Grass Yellow Butterfly

Grass Yellow belonging to Eurema genus

Grass Yellow butterflies belonging to the Eurema genus are members of the Pierid family of butterlies. This is a widespread genus with species from Asia, Africa, Australia, Oceania, and the New World. The genus is a taxonomist’s nightmare with over 70 species in the genus having been given more than 300 names. Some species, such as the Common African Grass Yellow, E. hecuba, have more than 80 synonyms.

I have very tentatively identified the butterfly I photographed as Eurema blanda or the Three-Spot Grass Yellow which is found widely in India. The host plants for this butterfly include Caesalpinia mimosoides and Bauhinia purpurea.

The Grass Yellow butterflies are relatively short-lived and several generations are completed in an year. The perpetuation of the species is a compelling imperative and the male butterflies which emerge a few days earlier than the females, quickly mate with the female butterflies as soon they emerge from the pupae so that the life cycle can be completed.

Plains Cupid

Plains Cupid, Chilades pandava on Tridax flowerhead

The Plains Cupid, Chilades pandava is a small blue Lycaenid butterfly. These butterflies can be seen fluttering about and chasing each other incessantly in weed lots. They are not as alert and aware of human presence as larger butterflies and go about their business without paying much heed to humans. The Lycaenidae family of butterflies is the second largest family of butterflies with about 6000 species worldwide. The subfamilies include the blues, coppers and hairstreaks.

Plains Cupid with its wings open

The Plains Cupid has an average wingspan of about 1.5 cm to 2 cm. The base colour on the underside is greyish brown with white and darkish-brown markings that are beautifully patterned. The hind wings have some small black spots encircled in white, with 2 larger black spots that are inwardly crowned with orangy-yellow on the lower end. Each hind wing has a short white-tipped tail. The upper side, on the other hand, is softly toned lavender-blue, hence its other common name, the Cycad Blue Butterfly. This butterfly also exhibits seasonal polyphenism.

The preferred larval host plant is Cycas revoluta. Acacia spp. and Albizzia lebbeck are alternative larval host plants. The butterfly lays its pale green-colored eggs singly on newly emerging fronds of the host plant. The early instar larvae are coloured purple but subsequently change to green in later stages. The caterpillars typically feed on tender emerging shoots of Cycad palms that have not yet hardened.

As in many other species of the family, late instar larvae of Chilades pandava are often attended to by ants belonging to several species. Ants protect the butterfly larvae from parasites and predators in return for a sugary liquid exuded from special glands on the caterpillars’ backs. Pupation occurs within the ant colony and the newly emerged butterfly comes out of the ant colony to harden its wings.

Spotted Joker

Spotted Joker, Byblia ilithyia with wings closed

Another nymphalid butterfly easily spotted (pun intended) in Kalakshetra and Theosophical Gardens. Byblia ilithyia or the Spotted Joker is found in parts of Africa and Asia. The adults are found flitting about in weed lots, especially where Tridax procumbens is found. This species also exhibits seasonal polyphenism with distinct wet and dry season forms.

Spotted Joker with wings open

This is a medium-sized butterfly with a wing span of 50 mm to 56 mm. The caterpillars feed on various species of Tragia and Dalechampia capensis belonging to the Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).

Common Jezebel

The Common Jezebel, Delias eucharis will not make the list of most beautiful butterflies in the world. It does not have the cold metallic iridescent beauty of a Morpho or the exaggerated beauty of a ‘Kaiser-e-Hind’ or a Bhutanitis lidderdali. But certainly the Common Jezebel qualifies as being one of the world’s prettiest butterflies. It looks like a naif child artist’s attempt at drawing and colouring a butterfly.

The Common Jezebel is a medium-sized butterfly (wingspan ranges from 6.5 cm to 8.5 cm) found in many areas of South and Southeast Asia, especially in the non-arid regions of India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. The Common Jezebel is one of the most common species in the genus Delias and belongs to the Pieridae family. The butterfly may be found wherever there are trees, even in towns and cities.

The Jezebel often flies high up in the canopy and usually comes lower down only to feed on nectar in flowers. Due to this habit apparently, it has evolved a dull upperside and a brilliant underside so that birds below it recognise it immediately while in flight and at rest. It has bright coloration to indicate the fact that it is unpalatable due to toxins accumulated by the larvae from the host-plants.

The hairy caterpillars are gregarious and feed on several parasitic shrubs such as Loranthus, growing on the branches of trees.

Three-Striped Palm Squirrel

Three-Striped Palm Squirrel, Funambulus palmarum

Managed to catch this little guy having his breakfast while perched atop a palm tree. The scientific name for the Indian Palm Squirrel, Funambulus palmarum says it all — it literally means a ‘tightrope walker on a palm’.

Palm squirrels are rodents belonging to the Sciuridae family. They are about the size of rats with a bushy tail which is slightly shorter than their body. Their back is a grizzled grey-brown colour with conspicuous white stripes, three of which run from head to tail. They have a creamy white belly and a tail covered with interspersed long black and white hairs. Their ears are small and triangular.

These squirrels eat mainly nuts and fruits. They are fairly vocal, with a cry that sounds like high- pitched “chip chip chip” when danger is present. Often an agitated squirrel will face you and excitedly scold you while raising and lowering its tail.

The palm squirrel is considered sacred for the role it played while the Adi sethu bridge was being constructed to help Lord Rama to reach Ravana’s kingdom in Lanka. Lord Rama was pleased by the little squirrel’s dedication and stroked him gently. Ever since, palm squirrels have had stripes on their bodies.

Rusty Shield Bearer

Peltophorum pterocarpum — Flowers and pods

The Rusty Shield Bearer or the Copper Pod is a strikingly handsome and visible tree in Chennai because of its beautiful display of yellow flowers and rust-red pods. It is a generous tree which blooms profusely. While the tree is in bloom, the ground under the tree is strewn with a veritable carpet of golden yellow petals. If you stand still for a moment, you can hear the buzz and hum of hundreds of bees and other insects hard at work gathering nectar and pollen. I have been photographing the tree quite often but was able to get a satisfactory shot showing the typical foliage, flowers and pods only today.

This tree, which belongs to the Leguminosae family, is tall and straight and often reaches a height of 24 metres. It has a smooth and grey bark with a spreading crown. Young green leaves quickly mature to a dark green and the overall appearance of the tree is dark, sombre and solid-looking.

This is another tree where the scientific nomenclature has undergone some change. It used to be known earlier as Peltophorum ferrugineum. This was a more apt name as it literally means ‘rusty shield bearer’. The new specific name pterocarpum means that the fruit i.e. pod is winged.

Though the timber of the tree is light and not very durable, it is often used to make cheap furniture.

Mickey Mouse Plant

Mickey Mouse plant showing fruit, Ochna serrulata

A weird looking flower from our neighbourhood! A closer examination revealed that I was looking at berry-like fruits attached to persistent bright red sepals. I was able to identify the plant after a few pleasant hours spent researching on the internet. This plant, commonly known as the Mickey Mouse plant or Ochna serrulata belongs to the family, Ochnaceae. The common name refers to the way that the shiny black berries suspended below the bright-red sepals resemble the face of Mickey Mouse. This showy plant is becoming quite popular in many gardens in South India, especially in Kerala.

Ochna serrulata is a small shrub of 1 to 2 metres height. It has a slender stem with smooth, brown bark. The branches are covered with small, raised, light-coloured dots.

Mickey Mouse plant, Flower

The leaves are elliptic, 1.5-5.0 cm long, but occasionally narrow with blunt or rounded tips and a rounded base. The leaf margins are toothed with upright pointed teeth, hence the specific name serrulata. The generic name Ochna comes from Ochne, the ancient Greek name for the wild pear, because the leaves of this genus were thought to resemble those of the wild pear. The shrub is covered with fragrant yellow blossoms in spring. Each flower is about 2 cm in diameter. The petals drop off soon and are followed by the berry-like fruits, pale green at first, and shiny black when mature.

The plant is native to subtropical (East) coast of southern Africa, where it is widely distributed.

Grey Pelican

Grey or Spot-Billed Pelican, Pelecanus philippensis

From Chennai, we usually take the ECR and cross over to the Old Mahabalipuram Road at Kelambakkam to go to our farm near Thirupporur. The route takes us across the Buckingham Canal and very often one can see grey pelicans in the water. Yesterday, we stopped the car and I was able to take a few photographs of a pelican which was majestically gliding on the water.

The Grey Pelican, Pelecanus philippensis is a large bird. It is 125-152 cm long with a weight of 4.1-6 kg. It is mainly white, with a grey crest, hindneck and a brownish tail. The feathers on the hind neck are curly and form a greyish nape crest. The pouch is pink to purplish and has large pale spots. There are spots on the sides of the upper mandible and hence the other name for this pelican — the Spot-Billed Pelican.

It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large lakes. At a distance, they may be difficult to differentiate from other pelicans in the region, but at close range, the spots on the upper mandible, the lack of bright colours and the greyer plumage are distinctive. In some areas, these birds nest in large colonies close to human habitations. Breeding colonies of grey pelicans can be seen in the Vedanthangal Lake Bird Sanctuary.

Ashy Wren-Warbler or Ashy Prinia

Ashy Prinia, Prinia socialis

Yesterday afternoon, after the rain had cleared up, I took my camera along for a post-lunch walk. Found a lot of butterflies near the beach but they were hyperactive because of the heat. I was disappointed as I could not get even a few decent shots. Just as I was thinking of returning home, I heard a small bird making alarm calls. I spotted an Ashy Wren-Warbler or Ashy Prinia on a twig agitatedly hopping up and down and calling out loudly. Most likely a nest was nearby and the bird was trying desperately to distract me.

I was delighted with the photo opportunity and managed several shots. This prinia is a resident breeder in the Indian subcontinent. It is common in urban gardens. Its small size, distinctive colours and upright tail make it easy to identify.

These 13 to 14 cm long warblers have short rounded wings, a longish tail usually held upright, strong legs and a short black bill. The crown is grey and the underparts are rufous. In breeding plumage, adults are ash grey above, with a black crown and cheek and rufescent wings.

Like most warblers, it is insectivorous. The song is a repetitive tchup, tchup, tchup or zeet-zeet-zeet. It also makes a sound like “electric sparks” which is said to be produced by the wings. In flight it is most easily distinguished by a loud snapping noise.

Birds stay in pairs but roost singly in the branch of a small tree or shrub. The Ashy Prinia builds its nest close to the ground in a shrub or tall grass and lays 3-5 glossy brick-red to rich chestnut coloured eggs. The nest consists of leaves stitched together with webs and hair with the entrance towards the side. The eggs hatch in about 12 days.

The breeding season varies with locality and has been recorded breeding around the year but mostly after the monsoons. When the nest is threatened by predators such as cats, adults have been observed feigning injury.

Swiss Cheese Plant

The Swiss Cheese plant is popular foliage houseplant easily identified by its large glossy leaves that are deeply dissected and perforated with oblong holes. It is the only plant I know which has naturally occurring holes in the leaf lamina. In the wild, it is an evergreen epiphytic liana that belongs to the Arum family, Araceae. It has aerial roots and is able to grow up to a height of 20 metres. Young plants have leaves that are smaller and entire with no lobes or holes, but soon produce lobed and holed leaves.

Wild seedlings grow towards the darkest area (negative phototropism) they can find until they find a tree trunk, then start to grow up towards the light (positive phototropism), creeping up the tree. Another name for this plant is the split-leaf philodendron. The word philodendron means lover of trees, indiciating that this plant is an avid tree climber.

In ideal conditions the plant flowers about three years after it is planted. Flowering is rare when grown indoors. The plant can be transplanted by taking cuttings of a mature plant or by air layering.The flowers which look like huge arum lilies, appear on short thick stems during the summer if the humidity conditions are good. The central spadix develops into a cylindrical dark green fruit 20 cm to 25 cm long and 5 cm to 7.5 cm in diameter. The edible fruit ripens one year after blooming. It is important to wait until the fruit is ripe as the young fruit contains significant amounts of oxalic acid and calcium oxalate which can cause severe irritation. The calcium oxalate is present as needle-like structures called raphides and trichosclereids.