|
|
|
Malachite
 |
|
| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Malachite (Siproeta stelenes) is the name of this Beautiful Butterfly taken at the butterfly exhibition recently. If you look carefully you will see the eggs that were laid. Eggs are laid singly on host plant leaves, which caterpillars eat and rest beneath. The Caterpillar is velvety black with red bristles between segments. It has two spined horns on its head.
The green of the fresh Malachite is spectacular, but it fades upon exposure to sunlight. The Malachite has a slow, floating flight. Adults roost together under the leaves of low shrubs. The southern Florida populations have become established since the 1960’s; presumably having emigrated from Cuba.
Adults eat rotting fruit. Occasionally feeds on bird droppings and nectar from flowers of lianas. Malachites may feed all day long and may fly to flowers 38 feet high in the canopy.
It looks like this butterfly receive some minor injuries with missing pieces of his wing. |
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes. |
|
|
| Discussions |
| None | | You must be logged in to start a discussion. |
|
Normally you would say don't crop off the wings, but with the colors and the diagonal leaf lines, I like this photo a lot.
![Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 28 W: 5 N: 140]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/s-n-g.gif){kind=small}
![Silver Star Critiquer [C: 15 W: 4 N: 9]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/s-n-n.gif)
(331)