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Papilio demoleus


Papilio demoleus
Photo Information
Copyright: Haraprasan Nayak (haraprasan) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1319 W: 96 N: 3556] (13068)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-07-09
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon EOS 400D, Tamron 18-200mm F3,5-6,3 XR DiII LD Asp, Kenko UV 62mm
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/400 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Butterflies on Lantana Flowers, Nature with Canon EOS400D [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-07-11 9:24
Viewed: 374
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Common Lime or the Lemon Butterfly (Papilio demoleus) is a common and widespread Swallowtail butterfly. It gets its name from its host plants which are usually citrus species such as the lime. It is also sometimes called the Chequered Swallowtail. Unlike most swallowtail butterflies it does not have a prominent tail.

Description
Upper side of wings has the ground colour black. The fore wing has the base below cell and basal half of latter so irrorated with yellow scales as to form more or less complete transverse dotted lines, two outwardly oblique yellow spots in cell and a curved spot at its upper apex; a spot at base and another beyond it in interspace 8; a discal transverse series of cream-yellow spots irregular in arrangement and size extends from interspace la to 8; the series interrupted in interspace 5 and the spot in interspace 7 double; this is followed by a sinuous postdiscal series of spots and an admarginal terminal series of smaller spots. In many specimens between the discal and postdiscal series the black ground-colour is irrorated with yellowish scales. Hind wing: base and an edging that decreases in width along the dorsal margin irrorated with yellow scales; followed by a broad medial yellow irregular band, a sinuous postdiscal series of outwardly emarginate yellow spots and a terminal series of smaller similarly coloured spots as on the fore wing. The inner margin of the medial band is curved inwards, the outer margin is very irregular and uneven; in the cell the band does not reach the apex, but beyond the cell there are one or more cream-yellow spots, and the black groundcolour is irrorated with yellowish scales; finally at the tornal angle there is an oval ochraceous-red spot emarginate on its inner side in the female and in both sexes surmounted by a blue lunule; while in interspace 7 between the medial band and the postdiscal spot there is a large ocellus-like spot of the black ground-colour more or less irrorated with blue scales.

The underside has the ground-colour similar, the cream-coloured markings paler and conspicuously larger. The markings differ from those on the upperside in that the forewing has the basal half of cell and base of wing below it with cream-coloured streaks that coalesce at base; irregular ochraceous spots in interspaces 5 to 8 and the discal series of spots complete not interrupted in interspace 5. On the underside of the hind wing, the black at base of wing and along the dorsal margin centred largely with pale cream-colour; the ocellus in interspace 7, the apex of the cell and the black groundcolour between the medial band and postdiscal markings in interspaces 2-6 centred with ochraceous, margined with blue.

Antennae dark reddish brown, touched with ochraceous on the innerside towards the club; head, thorax and abdomen dusky black, the head and thorax anteriorly streaked with cream-vellow: beneath: the palpi, thorax and abdomen cream-yellow with lateral longitudinal black lines on the last.

This butterfly is an avid mud-puddler and visitor of flowers. It basks with its wings held wide open on tufts of grass, herbs and generally keeps within a metre above the ground, even on cloudy days. It relies on its quick flight for escape.

It is an interesting butterfly in that it has a number of modes of flight. In the cool of the morning, the flight is slow considering that it is an edible and unprotected swallowtail. As the day progresses, it flies fast, straight and low. In the hotter part of the day, it may be found settling on damp patches where it will remain motionless, except for an occasional flutter of wings, if not disturbed.

It is also a frequent visitor of flowers in gardens, where it shows a preference for flowers of smaller herbs rather than larger plants such as the ubiquitous Lantana with its plentiful blooms. It can be found swarming in the groves of its foodplants.

While resting, the butterfly closes its wing over its back and draws the forewings between the hindwings.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Genus: Papilio
Species: demoleus

Thanks a lot for viewing.
mayuresh, iris, Gert-Paassen, boreocypriensis, eqshannon, jaycee, goldyrs, zulfu, bahadir has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To iris: Thank youharaprasan 1 07-15 01:50
To joey: Thank youharaprasan 1 07-13 01:49
To pankajbajpai: Thank youharaprasan 1 07-11 09:59
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Critiques [Translate]

hello haraprasan,
we are neighbours today, we both have posted butterflies and our butterflies are looking at each other. This common lime is sipping the nectar from lantana, The lantana flowers attracts butterflies and spiders a lot.liked the pov , the composition, the saturated colors and the framing too,

You have opted for iso 800. May i ask you why have you gone for higher iso settings here, I prefer shooting with minimum iso and have tried till iso 250. Even with iso 800 i can see any noise visible.

well done,
tfs & regards
pankaj

Hello Harprasan,
very nice shot of common lime,beautiful composition and pov,perfect sharpness and good bg,lovely colours,
very well done,
tfs

Hello Harprasan,

Very nice capture these butterfly.
Exellent pov and dof.
Great photo.

Gert

Hi Haraprasan,

lovely butterfly, nice colours, good composition. Some sharpening effect around the butterfly's body and plant can be seen, but the overall image looks good.

TFS,
Adrian

Hi Haraprasan,
Perfectly focused and detailed macro capture of this beautiful butterfly my friend. TFS this beauty. Have a nice weekend my friend!
Cheers,

Bayram

What an unusual capture in that one wing is already stopped in its movement and the other is like one nano second behind so shows just a bit of motion which is an attraction. Very nice both in technique as well as chose subject for the day!
Bob

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1785 W: 8 N: 4627] (14955)
  • [2008-07-11 16:40]

Hi Haraprasan,

I always smile when I see the word Common in the name of some of these beautiful butterflys. This Lemon Butterfly posing so nicely on the pretty flowers is wonderful. Lovely colors, sharp details, wonderful background and a marvelous composition. It would make such a nice print to hang on the wall.

Jane

This is a lovely shot, HP, in your typical signature style!
Cheers!
Goldy

Hi Haraprasan,

Well composed macro picture, good utilization of space,lighting and sharp too.TFS

Hello Haraprasan,
Very beautiful photo. Great clear colours in a fantastic composition. The sharpness and details are excellent. Very good POV, DOF, BG and composition.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 527 W: 0 N: 95] (585)
  • [2008-07-12 4:39]

Hi Haraprasan
Superb close up of a papilion butterfly in a wonderful POV.
TFS. Regards,
Mehmet

Hi again Haraprasan
This shot also perfect in all aspects. TFS. Regards,
Bahadır

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1691 W: 242 N: 5580] (19801)
  • [2008-07-12 13:14]
  • [+]

Beautiful photo, Haraprasan!
The colours are lovely.
Good sharpness.
Excellent composition.
Superb DOF.

Well done!

Joe

  • Great 
  • iris Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 389 W: 40 N: 730] (2302)
  • [2008-07-14 21:51]
  • [+]

Hi HP,
So fresh and welcoming a bright composition.
I have to tell you some of you butterfly shooters have really managed to become specialists in chasing.I have had a very hard time getting them to sit a while and pose for me. The slightest movement they make upsets the focus in my P&S thus making things all the more difficult for me.

You have an excellent capture here, especially considering the kind of flutter these butterflies keep making with their wings even when they settle down on flowers for a drink.The motion is well recorded in the fluttering wings captured.The colours and details on the subject are very well picked up.The green tones add a lovely element of freshness to the whole composition.The PoV is just fanatastic and the framing compliments the beauty fo the composition quite excellently.

Very well done.
TFS & Cheers

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1714 W: 24 N: 4988] (16346)
  • [2008-07-15 11:14]

Hi Haraprasan,
Wonderful shot of this great looking Common Lime on the beautiful Lantanas. Great pose captured with perfect illumination. The OOF BG illustrates the habitat well. Excellent DOF, POV and composition. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

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