yellowish green wings..
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| Common Emigrant (Catopsilia Pomona) |
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| Common Emigrant (Catopsilia Pomona) |
Monday 14 September 2020
Common Mime .....
Found 4 larvae of Common Mime at different stages in our Cinnamomum iners.
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| Common Mime |
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| Common Mime |
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| Common Mime |
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| Common Mime |
Sunday 13 September 2020
New sighting
Look at that hairy body of our new friend. This skipper, Suffused Snow Flat ( Tagiades Gana) is very similar to Tagiades Japetus and we were confused with them.
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| Suffused Snow Flat ( Tagiades Gana) |
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| Suffused Snow Flat ( Tagiades Gana) |
In this video you can see the signature leaf cut on the 'Kachil' (Dioscorea sp.) leaves.
Thursday 10 September 2020
Our Kid !!!!!!!!
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| Common Indian Crow (Arali Salabham) |
Most precious day ...
Meet our friend, Common Indian Crow who just got reared from our garden.
Love them, they will love you back !!
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| Common Indian Crow (Arali Salabham) |
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| Common Indian Crow (Arali Salabham) |
Sunday 6 September 2020
Thursday 3 September 2020
Monday 31 August 2020
Pushed to Bronze
" I was the second largest butterfly in India for the last 88 years, now I'm not. Do you know why ? Golden Birdwing ousts Southern Birdwing to become the largest Butterfly in India. So I'm third.. "
- Blue Mormon
Friday 28 August 2020
Hi Grey Pansy....
Found an appealing colour combination..
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| Junonia Atlites (Vayal Salabham) |
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| Junonia Atlites (Vayal Salabham) |
Tuesday 25 August 2020
One with 'Dalmatian Wings'
Meet our common visitor, Common Pierrot (Castalius Rosimon) ...
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| Common Pierrot (Castalius Rosimon) |
Saturday 15 August 2020
Monday 27 July 2020
Saturday 25 July 2020
Going to be a pupa soon...
Common Blue Bottle's larvae on our Cinnammomum iners.
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| Caterpillar of Graphium Sarpedon |
Friday 24 July 2020
Saturday 11 July 2020
Smallest visitor
Spent some time to capture this small one. Tiny grass blue ( Zizula hylax ) or Chinnappulneeli is a species of blue butterfly. Look at those hairy sides.... Their wingspan is 1.5 cm only.
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| Tiny grass blue (Chinnappulneeli) |
Thursday 9 July 2020
Look closely....
Found an egg of Common mormon (Papilio polytes), on our curry leaf plant. One of the common butterflies seen in Kerala and they are very fond of curry leaves.
Monday 6 July 2020
Pupate Safely
Look at those colours !!!!
Most beautiful caterpillar found in our garden so far.Happy to see Common Mime (Papilio Clytia) caterpillar on their host plant Cinnamomum iners.
Most beautiful caterpillar found in our garden so far.Happy to see Common Mime (Papilio Clytia) caterpillar on their host plant Cinnamomum iners.
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| Common Mime caterpillar |
Friday 3 July 2020
Our Neighbourhood hill slope
Here are some pictures of our neighbourhood mentioned in the earlier post.
Thursday 2 July 2020
We are flying back !!!!
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| Lime butterfly warming up in sun after emerging from pupa |
Hi... I'm back....
No, we are back....Glad to see you again !!!
To begin with, let me tell you why there has been a gap in our blog posts. As mentioned in an earlier post, our house is on a hillside which was covered with lush greenery when we started the blog. By the end of 2013, realtors flattened our neighborhood by bringing down the hill slope, devastating the entire micro ecosystem. For the butterflies and birds, it must have looked like a barren land devoid of food, foliage and habitat. And they left, without a trace.
And it took 6 to 7 years for the green cover to make a partial come back instilling confidence in our winged friends.
Now, I'm so excited that our kids are back.They are busy laying eggs, eating leaves, growing, molting, becoming pupae and finally stretching their wings out.
"Complete Metamorphosis" !!!
Now, they are happy... so are we...
"What's a butterfly garden without butterflies"
- Roy Rogers
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