Monday, November 12, 2007

Water Snow Flat


water snow flat butterfly, hesperidae



Tagiades litigiosa
, commonly known as the Water Snow Flat, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae which is found in India

The butterflies of this family are called 'flats' because they always keep their wings flat, they never fold it.

Water snow flat, one of the beautiful flats found in south India, loves shrub shades and often hides under leaves.
getting a snap of this small fly is not very easy if you are not a keen observer. you have to keep vigil around bushes, to find this small flat gliding under the green blankets.but once settled it allows us to come so close.
this fly also chases other fies enter into the area, thus may spoil your attempts at a sudden.
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Friday, October 12, 2007

Crimson Rose -Atrophaneura (Pachliopta) hector

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the larva of crimson rose butterlfy on Aristolochia indica
crimson rose butterfly pupa, butterfly pupa, swallowtail pupacrimson rose butterfly pupa, butterfly pupa, swallowtail pupacrimson rose butterfly pupa, butterfly pupa, swallowtail pupa

Three different moments in the pupal stage of a crimson rose butterfly

First one typical positionwith head upward.

second one minutes before it's hatching.

third one empty shell and the fliud reminants.
Something more about this Rose...
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Genus: Atrophaneura
Subgenus: Pachliopta
Species: A. (P.) hector


crimson rose butterfly ,swallowtail butterfly
basking in the sun to wet its wings.

tail of a Swallotail

Crimson rose is one of the most brilliantly colored butterflies found in southern india.
its habit life style of feeding venomous plants like Aristolochia indica and Thottea siliqosa , help them escape from predaters.

i found one larva at a plant near my house. i waited and watched regualarly..but unfortunatley missed the moment of its hatching out.
below is something more about its habitat, food plants, life cycle etc.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Monkey Puzzle (Rathinda amor)


 

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i caught her while laying eggs on Ixora
monkey puzzle butterfly

monkey puzzle, as the name suggests is a puzzling butterfly in the peninsular india.

its favorite is plants of Ixora sp., so you could find this small bfly around such plants.

the last snap is its typical position while basking.

larvae look like small greenish flesh crumbs. favorite food plant in southern india is Ixora coccinea.

more details are here