Butterflies, Bees, Bugs and Blossoms

BUTTERFLIES, BEES,
BUGS AND
BLOSSOMS
7/27/2017 Bombed by butterflies and blooms
In the month of July 2017, Chennai (and probably other cities too) witnessed a huge
gathering of butterflies, especially the common emigrant and Common lime butterflies.
Common gull, pioneer, Mormon, gram blues were also seen to a lesser extent. Curiosity about
Mymoon
this spectacle was shown by many nature lovers and the care-nots. This is a record of
observations made by me during the month of July 2017 as seen in the IITM campus and
CSIR campus, Chennai.
Butterflies, bees, bugs and blossoms
BOMBED BY BUTTERFLIES AND BLOOMS
- Rabindranath Tagore
Images of butterflies mud puddling were being posted on Facebook which pulled me out of
my stupor to see this phenomena. After having established the likely places where I can
witness this I reached the IITM stadium at 8.30 am and walked across the small bridge
connecting the road to the stadium. The sight, which revealed itself, was out of the world. The
boundary of the stadium was lush green and the grass on the ground was fresh and vibrant.
But it was the air that held me spell bound for many minutes, it was filled with dancing clouds
of butterflies. The areas near the ground and on the ground itself butterflies were spiraling in
and out of formations beyond imagination. A mesmerizing sight indeed! The entrance to the
stadium has a couple of Gul mohur trees adorned with flowers. Emigrants and Lime butterflies
were teeming on them. It was as if the tree were alive and dancing in the air. In the CSIR
campus the scene was the same with emigrants, gulls, limes and pioneers filling the air space
while the awls loved the shade more.
June, July and August are the months when butterfly migration can be seen in Chennai.
Although about 10 species were sighted as migrants, three species of butterflies were
predominantly seen from the last week of June to the third week of July this year. The species
commonly seen by me were the Emigrant, Common Lime, Lime Blue, Common Gull and
Pioneer.
Finding a spot where the butterflies were mud puddling was not hard. One such spot was wet
and close to the turf. Settling down near the spot I was at first confused as to what to click.
the groups or the individuals. Soon my camera found its way around the puddlers and
unraveled a sight that is hard to describe in words. The Emigrants would settle down first
after being disturbed, followed by the Common Lime. The Lime Blues did not mingle with the
Emigrants and Common Limesonce settled they hardly moved Mymoon
much. Not so with the
Emigrants and Common Limes , they were constantly moving in and out of the congregation,
especially the Common Limes. I also observed a lone Common Gull among the Emigrants mud
puddling. There was a strong breeze trying to push down the butterflies that were on the
groundbut they were not to be deterred and so when the breeze was strong all the wings
were pushed to one side and when the breeze let up all would simultaneously straighten upa
delight to watch this.
I came across an interesting article by Ernest M. Shull on the migration pattern of Catopsilia
butterfly (Emigrants) of his observations during September 19-24, 1946! Here is a passage
According to PElLE, (2H. D. Peile, A Guide to Collecting Butterflies in India, p. 59 ) species of
Catopsilia often migrate in swarms/ but this flight was of quite a different type. On this day
and the five days following the Emigrants (Catopsilia) They were not flying in swarms, but in
three distinct lines across the mission compound, usually starting about 10: 00 A. M. and
continuing until 3:00 P. M. Each of the three lines was approximately one hundred yards from
any other. This movement resembled a group of school children playing "follow-the-leader,"
except their course was straight and in a southerly direction. They had a swooping flight,
closing their wings completely between strokes. When I stood in the direct path of the
migration, they would not deflect their course to either side but instead increased their flying
height (incidentally, just out of reach of the net). Only a very few stopped to rest, and then
only for a few seconds on the undersides of a leaf. The red-flowered bush (Hibiscus), which
was directly in the line of migration, temporarily attracted a few of the passersby. In order to
net a resting specimen I stood near the bush with my net in readiness. One step forward and a
quick swing was sometimes successful. The vast majority, however, of this migrating horde
pressed relentlessly onward without faltering or yielding to wayside attractions.
Without any clocking device the speed of migration was roughly estimated to be between ten
and fifteen miles per hour. In ordinary flight Catopsilia are rapid fliers, but in migration their
flight is even faster. Wish I had come across this article earlier.
In the last week of July I found that the numbers of all the mentioned butterflies dwindled to
few emigrants and lime butterflies. In IITM campus I observed the crows feasting heavily on
emigrants picking them off the host plant cassia. The young cassia plants have been stripped
bare of leaves (image attached) by caterpillar of emigrant butterflies perhaps?
Attached below are some images of the butterflies, which I was able to record. Also attaching
some images of blooms that were popular nectaring choices.Mymoon I have observed that the
butterflies prefer the flowers from the wild herbs, shrubs and trees to the cultured plants and
trees. I am sure I have missed clicking many insects and, wild flowers which are in bloom.
Jalaluddin Rumi
Abundant blooms were seen everywhere. Among the cultivated one the wingpod purslane,
gulmohar, bougainvillea win hands down in feeding the army of butterflies seen during the
month of July and among the wild flowering plants/trees, Tridax, Rauvolfia, Indian beech tree,
sweet indrajao, Politicians flower were popular.
------------------
Disclaimer :
The scientific names are to the best of my knowledge and with some help from varioius experts. I am not sure
of some of the identities and the botanical names are quite confusing. So please feel free to make corrections
or let me know.
For information of migration of butterflies in India

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidoptera_migration
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2311.1927.tb00054.x/abstract
http://www.biodiversitylab.org/butterfly-migrations
http://www.biodiversitylab.org/sites/default/files/images/website/KunteDanaineMigration05.pdf
For information of flowers of India

http://senthuherbals.blogspot.in/2014/07/mimusops-elengi-bakula-mahilam-poo.html
http://www.flowersofindia.net
http://www.flowerspicture.org/wildflowers-of-india.html
Common Indian Wild Flowers by Isaac Kehimkar
Mymoon
Plant in bloom July 2017 Wild / Cultivated Butterflies seen nectaring and others
visitors - July 2017
Common spider flower Wild - flowering
Cleome rutidosperma
Yellow spider flower Wild - flowering Common yellow, Emigrant, Common lime,
Cleome viscosa Tawny coster, Common tiger, Paper wasp,
spiders
Common Purslane Wild - flowering Common yellow, Emigrant, Common lime,
Tawny coster, Lime blue, Crimson tip,
Common Mormon
Grape-leaved mallow Wild - flowering
Kosteletzkya vitifolia
Butterfly beam Wild - flowering
Clitoria ternatea
Candle Cassia Wild - flowering
Cassia alata
Senna Sopera Wild - flowering Emigrant
Cassia sophera
Common passion flower Wild flowering Emigrant, Common Lime
Passiflora foetida
Wild musk melon Wild - flowering
Cucumis melo var.agrestis
Jungle flame Cultivated Common lime, Common Mormon
Ixora coccinea
Coat buttons Wild - flowering Common yellow, Emigrant, Common lime,
Tridax procumbens1 Tawny coster, Lime blue, Common Mormon,
Common gull, Pioneer, Lime pansy, Common
tiger, Banded awl, common leopard
1 # Butterflies in given in Red font favoured the respective flower the most.
Ash fleabane Wild flowering

Vernonia cinerea
Giant milkweed Wild flowering Carpenter bees, spiders
Calotropis gigantea
Rosy milkweed twiner Wild - flowering Tawny coster
Oxystelma secamone
Indian turnsole Wild - flowering Tawy coster, common tiger, insects
Heliotropium indicum
Purple heart glory Wild - flowering Common Lime, Emigrant, bees and wasps
Ipomoea sepiaria
Thorn apple Wild - flowering Bees
Datura metel
Little gooseberry Wild - flowering Insects
Physalis minima
Wayside tuberose Wild - flowering
Ruellia tuberosa
Common hedge bower Wild - flowering Common Lime, Emigrant, bees and wasps
Clerodendrum inerme
Tangle mat Wild - flowering Emigrant
Alternanthera sessilis
Prickly amaranth Wild - flowering
Amaranthus spinosus
Common spurge Wild - flowering Lime blue
Euphorbia hirta
Glory lily Wild - flowering
Gloriosa superba
Garden Rauvolfia Wild - flowering Common yellow, Emigrant, Common lime,
Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. Lime blue, Common Mormon, Common
gull, Pioneer, Lime pansy
Oldenlandia sp. Wild - flowering
Sweet indrajao Wild - flowering Emigrant, Common gull, Pioneer, Banded
Wrightia tinctoria awl, common crow
Asian bushbeech Wild - flowering
Gmelina asiatica L.
Conker berry flower Wild - flowering
Carissa spinarum
Wingpod Purslane Cultivated - flowering
Tamarind tree Wild - flowering Emigrants
Tamarindus indica L.
Indian Beech tree Wild - flowering Emigrant, Common lime, Lime blue,
Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre Common gull, Pioneer, Lime pansy, banded
awl
Bougainvillea Cultivated - flowering Emigrant, Common lime, Common mormon
Bougainvillea glabra
Curry leaf plant Cultivated - flowering Emigrant, Common lime, Lime blue,
Murraya koenigii Common gull, Pioneer, Common Mormon,
Common jay
Peacock flower Cultivated - flowering
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Coffee senna flower Wild - flowering Common yellow
Senna occidentalis
Politicians flower Wild - flowering Emigrant, Common lime, Common tiger
Turnera subulata
Madagascar rosy periwinkle Cultivated - flowering Emigrant, Common lime, Common
Catharanthus roseus Mormon, Common leopard
Arabian jasmine Cultivated - flowering
Jasminum sambac
Hibiscus Cultivated - flowering Emigrant, Common lime
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Rescue grass Wild - flowering
Bromus catharticus
Alligator weed Wild - flowering Emigrant, Common lime, Lime blue
Alternanthera philoxeroides
Hooked mimosa Wild - flowering Lime blue, tiny grass blue
Mimosa hamata
White buttercup Wild - flowering Emigrant, Common tiger
Turnera subulata
White clitoria Wild - flowering
Clitoria ternatea
Rain tree Cultivated - flowering Emigrants
Samanea saman (jacq.) Merrr.
Gul mohar Cultivated - flowering Emigrant, Common lime, Common gull,
Delonix regia (Bojer ex Hook.) Rafin. Pioneer, Common Mormon
Copper pod Cultivated - flowering
Peltophorum pterocarpum
Spanish cherry / bullet wood Cultivated - flowering
Mimusops elengi (Bakula)
Pigweed Wild - flowering
Chenopodium album
Erect spiderling Wild - flowering
Boerhavia erecta
Golden shower tree Cultivated - flowering
Cassia fistula
Maple-leaved bayur Cultivated (?) The spotted deer were seen eating the
Pterospermum acerifolium fallen flowers
Touch me not
Mimosa pudica
Copper-barked crape myrtle Cultivated - flowering Rose ringed parakeets eating the fruit?
Lagerstroemia hirsute (Lam.) Willd.
West indian elm Wild - flowering
Guazuma ulmifolia Lam.
Canon ball tree Cultivated - flowering
Couroupita guianensis Aublet
Common rose Frangipani Cultivated - flowering
Plumeria rubra L cv rose
Alligator weed Wild - flowering Blues and Common yellow butterfly
Alternanthera philoxeroides
Crepe jasmine
Ervatamia divaricate (L.) Alston
The images
Surprise!
when:
[Date, Time]
where:
Suspendisse magna felis, eleifend
sit amet, placerat ac.
Wingpod purslane (Yellow) Alligator weed wild
its a
Surprise!
[Date, Time] [Date, Time]
where: where:
Suspendisse magna felis, eleifend Suspendisse magna felis, eleifend
sit amet, placerat ac. sit amet, placerat ac.
Arabian jasmine Ash fleabane flower - wild
Surprise!
when:
[Date, Time]
where:
Common emigrant mud puddling
its a
Surprise!
where: where:
Common
sit amet, placerat ac. Yellow butterfly on Tridax Common
sit amet, placerat ac. gull
Surprise!
when:
[Date, Time]
where:
Wingpod purslane (Yellow) Caterpillar of Lemon pansy
its a
Surprise!
where: where:
sit amet, placerat ac. sit amet, placerat ac.
Canna flower Cocks comb flower
Surprise!
when:
[Date, Time]
where:
Common lime on Ixora Common leopard on Tridax
its a
Surprise!
where:
Common lime
sit amet, placerat ac. on Morning glory Lime butterfly on Bougainvillea
Surprise!
Lime butterfly on
Bougainvillea
when:
[Date, Time]
where:
its a
Surprise!
where:
Common Mormon male on Bougainvillea
sit amet, placerat ac. Common Mormon female on Bougainvillea
Surprise!
when:
[Date, Time]
where:
Common spurge wild weed Common tiger on Politicians flower wild weed
its a
Surprise!
where:
Common
Suspendisse banded
magna felis, eleifend awl mud puddling Common crow on Tridax
where:
Common emigrant on curry leaf flower Common grass yellow on coffee senna flower flower wild
weed
its a
Surprise!
where:
Common grass yellow on yellow spider flower wild
Common grass yellow on Tridax wild weed
where:
Common Mormon - female on curry leaf flower Common jay on curry leaf flower
its a
Surprise!
where: Common lime mud puddling

Suspendisse magna felis, eleifend Common lime on Ixora
Common Mormon male
on curry leaf flower
where:
its a
Surprise!
where:
Common Mormon male and female on curry leaf flower Common Mormon female on curry leaf flower
where:
Common purslane wild flower

Common leopard on Rauvolfia wild flower
its a
Surprise!
where: Conker berry flower Copper-barked-crape-myrtle

where:
Suspendisse magna felis,Crepe
eleifend jasmine flower
Cotton stain bug on grass florets sit amet, placerat ac.
its a
Surprise!
where:
sit amet, placerat ac. Common Mormon female on curry leaf flower
where:
Common crow with emigrant Crown
flower - wild
its a
Surprise!
[Date, Time]
where:
sit amet, placerat ac. Damselfly
where:
its a
Surprise!

Down but not outthis tree uprooted during Vardah and then
where: sawed awaysprings back to life. IITM campus
Emigrant on Indian beech tree flower
where:
Emigrant on sweet indrajao flower
where:
Emigrant Common Mormon, Lime
butterflies mud puddling
where:
sit amet, placerat ac. Emmigrant on peregrina flower
Emigrant on Politicians flower - wild
where:
sit amet, placerat ac. Erect spiderling - wild flower
Garden Rauvolfia flower and fruit
Golden backed ant on spurge flower
where: Grass blue mud puddling

Gmelina a asiatica. Nilakkumizh- wild flower
Gram Blue on Peregrina flower
Gram blue on tridax
[Date, Time]
Grape leaved mallow flower wild

Grape leaved mallow flower close up
Grass flower Grass flower
[Date, Time]
Grass flower
Grass flower
Grass flower
Grass[Date,
flower closeup
Time]
Gull on sweet indrajao
flower
Gulmohar flower
[Date, Time]
Hibiscus flower
Moth
Honey bee on
clerodendrum flower
[Date, Time]
Indian turnsole flower
Jungle flame
Indian palm bob
[Date, Time]
Madras leaf flower
[Date, Time]
LEMON PANSY ON Garden Rauvolfia flower
LEMON PANSY ON Tridax flower

Lime butterfly on wingpod
purslane
[Date, Time]
Male of Xystrocera festiva Thompson, 1861
Maple leaved Bayur flower
[Date, Time]
Mimosa sp flower - wild

Grass blue mud puddling
[Date, Time]
Parakeet feeding on myrtle flower/fruit

Picturewing
Peacock flower
Pioneer on
Rauvolfia
flower- - wild
[Date, Time]
Pioneer on Tridax flower- wild Pioneer on Curry leaf flower-
[Date, Time]
Pungamia flower- - wild

Red bug (?) Ant on spurge flower
[Date, Time]
Red Ants on spurge flower

Sessile-joy-weed-whole
Cassia plants stripped bare by caterpillars
Spurge flowers close-up. A favourite of ants
[Date, Time]
Tamarind flower
Tawny coster on Tridax - wild
Tawny coster on Purslane flower - wild
[Date, Time]
Tiny grass blue on Tridax - wild

Unidentified flower - wild
Basil flower
[Date, Time]

Tiny grass blue on Purslane flower
[Date, Time]
Tiny grass blue

Ornamental flower
Oldenlandia sp - wild
[Date, Time]
Nerium-oleander
Mimosa pudica flower - wild [Date, Time]

Lime-butterfly-on-curry-leaf
[Date, Time]
Mud puddling Lime and emigrants

Lime-butterfly-mud puddling
[Date, Time]
[Date, Time] Vinca rosea flowers

White purslane unbloomed- wild
[Date, Time]
White purslane - wild

Wild melon
[Date, Time]
Wingpod purslane
[Date, Time]
Mud puddling Lime and emigrants

Butterflies, Bees, Bugs and Blossoms

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Butterflies, Bees, Bugs and Blossoms

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BUTTERFLIES, BEES,

7/27/2017 Bombed by butterflies and blooms

For information of migration of butterflies in India

For information of flowers of India

Ash fleabane Wild flowering

Wingpod purslane (Yellow) Alligator weed wild

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

Common emigrant mud puddling

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

Wingpod purslane (Yellow) Caterpillar of Lemon pansy

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

Common lime on Ixora Common leopard on Tridax

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

where: Common lime mud puddling

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

Common purslane wild flower

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

where: Conker berry flower Copper-barked-crape-myrtle

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

Emigrant on Indian beech tree flower

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

Emigrant on sweet indrajao flower

Emigrant on Indian beech tree flower

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

[Date, Time] [Date, Time]

where: Grass blue mud puddling

Grape leaved mallow flower wild

Indian palm bob

LEMON PANSY ON Tridax flower

Mimosa sp flower - wild

Parakeet feeding on myrtle flower/fruit

Pungamia flower- - wild

Red Ants on spurge flower

Tiny grass blue on Tridax - wild

Unidentified flower - wild

Unidentified flower - wild

Tiny grass blue

Mimosa pudica flower - wild [Date, Time]

Mud puddling Lime and emigrants

[Date, Time] Vinca rosea flowers

White purslane - wild

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