Yeah Kiran that should be generally true. The case I mention in Singapore is for a 11th floor rooftop garden on a shopping mall cum office building. There aren't potted plants in the balcony of the building to act as stopovers, just a lone garden on the rooftop but we do see butterflies being trapped in the concrete facade and crevices of the building as they try to make their way up to the rooftop. Sometimes even beauties like the Blue Nawab, Painted Jezebel get trapped...the unfortunate part of insect interaction with urban jungle.
There is good butterfly habitat around the building which is the reason these butterflies hang around there. But as you say, climbing such heights is a remarkable feat in itself. Cheers, Anuj On Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 3:38 PM, kiran srivastava <[email protected]>wrote: > ** > > > Nelson & Anuj, > > It is amazing to note that apart from visual aid butterflies have to learn > to smell their food plants are in an urban environment. My guess would > be that butterflies have explored 1st and 2nd floor balconies with potted > plants and, over time graduated floor by floor to reach such high levels. > Nonetheless, it doesn't take away the remarkable feat of butterflies finding > their food plants at such high levels. > > Cheers, > Kiran Srivastava > mumbai > On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 11:55 AM, Nelson Rodrigues <[email protected]>wrote: > >> ** >> >> >> would be interesting to know how the common mormon found its way to >> the 17th floor is their sense of smell so strong, any studies made >> regarding how butterflies find their host plants at such great distances >> >> nelson rodrigues >> >> --- On *Sun, 9/10/11, kiran srivastava <[email protected]>* wrote: >> >> >> From: kiran srivastava <[email protected]> >> Subject: [ButterflyIndia] Common Mormon laying its egg on 17th floor >> To: [email protected] >> Date: Sunday, 9 October, 2011, 10:13 AM >> >> >> >> >> Hi, >> >> A Common butterfly came to our balcony on the 17th floor and laid a couple >> of eggs on our mini orange plant (origin Singapore). The round shape is >> typical of swallowtail butterflies. Photo is enlarged, cropped and enhanced >> by pp. Isaac Kehimkar subsequently corrected my identification and told me >> it is an interesting record of a Common Mormon (and not a Common Rose, which >> I thought it was) finding a food plant at this level. He clarified the egg >> of the Common rose is dark maroon and not smooth. >> >> Cheers, >> kiran >> mumbai >> >> >> >> > > -- Enjoy
