The Lovely Creepy Crawly Thread
 

Just thought why not have this thread? Time to watch butterflies seem to be here in Mumbai already, it might be fun to have some colorful photos here as well as get the IDs for the same (if required), from IM experts on this topic!

Yesterday, I had this opportunity to see a beautiful butterfly at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai. I have previously seen it on one or two occasions but yesterday was a treat.

Walking along the muddy path, just noticed this leaf lying on the ground except that it was not actually lying there - It seemed to be standing/balancing!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E...6/DSC01120.jpg

Took a closer look from one side, well, it is this beautiful Blue Oakleaf (Kallima). I would like to get the ID confirmed by experts, though.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h...6/DSC01127.jpg

After waiting for a few minutes close to this one, I was rewarded with this photograph!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S...6/DSC01122.jpg

And this one...taken from about 5 cms away! :)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B...6/DSC01128.jpg

I am sure many IMers would have photographs of butterflies/dragonflies, moths etc! Bring it on!!

Thanks for starting this thread, Cunning Little Vixen. We'll be taking our first trip to India at the beginning of next year and look forward to observing a bit of nature among the sites that we visit. Hopefully this thread will thrive and I'll gain some knowledge prior to our visit.

Here in Los Angeles, we have a plant in the garden that hosts the caterpillar of the Monarch butterfly (the only plant that they feed on), so every year we get to see the butterflies arrive and flit around the plants looking for a place to lay their eggs. Then the caterpillars hatch (who knew that even baby caterpillars can be cute?) and devour every leaf of the plants and if there are no more leaves, they start on the stems and seed pods, then they transform magically into a chrysalis, a gem-studded green capsule, and then the new butterflies emerge stretching their wings.

Nature is truly awe-inspiring whether it be the tiniest flower or the grandest of elephants. I don't understand how people can ignore (or worse, desecrate) it. To me that's a sacrilege.

Thank you too, davidx2. Nice to know that you will be coming to India. Definitely you will get a lot of information here and on many other threads on the forum.

Your words seem like poetry! That is such a beautiful explanation and useful information about Monarch butterfly. Wish to see the process myself after reading what you have written.

Do you have any photographs of this butterfly or the caterpillar?

Absolutely correct.

Quote:

Your words seem like poetry!

LOL Naveena. Now that I'm retired, perhaps I should start a new career.

Yes, I do have photos of the Monarchs in their various phases of life. I'll have to scour my computer for them and then try to figure out how to post them here. I was hesitant because I doubt that a Monarch butterfly has ever found its way to India and this is, after all, a forum on India. The story of the Monarch is pretty amazing. The butterflies in the central and eastern parts of the US and Canada actually migrate to central Mexico every year for the winter. They do this over a number of generations, reproducing along the way with the next generation continuing the journey south. Another true wonder of nature.

Great photos Naveena. I've seen a few of your butterfly photos in the birds thread but it's a good idea to have a dedicated thread on butterflies and moths.

I would like to see your Monarch photos too David, if you can find them. I recently read Barbara Kingsolver's novel Flight Behaviour about the disruptions to the Monarchs' migration caused by climate change. She's a wonderful writer and it's a powerful and moving book.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012...gsolver-review

Naveena, good idea to start a new thread for Butterflies.

Ronak.

Well, you have already got some useful information on this thread ;):D

Oh, please do post the photographs, it is not a must that the photographs have to be from India, especially (I believe) when it comes to the current topic! After I read your post I googled for Monarch Butterfly images and saw they were beautiful. It would be nice if you could post your photos here.

You seem to be very knowledgeable about these colorful wonders (I mean butterflies)! Great to have you on this thread.

Thanks JuliaF. :)

I am a bit reluctant to start new threads unnecessarily, but I found myself posting a few other things not exactly relating to birds on the other thread. So thought it would do good to have a separate, yes a dedicated thread on butterflies and moths. Also I have to stay true to my 'title' Cunning Little Vixen' - I have a few photographs of some butterflies without ID :p! Wondered, if anybody would take interest in helping with the ID.

Thanks Ronak, hope to see some contributions from you too. :)

And here goes the first one for ID help, anybody knows the ID for this one?

http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...98813217_n.jpg

This is a great thread Naveena. :)

Except the only insect I've successfully photographed was a spider [cry] - he was large and colorful though. :D

Thanks Vaibhav :).

Go ahead and post the photo, we will make the thread title as 'Butterfly, moths and insects' ;). Seriously, post it, we may try to find the ID!

Super thread, Naveena. I like it. :)

Lovely image of this butterfly, Naveena. I believe that this species is the Common Palmfly(Elymnias hypermnestra). Compare with this image and see what you think.

Thanks TD. :)

@PeakXV, Thank you :). That was very fast! I hope to get more help in the coming days!! For now, anybody knows anything about this one?

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-j...6/DSC01187.jpg

AM I the only one with butterfly photos?

The first picture is of a butterfly, the second of some kind of insect. Both were taken at the Chennai Theopsophical Society's Gardens on the 30th January this year. Can anybody identify these please?

Dave, the butterfly could be a 'Baronet'? I am not sure, though.

The insect, I have seen them crawl all over near water sources in Sanjay Gandhi National park just before the Monsoons.

It looks like a pretty good match to me. Thanks.