Sunday 28 March 2010

AH again

I was at AH today, a last minute decision. I was lucky
to get a good shot of this non-stop flyer, the common rose.
It was flying around, tasting leaves with its legs, and finally
laid an egg on this Indian Birthwort sapling.

A centaur oakblue, was also about. These lycaenids
are always present @ AH, but are skittish at times.

After walking around, covered in mosquitoes, and
waiting for butterflies that did not rest, this common
birdwing finally came down.

They use their forewings to hover, and the hindwings
stay relatively still.
When looking around, I spotted this common grass yellow
pupa on a peacock flower plant.

However, the pupa has gone bad. The abdomen is
black. And it will......will...rott in there. :(
Anyway, I'll put a nice grasshopper to end off.

Please comment.

Tuesday 23 March 2010

Common mime part4 Pupa!

Yippeeeeee!
Update on the common mime.


Yes! Yesterday, while the cat was pre-pupa, I did
not get to go out and check. But today, I did. No
homework, so there was lots of time. And Yippee!
He (dunno if girl or boy) pupated! Here.

Common mime's pupa are very clever. They mimic
a broken-off branch super well. See the 'broken tip'?
It also has an angular base, making it seem that the pupa
'grows' out of the twig.

I am soooo happy! This is my first butterfly pupa.
Now, I hope to see it eclose. :)

Please comment.

Sunday 21 March 2010

Common mimes part3

Update on the common mime cat.

Yippee! My cat is nearing pre-pupa! It has
definitely grown bigger, and its dark patches on
the sides are lighter, showing black spots more
clearly.

Showing those black spots on dark patch...

Please comment.

Friday 19 March 2010

Common mimes Part2

Update of the common mimes.


The 4th instar cat has disappeared, very sadly,
but at least we still have the 5th instar one! I saw
him resting beside his frass ball.( poop )
Swallowtail cats seem to feed at night and are very
lethargic in the day...................................................

Please comment.

Thursday 18 March 2010

Common mimes

On the way to our GP, I spotted these common
mime caterpillars on a small cinnamon plant,
beside the road. I was surprised as I had never
seen any caterpillars there before.

The one on top is a 5th instar cat, and the one below
is a 4th instar cat. I am hoping to see the 5th instar one
pupate and eclose. This is the dorsal view.

Side view.

The 4th instar caterpillar, dorsal view......

... And side view...

I will check on them and post what happens, so stay
tuned!

Wednesday 17 March 2010

Another productive outing

I was at MNT again, to nail some butterflies and
hopefully some birds. It was really hot that day, and
the first insect I spotted was a small robberfly.
The robberfly's favourite food is butterflies and
other insects. They are flies as you can see a little
stub on each side, which is their modified hindwings.
Then, this large brown butterfly flew by. It was a
tawny palmfly.

It was very difficult to shoot, as it did not allow me
to get close, but I guess it got tired of flying off.

Just on a leaf above the palmfly, this chocolate
pansy was hanging, mimicking a dead leaf.
There were quite a few dragonflies flying around,
this is the one I liked the most. It has a lovely
shade of blue on its abdomen. I am not quite sure
of the ID though.

Just after the dragon flew off, this large beetle
caught me eye. I will leave it to the experts to ID
this one.

A butterfly very often seen in forest trails, the
Malay viscount, showed up. They are very skittish,
and fly off at the slightest movement, but can be quite
tame when puddling, like here.

On the way back, this bat lily, which was the
highlight of the day, was right next to the path.
I decided to take a close-up of its flowers.

When we were near the place where we started,
a nigger flew into sight. So sad that this lovely
butterfly has such a rude name.

That is the end.
Please comment.

Saturday 13 March 2010

Test shots

Test shots using a canon macro 100mm.