Home Wall Decoration: Caught Flitting and Flirting

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Caught Flitting and Flirting

For those who love butterflies as much as I do, here's the second part of my double-features on butterfly profiles. The two species I've picked this week are the Spotted Black Crow and the Asian Swallowtail.

The Spotted Black Crow
Euploea crameri

It has a somewhat dull colouring, and because of that, it is unattractive to predators. Even birds are said to dislike the taste of this dull butterfly. Smart butterfly, is what I say!
The upperside of the wings is very dark, more blackish than brownish. That accounts for it being named the Spotted Black (not brown) Crow. And where is it spotted? On the head, thorax and abdomen. A lovely white polka-dotted design. You can see this clearly in the photograph below.

For Leo at Haiku Heights:

I'll write you my thoughts

of how you charm my senses

iridescent love

The Asian Swallowtail
Papilio low ii

The Great Mormon
Papilio memnon

These are two indistinguishable species which are identical, and there are no consistent rules to tell them apart. As such, the shiny black butterfly above can be said to be either the Asian Swallowtail, or the Great Mormon! The fact is, both categories are swallowtails which are large, colourful butterflies from the family Papilonidae. The plain black one is the male of the species and the colourful ones in the three photographs below are the females.

I love the photograph below where I caught the Spotted Black Crow and the Asian Swallowtail on the same bunch of flowers at the same time. They both seem to like the hydrangea.