Zebra Blue Butterflies (Leptotes)

Genus Leptotes in the butterfly family Licaenidae is group of species with intricate patterns on their underwings. Linnaeus encountered this genus and described as Papilio pirithous in 1767 in his Systema naturae. Later Scudder grouped two American species into genus Leptotes. Worldwide there are now about 25 species in this genus, distributed mainly in Afro-tropical and Neo-tropical regions, but the lone Indo-Australian species placement is a bit uncertain.

So far I met four species of these group. The first one is obviously the Indo-Australian species: Leptotes plinius or the Zebra Blue. This was in India, however it has a very wide distribution. I have interacted with this butterfly numerous times.   

Second species of the group that I have met is Leptotes cassius or the Cassius Blue. This species is distributed in Florida and Texas all the way down to South America. This butterfly can be seen around Plumbago or few other Fabaceae plants. 

The third species is Leptotes pirithous or the Lang's Short-tailed Blue, who I met in Haifa, Israel. When I saw both these species in Florida and Israel, I thought, "Oh the Indian species is here too," but then I found out that they are all actually different species which look very similar.

The fourth one I met recently in California. This is the Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) which is distributed more on western USA and Mexico. 

Brinjal fruit and shoot borer (Leucinodes orbonalis)

Brinjal fruit and shoot borer (Leucinodes orbonalis) or Eggplant fruit and shoot borer is a small moth of the family Crambidae. It is found throughout the tropics in Asia and Africa and is a minor pest in the Americas. The larvae bore into fruits and tender shoots of Egg plants.

There are about 20 species in the genus Leucinodes. Several of them were described just a few years back, from Africa.

I met this one at my home in Bangalore.

References:

• Mally R, Korycinska A, Agassiz DJL, Hall J, Hodgetts J, Nuss M (2015) Discovery of an unknown diversity of Leucinodes species damaging Solanaceae fruits in sub-Saharan Africa and moving in trade (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea). ZooKeys 472: 117-162. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.472.8781
• Leucinodes orbonalis - Wikipedia
• iNaturalist Observation 1610580

Common Rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae) caterpillar with parasitic wasps

Common Rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae) is a swallowtail butterfly. The caterpillar is maroon colored with a white belt like band.

If you check this caterpillar carefully, there are several while colored larvae of parasitic wasp larvae coming out of its body. The eggs are laid inside the eggs of the butterflies or in very early stages. As the caterpillar is growing, the wasp larvae grow inside the caterpillar and when matured, come out killing the caterpillar.

• Pachliopta aristolochiae (Wikipedia)
• Parasitic wasp (wikipedia)
• Pachliopta aristolochiae (I Found Butterflies)

Apefly (Spalgis epeus)

The Apefly (Spalgis epeus), is a small butterfly found in Asia that belongs to the lycaenids or the blues. It gets its common name due to resemblance of the pupa to face of Ape. Only one species in this genus is commonly encountered in India, though there is one more species described from Assam. The caterpillars feed on scale insects.

Common skittering frog (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis)

Indian skipper frog or skittering frog (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis) is a common frog recorded in Iran, Afghanistan,  Pakistan, India,  Nepal, Sri Lanka. This is member of Dicroglossidae family. Typically observed on the edge of the waterbodies with their eyes above water, and upon disturbance move inside the water skipping on water making noise, which earns the common name. This is rarely found outside water. It is a good pest control since it feeds on different insects and larvae voraciously.

• Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (Amphibians of India)
• Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (AmphibiaWeb)
• Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (Wikipedia)
• https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/125457

Lilac tasselflower (Emilia sonchifolia)

Lilac tasselflower or Cupid's shaving brush (Emilia sonchifolia) is tropical flowring plant of sunflower family. Widespread plant in tropical regions around the world, but believed to be native of Asia (China, India, Southeast Asia) and naturalized elsewhere.

One of the Dashpushpam in Kerala. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine as well as Vietnam.







References:

• Emilia sonchifolia (Wikipedia)
• Dasapushpam
• Emilia sonchifolia (FRLHT's ENVIS)

Creeping Foxglove (Asystasia gangetica)

Chinese Violet, Coromandel or Creeping Foxglove (Asystasia gangetica) is a species of plant in Acanthaceae family. This plant is widespread in old world tropics and now naturalized tropical Americas.

• Asystasia gangetica (Wikipedia)
• https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/150938
• Asystasia gangetica (iNaturalist)

Common Crow Butterfly (Euploea core)

The common crow (Euploea core) is a common butterfly found in South Asia to Australia. In Australia it is sometimes referred as the Australian crow. It belongs to the crows and tigers subfamily Danainae (Danaini tribe) of Family Nymphalidae.

This chrysalis or pupa I photographed in Bangalore, India just looked like a pure gold pendent, though the beauty is difficult to capture in camera.
















References:

• Euploea core (Wikipedia)
• Euploea core (Butterflies of India)

Grasshopper Acrida exaltata

Acrida exaltata is a member of the genus Acrida of grasshoppers in the family Acrididae. The genus contains around 40 species, which are found in Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, Hawaii, and Australia. Insects of this genus are omnivorous, and are a well known pest of many agricultural crops.

Acrida exaltata is described from Sri Lanka and has been recorded from India, Afghanistan and Yemen.

I met this one in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.