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Leopard Lacewing


Leopard Lacewing
Photo Information
Copyright: Manyee Desandies (manyee) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3065 W: 231 N: 5834] (19602)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-07-27
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon Powershot S3 IS
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Travelogue: Penang
Date Submitted: 2007-09-09 13:36
Viewed: 848
Points: 36
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Leopard Lacewing (Female)
Cethosia cyane cyane

See a Male Leopard Lacewing.

Adult leopard lacewings gather energy for flight and reproduction from the nectar of various flower species, such as lantana. Frequently observed in tropical and subtropical forests, during the rainy season leopard lacewing numbers increase dramatically. Hundreds of the butterflies may fly en masse, creating an amazing spectacle.

Sometimes alternatively referred to as the red or Malay lacewing butterfly, this dazzling insect exhibits strong sexual dimorphism. Females feature wing patterns with a gray or white background, whereas the upper surfaces of the males are a bright orange, yellow, or red. Both sexes are sprinkled with blackish-blue spots and lining veins. The butterflies are somewhat camouflaged when at rest because duller earth tones are featured on the undersurfaces of their wings.

The leopard lacewing butterfly, which is scientifically known as Cethosia cyane, ranges from India, throughout Southeast Asia, into the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia, and south to Papua New Guinea. Two subspecies are described, one from India, Bhutan and Burma, and the other from northern Thailand and Indo-China. Somewhat adaptable to human disturbance, leopard lacewing butterflies are sometimes found in gardens and along road right-of-ways in populated areas.

The caterpillars of the lacewing butterfly feed on the leaves of flowering vines in the genus Passiflora. Similar to many other butterflies that feed on passion vines, leopard lacewing larvae ingest and sequester defensive phytochemicals from the plant. Consequently, the larvae and adult butterflies display a distinct warning coloration that advertises their unpalatable nature to potential predators. When handled, these tropical lepidopterans often exude a noxious odor generated from the ingested passion vine organic compounds.

This shot was taken at the Penang Butterfly Sanctuary.

My Malaysia Travelogue

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nglen, claudine, Patleboss, marhowie, jrobertop, haraprasan, kjpweb, Silke, snowfalken, ramthakur has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

A beauty, it is really impressing.
Your usual quality, allows enjoying the fantastic soft gradients of the wings.
Looks very natural and elegant.
Thanks and best regards, Felipe.

This is such a beautiful specie Manyee. I would have been impressed seeing this beauty in real. Its colors and shape are beautiful and this is a very nice capture of it with its lovely wings wide opened. Exposure is good too as we clearly see details on the dark tones and no trace of OE in the bright parts. Well done!
Claudine

  • Great 
  • batu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 987 W: 282 N: 3225] (10662)
  • [2007-09-09 14:07]

Hello Manyee,
beautiful picture of this tropical Cethosia butterfly. Nice colours! Most suitable point of view and superb sharpness. Even a human fingerprint is seen on the right forewing - not able to identify it :-)!
Best wishes, Peter

Hello Manyee,
it is a realy splendid specie, great colors and sharpness,
ideal focus and very nice composition,
well done,
thanks for sharing,
Pat

Hello Manyee,
Nice to see the female for a change instead of the more colourful male. I expect the females are harder to find and photograph. That usually seems to be the case. I wonder if she showed you her underside... Thanks
Alan

Hi Manyee,
Great capture of this exuberant butterfly!
Excellent colors and sharpness.
Very good composition.
Register rich in details.
Well done!
Friendly,
José Roberto

This is a gorgeous butterfly. Your capture of the details shows so well.I think the background leaves sure add to the beauty of it. Very clear shot Manyee!

Hi ManYee,
Excellent job on the exposure, detail, and angled composition mf.
Nice colors and DOF here also..
Very well done.
Howard

A Beauty. Nice and crisp with great color and detail. You nailed this one! Cheers, Klaus

Excellent details with amazing colours. It is wonderful image with great sharpness.
Best wishes,
Achim

  • Great 
  • Silke Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 753 W: 109 N: 1727] (5394)
  • [2007-09-10 7:14]

Superb colours and details and outstanding composition. This is another wonderful posting, Manyee
TFS
silke

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1895 W: 4 N: 5148] (19630)
  • [2007-09-10 10:31]

Hi Manyee. What a beautiful butterfly you have captured. very good detail and rich colours. a nice POV. The shot shows the markings so well. TFS. very good notes too.
Nick..


Went to the London Butterfly house to see some butterflies like this last week.

Hi Manyee,
a wonderful butterfly, must be impressive to see this beauty in nature, I like your shot so much, thanks
Sabine - wishnugaruda

Hello Manyee,

This is a wonderful composition of a beautiful butterfly with fully spread wings. The male of this species is one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world!
I like the diagonal composition showing the insect in a natural environment. I like the fact that the space behind the butterfly is darker than the one in front of it.
The relatively difficult to expose subject was perfectly exposed! The details are astonishing in both highlights and shadows. I like the textures in the wings and the pale golden colors at the base of the wings. Thank you for sharing!

With Friendly Regards,
Eddie

Hi Manyee,
A beautiful capture of this butterfly. Lovely colors and details. Thanks a lot for sharing.

This is another beauty ManYee. I like the way the leaves frame your subject. The colors are lovely... not at all over-saturated or "contrasty" I think the sharpness your managed in your shot is perfect. On my monitor Howard's workshop looks a bit over sharpened.

TFS
Evelynn : )

Another beauty Manyee! Another set of excellent notes! Very nice detail in the wings!

Elton

An utterly fascinating butterfly which I have seen for the first time, Manyee.
Ideal point of view and remarkable colours and details on the wings.
Thanks for your kind words on my Peacock Pansy picture. I appreciate it.
Ram

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