After a long dry season of 4-5 months (Jan-May), rain seems to be the rarest commodity in this part of the world, and is longed for, prayed for, excited for! Everything, especially living things wait for it. But some of us have other things in mind aside from the rain, and that includes butterflies. After a few downpour, in time for the flowers and greens, they are seen swarming around, joyously and seemingly in rituals.
blues and blacks linger on dried branches, which they seem to like so much, whether dead branches (left) or still green (right). Maybe the dill aroma make them a bit tipsy or hallucinate as they don't seem to fly far from the plant after minutes of sucking. They just converge there day and night! I actually planted this plant after observing that they like it so much. (Ideopsis juventa-4, Euploea mulciber, Parantica vitrina, Euploea mulciber (6)
Tirumala limniace (2) still clinging on the dead dill branches
Most of them though still prefer the nectars: Duranta erecta (left) and white morning glory (right), Junonia hedonia
Lemon emigrant, Catopsilia pomona are so plenty because of the big Casia alata tree or golden shower (right), the leaves of which they mostly devoured with relish. Those above right are their catterpillars.
The swallowtails, Papilio alphenor -male (left) and female (right) prefer the nectar from Clerodendrum intermedium
The yellows, Appias olferna (left) and Catopsilia pomona (right) seem like to prefer the Duranta erecta nectar. I like them there also for the color contrast.
Euchrysops cnejus (blue one), Pareronia boebera
Identification mostly due to the kind help from Dr. Peter B. Hardy
