Signature Spider

Female Signature Spider, Argiope anasuja resting at the centre of her web

I photographed this fairly common but striking species of Orb spider, Argiope anasuja in the Adyar Theosophical Society Gardens. The mature female (which is larger than the male) rests at the centre of the orb with her head facing downwards.

Like other species belonging to this genus, it builds a web with 1 to 4 stabilimenta. These are zig-zag markings on the web made by the spider using spider silk. It is conjectured that these stabilimenta are present to make the web visible to larger creatures. As construction of an elaborate web is quite expensive in energy terms, it is probably worthwhile for the spider to expend some additional energy to construct stabilimenta to ward off larger creatures which may inadvertently destroy the orb spider’s handiwork (or should one say, her fancy footwork!). The orb has an opening at the centre and when disturbed, the spider goes through this opening and exits on the other side of the web.

Like almost all other spiders, Argiope spiders are harmless to humans. Like most other garden spiders, they eat insects and are capable of consuming prey up to twice their size.

House Sparrow

Female House Sparrow, Passer domesticus

Recently I photographed a female house sparrow, Passer domesticus, while out walking on the Besant Nagar beach. It was unsteadily balancing itself on a telephone wire. Though I spotted quite a few male sparrows also, I was unable to photograph them.

House sparrows are old favourites of mine and I still remember avidly watching them while as a child growing up in Delhi. They were a constant presence in our Government flats in Kidwai Nagar. These active,noisy and cheerful birds could invariably be found nesting behind drainpipes at the back of our house. Mating, nest-building, feeding the baby sparrows were all activities which could be observed with great ease.

In Chennai, I find that house sparrows are far less common and till date, I am yet to spot a nesting pair. Increasing use of pesticides has definitely impacted the insect and consequently house sparrow populations in many parts of the country. The House Sparrow is found in most parts of the world. These birds are found closely associated with human habitations in both urban and rural settings. It is a small bird about 16 cm in length and weighing about 24 to 40 gm. Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings. The House Sparrow feeds mostly the seeds of grains and weeds, and insects.

The Indian Tulip Tree

Fresh flower of the Indian Tulip tree, Thespesia populnea

Photographed this fairly common tree, the Indian Tulip tree, Thespesia populnea near my home. It is an evergreen bushy tree, belonging to the Malvaceae family, which grows to a height of about 12 metres with a crown diameter of 3-6 metres. It has heart-shaped leaves and beautiful cup-shaped flowers that are produced all through the year. The flowers look very similar to other flowers belonging to the Malvaceae family and closely resembles the flower of the ‘Lady’s fingers’ plant, Abelmoschus esculentus.

Faded purple flower of Thespesia populnea

Interestingly, the fresh flowers open rather late in the day and in the early morning, one can only spot faded flowers which are a light purple in colour. The flowers are followed by small apple-shaped fruit which dries on the tree. The tree is also known as the Portia tree. In Tamil, it is called poovarasu or the ‘king of flowers’ an apt name for a tree which bears very pretty flowers abundantly.

The Black-rumped Flameback

Female Black-rumped Flameback, Dinopium benghalense

I was really excited about finally managing to get a decent photograph of the Black-rumped Flameback, Dinopium benghalense in the Adyar Theosophical Society Gardens (ATSG).  I have to thank a pair of aggressive Oriental Magpie robins (Copsychus saularis) for constantly harrying and flushing out the woodpecker. The Magpie robins were defending their nest hole. The flameback is quite a common sight in ATSG. It is one of the few woodpeckers that are seen in urban areas; it has a characteristic rattling-whinnying call and an undulating flight.

The Black-rumped Flameback is a fairly large species, 26-29 cm in overall body length. It has a typical woodpecker shape, and the golden yellow wing coverts are distinctive. The rump is black and not red as in the Greater Flameback. The underparts are white with dark markings. The black throat which is finely marked with white immediately distinguishes it from other flamebacks in the Indian region. The head is whitish with a black nape and throat, and there is a greyish eye patch. The adult male has a red crown and crest. Females have a black forecrown spotted with white, with red only on the rear crest. Young birds are duller versions of the female birds.

Like other woodpeckers, this species has a straight pointed bill, a stiff tail to provide support against tree trunks, and zygodactyl feet, with two toes pointing forward, and two backward. The long tongue can be darted forward to capture insects. The birds frequently drum during the breeding season which is between February and July. The nest hole is usually excavated by the birds and has a horizontal entrance and descends into a cavity. The normal clutch of about 3 eggs is laid inside the unlined cavity. The elongated eggs are glossy and white. The eggs hatch after about 11 days of incubation. The chicks leave the nest after about 20 days.

St. Andrew’s Cotton Stainer

St. Andrew’s Cotton Stainer, Dysdercus andreae basking in the early morning sunlight

I photographed this attractive Cotton Stainer, belonging to the Dysdercus genus in the Adyar Theosophical Society Gardens (ATSG). The specimen was tentatively identified as the St. Andrew’s Cotton Stainer, Dysdercus andreae. Mating adults and nymphs are a fairly common sight in ATSG and can be found feeding on fallen Sterculia foetida fruits and in leaf litter. The Dysdercus genus belongs to the Pyrrhocoridae family of insects with more than 300 species world-wide.

They are part of the order Hemiptera which are also known as the ‘true bugs’. A few of the species belonging to the Dysdercus genus are agricultural pests. These insects are called cotton stainers because their red bodies get crushed when the cotton bolls on which they feed is harvested. Their feeding mechanism also cuts the cotton fibres and hence affects the growth of the cotton boll.

Malabar Grey Hornbill

Malabar Grey Hornbill, Ocyceros griseus

It was dusk when I photographed this Malabar Grey Hornbill, Ocyceros griseus in the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. This hornbill is endemic to the Western Ghats and associated hills of southern India.

The Malabar Grey Hornbill is a large bird, 45 cm in length with a 23 cm tail and pale or yellowish to orange bill. It has a large beak but lacks the casque that is prominent in other species of hornbills. These birds are found mainly in dense forests and around rubber, arecanut or coffee plantations. They move around in small groups, feeding on figs and other forest fruits. They have a distinctive loud cackling and laughing call.

The Sacred Fig Tree

Young leaves of the Sacred Fig tree, Ficus religiosa

Young leaves of the Sacred Fig tree, Ficus religiosa photographed in the Adyar Theosophical Society Gardens. This is a species of banyan fig native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, southwest China and Indochina. It is also known as the Peepal tree of Bo-tree. This tree is considered sacred by the followers of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, and hence the name ‘Sacred Fig’. Siddhartha Gautama is said to have been sitting underneath a Sacred Fig tree when he was enlightened (Bodhi), or ‘awakened’ (Buddha).

It is a large deciduous tree with leathery leaves 10-20 cm long by 7.50-12.75 cm wide with a typical heart-shape. A prominent drip-tip is present at the apex of the leaf. The young leaves are frequently pink, change to copper and finally to green. As in other fig trees, minute flowers are borne in a syconium. The ripe fruits are eagerly eaten by a variety of birds including barbets and orioles.

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Treron phoenicoptera

Photographed this handsome Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Treron phoenicoptera perched on a tall bamboo clump during our visit to the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. The Yellow-footed Green Pigeon (manjakkali in Malayalam) is a common species found in South Asia. The species feeds on fruits of a large variety of fruit trees including a number of species of Ficus. They forage in flocks. In the early morning these birds are often seen sunning on the tops of trees in dense forest areas.

Greater Banded Hornet

Greater Banded Hornet, Vespa tropica wasps streaming out of the nest entrance

I had quite often spotted individual Greater Banded Hornets in Adyar Theosophical Society Gardens. However, it was only today that I saw the nest of these large, agressive vespid wasps. The nest was constructed on a wild date palm tree. It was about 0.5 metres in diameter with a nest entrance about 2.5 cm in diameter. The nest is made of chewed tree bark and looks as if it is made of rough cartridge paper.

Yet another Vespa tropica nest on a thorny tree

It was about 7 am in the morning and the nest entrance was busy with wasps coming in and going out for foraging. These wasps are very aggessive about defending their nests and it was with some trepidation that I went close to take photographs. I was also nervous about using the flash but the light was quite inadequate to get a good shot without using the flash. I had earlier encountered individual wasps in my childhood in Delhi and in Kerala. The wasps are medium sized, with the worker’s length being about 2.5 cm. The head is dark brown or red, the abdomen is black with a large distinctive orange-yellow stripe.

The Pongam Tree

Flowering Pongam tree, Millettia pinnata

I photographed this flowering Pongam tree, Millettia pinnata in Besant Nagar. This is a fast-growing tree belonging to the Fabaceae family. It grows to about 15-25 metres in height, with an equally large canopy.

The leaves are a soft, glossy burgundy in early summer and mature to a shiny, deep green as the season progresses. Mature leaves usually exhibit leaf galls as well as extensive damage by leaf mining insects. Small clusters of white, purple, and pink flowers blossom on their branches throughout the year, maturing into brown seed pods. 25-40% of the seed weight comprises of fats, of which nearly 50% is oleic acid. The oil from the seeds is used in soap making and as a lubricant. There is considerable work being done in India and elsewhere  to explore the use of the pongam tree as a commercially viable source of biofuel.