This afternoon two Common Myna's were each devouring a caterpillar from the Curry Leaf plant. One escapted detection since it is hidden under a leaf. I had earlier moved the plant and perhaps, inadvertantly exposed the caterpillars despite their matching green camouflage. The myna's usually come to tear suitable bits of leaves from our ficus plants for their nest lining. The malodorous smell released by the caterpillars when they are touched obviously had no effect on these predators.
Cheers, Kiran Srivastava Mumbai ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: kiran srivastava <[email protected]> Date: Thu, Nov 24, 2011 at 6:20 PM Subject: 2 x 4 caterpillars of a Common Mormon To: [email protected] At first I thought I had 4 fresh instars of the Common Mormon on the orange plant in my 17th floor balcony. Three of them changed into 2nd instar ie., green with two eye-spots, within a space of about an hour this morning. One still retains its 'bird-dropping' appearance. A photograph shows the discarded first 'skin' alongside the caterpillar. This evening my wife showed me 4 more caterpillars of the butterfly species...on the Curry leaf plant. I was wondering why the female had ignored a much large food plant earlier! The caterpillar of this species can evert its osmeterium from its head as a means of defence. I had touched one of them earlier and in defence it immediately everted its two osmeterium. Reading in a book I have these are supposed to release "...a defensive mixture of isobutyric acid and 2-methylbutyric acid...". Incidentally, I discovered one dried out pupa of the earlier caterpillars. It was attached to the underside of our wrought iron plant rack in the balcony. Unfortunately, it was much too late and hopefully, should have emerged successfully as a butterfly! Cheers, kiran Srivastava mumbai On Tue, Oct 18, 2011 at 9:48 AM, kiran srivastava <[email protected]>wrote: > Apparently, the female came back and laid more eggs. Isaac, we discovered > two instars on the food plant: one is 1.5 mm and the second one is approx. > 1.75mm. A photograph of the bigger caterpillar is attached. > > Sunita, we do have a Curry Leaf plant which we picked up from the jungles > of Corbett National Park but no eggs on this....as yet. She is picky! > > Out exotic orange plant is small and is not visible outside the balcony > railing so our intrepid female has found her plant with her powerful > olfactory sense. > > Cheers, > Kiran Srivastava > Mumbai > >> >> From: Isaac Kehimkar <[email protected]> >> >> Subject: Re: [ButterflyIndia] Common Mormon laying its egg on 17th floor >> To: [email protected] >> Date: Sunday, October 16, 2011, 11:31 AM >> >> >> >> Dear Kiran, >> The two eggs you gave me have hatched and the cats are in their second >> instar. >> Cheers! >> Isaac >> See my Butterfly Images: >> >> http://www.flickr.com/photos/26689187@N00/ >> >> * * >> >> >> From: kiran srivastava >> <[email protected]<http://in.mc1374.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> >> > >> Subject: [ButterflyIndia] Common Mormon laying its egg on 17th floor >> To: >> [email protected]<http://in.mc1374.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[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
