'Thovampallil' is my husbands house in Kerala. It is located near the very famous Chettikulangara temple in Alapuzha district, Kerala.
This Onam we went to Kerala for a week. This trip was long overdue since travelling has not been the best thing one could think of in this time. Owing to the pandemic and rising cases in Kerala we made sure that we did not leave the house if we could avoid it. This meant that I had more time to explore the breath-taking garden . And indeed the garden was so diverse and beautiful. All credits go to my mother-in-law for being so dedicated and maintaining this garden with love and hard work.
During our stay, I was lucky enough to see so many different varieties of birds, butterflies and flowers. Onam usually comes hand-in-hand with the flowering season. Hence, inviting more visitors of nature. This was a jackpot for nature-lovers. Whenever I saw any kind of butterfly, I would rush outside with my camera to capture its beauty. Some successfully caught while others missed by a click.
Here are a few of my captures of butterflies and the intriguing facts about
them. All thanks to my mother-in-law Renuka, who gave me the opportunity to
witness these winged wonders.
All the pictures in this blog are captured in the span of 1 week during my stay
in Thovampallil and from the same garden. Isn't that amazing? :)
1. Common Mormon ( Papilio polytes )
Papilio polytes, the common Mormon, is a Jet black butterfly with row of white
spots along the middle part of hindwing.
More pictures at
I have written about this butterfly earlier. You can read more at
2. Common sailor (Neptis Hylas)
Neptis hylas (Common Sailor) is a species of butterflies in the family
brush-footed butterflies. It has a characteristic sailing flight and is
active during most of the day except early morning and late afternoon. It
eludes the heat by resting in closed wing position during the hot hours of
the day, for otherwise it is found with open wings. It feeds on both flowers
and fruits.
More Pictures at
More information at
3. Cupha Erymanthis (Rustic Butterfly)
The Cupha erymanthis is commonly known as the Rustic Butterfly and belongs to
the Nymphalidae Family. The males and females are identical.
More Pictures at
More information at
4. Chocolate Pansy (Junonia iphita)
Junonia iphita, the chocolate pansy or chocolate soldier is brown in
color. Both sexes are very similar in appearance, but the female has
slightly broader and more rounded wings. On the underside the wings are pale
brown with a dark stripe, and look like a dead leaf.
More Pictures at
More information at
5. Common Crow (Euploea core)
The common crow is a glossy-black butterfly with brown undersides having
white markings along the outer margins of both wings. In India it is also
sometimes referred to as the common Indian crow.
More information at
6. Common Five Ring (Ypthima baldus)
The Common Five Ring or Ypthima baldus is one of the commonest butterflies
found in Kerala’s backyards. It belongs to the Nymphalidae family and the
subfamily of Satyrinae. The upper side of the adult male is brown and
both the fore and hind wings have terminal dark margins. More or less
distinct sub basal and disc like dark bands can be seen on the wings.
The adults visits flowers for nectar and sun-bathe with fully opened
wings in sunny conditions.
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7. Blue tiger butterfly (Tirumala limniace)
Blue tiger is a beautiful butterfly. The head, antennae and thorax is brownish black in color, with white dots on head and neck. Blue Tiger Butterflies have brownish black upperparts, with bluish white semi hyaline spots and streaks. They have two pairs of filaments. This species of butterfly migrates extensively during the monsoons in southern India.
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8. The red Pierrot (Talicada nyseus)
The red Pierrots is a small but striking butterfly found in the Indian subcontinent. They are usually noticed due to their striking patterns and colors. The upper side of its wings are black except for a large orange portion of the lower edge of the hindwing. On the underside, the forewing is white with black spots more toward the margin. The hindwing is very striking, it is white with black spots toward the base and the margin has a wide band of orange with white spots. It always sits with its wings closed to display the bright markings of its undersides.
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9. Common Emigrant
It is a very common and a variable species of butterfly and a strong migrant. It is a fast flier, covering long distances high above the ground in straight, powerful, long, up-and-down curved flight. It is found in wet places of Western Ghats.
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10. Grass Demon Butterfly (Udaspes folus)
Udaspes folus, the Grass Demon is black with a large white spot on the upper side of the hindwing and several smaller whites spots on the forewing. The underside of its wings is mostly white with brown edges and spots.
More Pictures at
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7GswPuUJH7K8w261811. Plains Cupid (Luthrodes pandava)
Luthrodes pandava (Chilades pandava) is a widespread and fairly common species, found in countries such as India and Singapore. They are among the few butterflies that breed on plants of the cycad family.
More Pictures at
More information at
12. Southern Bird Wing (Troides Minos)
Southern birdwing is locally very common in the southern and central Western Ghats covering the states of Karnataka and Kerala. It is the largest butterfly of India, with a wingspan of 140–190 mm.
The state government of Karnataka declared Southern Birdwing as the state butterfly. The butterfly has red and yellow on its wings that are also the colors of the Kannada flag.
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13. Psyche (Leptosia nina)
Leptosia nina, the psyche, is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae and is found in Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia and Australia. The upper forewing has a black spot on a mainly white background. The flight is weak and erratic and the body of the butterfly bobs up and down as it beats its wings.
The Psyche flies among herbs and grasses, never above 2 feet. If it is alarmed, it flies restlessly, but very slowly around a small area for a long period. It settles on flowers regularly in an inclined angle with folded wings, while hiding its forewing between its hindwings.
More Pictures at
14. Paint brush Swift
Baoris farri, commonly known as the paintbrush swift, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It is found in India.
On the upperside, the wings are dark brown.
The hindwing does not bear any spot, but the male has a black hair tuft in the cell on top of a scent pouch (hence "Paintbrush" in its common name). On the underside, the wings are pale brown and similarly ``spotted'' as per the upperside.
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15.Water Snow Flat (Tagiades litigiosa)
Tagiades litigiosa, the water snow flat, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae which is found in India. It is brownish black on the upper side with a large white area on the lower parts of the hindwing. The size of this patch varies individually.
It rests on the underside of leaves and keeps its wings spread flat. It comes out to feed on flowers in the morning and afternoon and keeps its wings spread flat even when feeding. It cannot suck nectar from cup-shaped flowers due to this behavior but is able to exploit suspending flowers. Its jerking flight is fast but not as speedy as the Ceylon Snow Flat. It is a migrant.
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16.Tailed Palmfly ( Elymnias caudata) - Male
Tailed Palmfly is a butterfly from the Nymphalidae family (Brush-footed butterflies). It is the most common and widely distributed Palmfly and the only one found in South India. Common in jungles and palm plantations. Avoids bright sunlight and rarely comes out into the open.
This butterfly species are sexually dimorphic: males and females do not look alike.
I could not get a look of the upper side as the wings were closed; it’s like that mostly.
More Pictures at
17. Tricolour pied flat (Coladenia indrani)
Coladenia indrani, the tricolour flat, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. Upperside bright golden-yellow: forewing with a discal series of four semi-transparent white black-bordered spots
Photos at
18. The common grass yellow (Eurema hecabe)
Eurema hecabe, the common grass yellow is a small pierid butterfly species. They are found flying close to the ground and are found in open grass and scrub habitats. It is simply known as "the grass yellow" in parts of its range; the general term otherwise refers to the entire genus Eurema.
Pictures at
19. Tailed Jay
Graphium agamemnon, the tailed jay, is a predominantly green and black tropical butterfly that belongs to the swallowtail family. The butterfly is also called the green-spotted triangle, tailed green jay, or green triangle.
The tailed jay is now very common at low elevations and regularly seen in gardens and urban areas due to its food plant, Polyalthia longifolia (false ashoka or mast tree), being widely used as an ornamental tree.
Tailed jays are active throughout the year but their abundance depends upon the local monsoon and availability of the larval host plants.
Strong and restless fliers, they are very active butterflies and flutter their wings constantly even when at flowers. Therefore this is the best I could capture.
My Instagram handle- reena.rendeep
Other Blogs in the same series
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References:-
Wikipedia
Pictures :- August 2021, Thovampallil
Really amazing photos Reena!
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