Butterflies Part VII

All the other buttering posts here.

In the series of knowing butterflies that we see around our places and in the places I visit, here is the next set for this time...

This is a small attempt to lure people towards the fascinating world of butterflies.


Common Emigrant butterfly
The Common Emigrant or Lemon Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona) is a medium sized pierid butterfly found in Asia and parts of Australia.

Common Pierrot butterfly
The Common Pierrot (Castalius rosimon) is a small butterfly found in South Asia that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues family. In India the butterfly is primarily found in peninsular India south of the outer ranges of the Himalayas.

Pioneer butterfly
The Pioneer White or African Caper White (Belenois aurota) is a small to medium-sized butterfly of the Family Pieridae, i.e., the Yellows and Whites, which is found in South Asia and Africa.

Blue Oak Leaf butterfly
The South Indian Blue Oakleaf (Kallima horsfieldii) is a nymphalid butterfly found in India. The underside appears like a leaf complete with midrib while the upper side is brilliantly coloured. When on underside, such is the camouflage that you just can’t make out unless it moves.

Await more...
I refer http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/ and Wikipedia for information about butterflies.

Butterflies Part VI

All the other buttering posts here.

Apologies on not been able to continue the series on butterflies, will make an attempt henceforth to keep them coming...

This is a small attempt to lure people towards the fascinating world of butterflies.

Sahyadri Cruiser butterfly
The Cruiser (Vindula erota saloma) is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South Asia. It appears in dry season as well as wet season forms, both distinct in nature. 3 subspecies are recorded from India specifically.

Common Rose Mormon butterfly
Apologies! The below is a Common Mormon butterfly and not Common Rose as described earlier. The Common Mormon mimics the Common Rose and that led to a confused Id'ing by me. It was of great help when Issac Kehmikar sir (the butterfly man himself) commented on the same. I stand corrected!

Please Identify the above butterfly as Common Mormon.

Dark Wanderer butterfly
The Dark Wanderer (Pareronia ceylanica) is a medium sized butterfly of the Family Pieridae, that is, the Yellows and Whites, which is found in South and South-east Asia.

Southern Birdwing butterfly
The Southern Birdwing (Troides minos) is a large and striking Swallowtail butterfly endemic to Peninsular India found only in the Western Ghats. With a wingspan of 140–190 mm, it is the largest butterfly found in India. Found up to 3000 feet in the Western Ghats. Found in diverse habitats from low-land evergreen forests near the coast to mixed deciduous forests, dry scrub and agricultural fields.

Wait for more fascinating ones :)
I refer http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/ and Wikipedia for information about the butterflies.

Butterflies Part V

Related posts here.

Some more of the gorgeous butterflies that we see regularly but hardly aware of. For a common person, all the butterflies look alike and are the same!

This is a small attempt to educate and encourage people more towards "buttering" (slang word for butterfly watching).


Plain Tiger butterfly
Danaus chrysippus, known as the Plain Tiger or African Monarch, is a common butterfly which is widespread in Asia and Africa. It is a medium-sized with a wingspan of about 7–8 cm, non-edible butterfly, which is mimicked by multiple species. The range of the Plain Tiger extends from Africa and southern Europe, eastwards via Sri Lanka, India, and Myanmar to China, Java and Sulawesi. It is a very common species.

Common Grass Yellow butterfly
The Large Grass Yellow or Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe) is a small pierid butterfly species found in Asia or Africa. They are found flying close to the ground and are found in open grass and scrub habitats. It is simply known as "the grass yellow" in parts of its range.

Great Eggfly butterfly
The Great Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina) is a species of nymphalid butterfly. It is a black-bodied butterfly with a wingspan of about 70–85 mm. It is found in Madagascar in the west, through to South and Southeast Asia, South Pacific islands, and occurs in parts of Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. It is a fairly common butterfly found in lightly wooded country, deciduous forests, thick and moist scrub and the greener parts of human habitation.

Peacock Pansy butterfly
The Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana) is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South Asia. It exists in two distinct adult forms, which differ chiefly in the patterns on the underside of the wings. The adult butterfly has a wingspan of 54–62 mm. It is found in India and South East Asia, and eastwards to China and Japan.

Wait for more fascinating ones :)
I refer http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/ and Wikipedia for information about the butterflies.

Butterflies Part IV

Part I here
Part II here
Part III here

Let's have a look at some more of the beautiful winged jewels with those intricate patterns and designs and that flutter and soar with all pride and glamor in front of you :)


Malabar Banded Peacock butterfly
The Malabar Banded Peacock (Papilio buddha) is a species of swallowtail found in the Western Ghats of India. The wing expanse is 107–155 mm making it a large butterfly. This probably is one of most beautiful specimens I have seen till date.

Common Sailer butterfly
(Neptis hylas), sometimes known as the Common Sailer, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South Asia and Southeast Asia. It has a characteristic stiff gliding flight achieved by short and shallow wingbeats.

Blue Mormon butterfly
The Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) is a large swallowtail butterfly and endemic to India and Sri Lanka. In India it is restricted to the Western Ghats, Southern India and the East coast. It is often seen even in the gardens and sometimes in the middle of busy traffic in large cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore. The butterfly is most common in heavy rainfall areas, such as evergreen forests. Commonly found in deciduous forests and wooded urban areas, primarily due to the cultivation of its host plants, i.e. the Citrus species.

White-bar Bushbrown butterfly
The White-bar Bushbrown (Mycalesis anaxias) is a species of satyrid butterfly found in South and Southeast Asia with a wingspan of 51–60 mm.

I refer http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/ and Wikipedia for information about the butterflies.

Butterflies Part III

Part I and II respectively here and here...


Danaid Eggfly butterfly
The Danaid Eggfly, Mimic, or Diadem (Hypolimnas misippus) is a widespread species of nymphalid butterfly. It is well known for polymorphism and mimicry. Males are blackish with distinctive white spots that are fringed in blue. They are found across Africa, Asia, and Australia.



Common Leopard butterfly
The Common Leopard (Phalanta phalantha) is a sun-loving butterfly of the Nymphalid or Brush-footed Butterfly family. It is a medium sized butterfly with a wingspan of 50–55 mm with a tawny color and marked with black spots. The underside of the butterfly is more glossy than the upper and both the male and female are similar looking. Sun loving and avoids shade (Sorry for the lousy shot with the wings closed, it looks dramatically beautiful with intricate spots all over the body when the wingspan is open).



Pea Blue butterfly
The Peablue, Pea Blue, or Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) is a small butterfly found in Europe, Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Australia that belongs to the Lycaenids or gossamer-winged family. The wingspan is 24-32 mm for males and 24-34 mm for females.



Gray Pansy butterfly
The Gray Pansy (Junonia atlites) is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South Asia. The least common pansy in India, found at low elevations in regions of heavy rainfall. It’s frequently seen in paddy fields, seldom in jungles and never in dry areas. Visits flowers of various plants.

(another shot of this beautiful butterfly with a better view)

Butterflies Part II

Some more butterflies in part II of the series...

Common dart butterfly

The Common Dart (Potanthus pseudomaesa) is commonly known as the Indian Dart or Pseudomaesa Dart, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It’s abundant in the hills and jungles and in fairly wet regions. A fast and powerful flier, it settles frequently on flowers and leaves.

Three spot grass yellow butterfly

Three-spot grass yellow (Eurema blanda) is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae, i.e., the Yellows and Whites found in India. A butterfly of lowland forests and resembles the common grass yellow.

Chocolate pansy butterfly

The Chocolate pansy (Junonia iphita) is also known as the Chocolate soldier is a butterfly found in Asia. Individuals maintain a territory and are usually found close to the ground level and often bask in the sun.

Fulvous pied flat butterfly

Fulvous pied flat (Pseudocoladenia dan) is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. An inhabitant of moist, cool and dense jungles, it visits flowers, bird droppings frequently and water rarely. It’s fond of basking in the sun on the upper surface of leaves close to the ground. With extremely rapid flight, it makes long lasting aerial sorties occasionally in shady clearings.

Part I here...

Butterfiles from Kodagu (Coorg) I

Butterflies were all around the place we visited (I still do remember seeing lot of them on our last trek to Tadiandamol here, couple of years back). Then it was just a fascination seeing so many of them around and with glorious colors and patterns and I was just into photography then.


Now and after the NTP, I love butterflies for many reasons, they are super active with loads of energy, always busy moving around, leave a mark in a short span of time, colorful and are pleasing on the eyes and you are kept active once you start chasing them because of all the running you have to do :D


Check out a few of them listed below, will add more details about each of them as I find time and more than a couple of posts to be composed are waiting due to lack of time :)


Gray Pansy Butterfly
The Gray Pansy (Junonia atlites) is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South Asia. The least common pansy in India, found at low elevations in regions of heavy rainfall. It’s frequently seen in paddy fields, seldom in jungles and never in dry areas. Visits flowers of various plants.

Blue Tiger Butterfly
The Blue Tiger (Tirumala limniace) is a butterfly found in India that belongs to the Crows and Tigers, that is, the Danaid group of the Brush-footed butterflies’ family. The butterfly larva generally feed on plants of Family Asclepiadaceae (milkweeds, rattle pods, etc..). This species migrates extensively during the Monsoons in southern India.

Gladeye Bushbrown Butterfly
The Gladeye Bushbrown (Mycalesis patnia) is a satyrid butterfly found in southern India and Sri Lanka. A common butterfly in the tropical and subtropical evergreen forests and the bamboo forests. Files close to the gourd and the weakest flier of the genus. Visits fallen berries, fruits and sugary sap.

Common Hedge Blue Butterfly
The Common Hedge Blue (Acytolepis puspa) is a small butterfly that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues family. The Common Hedge Blue is usually found flying along brightly sunlit footpaths along forest tracks. It flies in an erratic manner and males are usually observed feeding on damp patches on the forest floor. Males are a shining blue above and this can be noticed when the butterfly is in flight.