There is chance they are blown upwards by the draft. All highrises have a
blocking effect to wind causing a layer of air going straight up along the
vertical surface. Very commonly seen in New York or Chicago. The confetti
during parades gets tossed way up. may be that is the reason. Dr Kunte may be
able to explain.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:54:26 +0530
Subject: Re: [ButterflyIndia] Common Mormon laying its egg on 17th floor
I live on the 19th floor in Bhandup, and I have often seen butterflies outside
my balcony flying straight upwards. They were either looking for food plants,
or perhaps just flying upwards along the façade in a bid to get over the
obstruction in the flight path.
Sanjay Marathe
On 12/10/2011 18:12, "anuj jain" <[email protected]> wrote:
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
