1
My Best Butterfly Moment 2019
Rama Neelamegam
2019 will always be known as the year of painted lady (it was like
everywhere both national and international) and Spot Sword tail to me!
This year also had one of the biggest emigrant (of all forms and sizes and
species) bloom here in Chennai in the months of Jul-Aug. Literally all the
trees and puddles in IIT-campus as well as near home was swarming with
emigrants that even a seasoned butterfly person like Theivaprakasham
Hari was stunned when he came to the campus !
The butterfly walk with him around the campus has been one of my
most cherished butterflying moment this year as well as till date!
Theivaprakasham Hari showed me how the cattie crawls under leaf litter
to pupate and we also actually saw a fresh butterfly eclosing, drying its
wings and mating all in wild! Was exhilarating to say the least! There was
even one near my entrance door at home which I managed to latch on to
my finger and set it out free as it was in distress where it was! So yes,
definitely a spot swordtail year it was!
The lifer for me this year has been baronet which I saw in Amirthi zoo
along with Smitha in January! Hope that we see many more of such
butterfly blooms in years to come!
Saravana Saran
Year 2019 presented me with plenty of
interesting sightings and lifers!
The team i was a part of in the Birds and
Butterflies Survey in STR recorded 'Common
Onyx'. I missed to sight it!
Fortunate enough, soon after a few days i got
to see it laying eggs in 'Gmelina arborea' in the
Butterfly Survey in Silent Valley National Park.
The team i was a part of was in the right place
in the right time. Common Onyx came to the
plant Gmelina arborea, laid eggs, and flew off
immediately, escaping our sight forever!
Kishore Kumaran
#Mybutterflymoment2019, is Coimbatore Forest Division Birds and Butterfly Survey. Since, I am a beginner in butterfly I saw
and learnt new names. It was a new experience for me. Thanks to my survey team members for teaching me in field. Sorry, I
didn't take my DSLR during the survey walk so no clicks. Special thanks to Selvaraj sir - CNS and Pavendhan sir - TNBS for giving
me the opportunity. Looking forward to learn a lot about butterfly in 2020 with the beautiful team.
PATTAMPOOCHI
A TNBS MAGAZINE
WINGS 4 VEINS 2
10