The Common Eggfly Butterfly (Hypolimnas bolina) is a common sight in my garden ... hence the name, I suppose! Whilst being such a common sight, I always marvel at it's beauty. Such a lovely tropical butterfly ... black with white, orange and blue spots.
The underside is brown with a whitish band crossing the hind wings. In this photo you can also see clearly the chain of white spots on the margins of the forewings and hind wings.
Now ... I have to ask the question - How long do these butterflies live? I'm rather interested in the answer to this because I swear I have seen one of these butterflies around my garden for around six months now ... yes I mean the exact same individual!! How can I tell? Well have a look at the photos ... notice the poor tattered wing on the right side!
This photo was taken last November:
This series of photos was taken at the end of March this year:
I think it's the exact same butterfly, what do you think?
I think the life cycle is pretty much the same for all butterflies, but I am not sure about your climate. The female lays the eggs and dies, the caterpillars hatch, eat, form a chrysalis, and hatch into a buttefly - the cycle begins all over again.
ReplyDeleteIt is not unusual for butterflies to be hatched with deformities, crumpled wings, crippled feet, etc.
Let us know if you figure this one out.
Eileen
Great pictures! The Eggflies visit my garden too.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! I've had some incredible butterflies in my garden recently, but totally unable to find time to get out there and photograph.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these wonderful images!! Alice
bernie, i loved reading your profile....sounds like me except location and we
ReplyDeleteam still raising some of our children. it's wonderful to see your butterflies no matter how common. the ones in our area are finally showing up.
beautiful closes~up photos. thanks for visiting "things i love-marmee.
Oh Bernie they are just beautiful. They keep coming back for your wonderful pentas.
ReplyDeleteThat little butterfly is ever so beautiful and it must be great to see them in the garden over such a long period of time. I'm not really sure Bernie - whether its light levels but one looks more brown while the last photos look as if its a black butterfly.
ReplyDeleteDoes look like the same butterfly. I do not know about butterflies in your area, but do let us know if they can live that long.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly looks like the same butterfly is it a male?
ReplyDeleteI think generally a butterfly live any thing from 133 to 365 days
I don't know if it is the same butterfly or not Bernie, but I do know that I'm green with jealousy and no matter how common that eggfly is, she'll never be common around here!
ReplyDeleteI think that it loves your garden and doesn't want to leave! it's the same butterfly. Thanks for reading about my Hydrangeas at the Jarvis Garden on Long Island which off the coast of New York, USA. I think that I have seen cousins of this beauty in my garden. Lovely pictures too. What sort of camera do you use?
ReplyDeleteThanks all ... I appreciate your lovely comments. I haven't really be able to find out exactly how long butterflies can live ... there's a lot of discussion about this very topic when you google the question, especially when it comes to the male butterflies. So interesting.
ReplyDeleteLori ... thanks for dropping by. I use my trusty old Canon Powershot S2 1S ... I've had it for quite a few years now and it's still in great shape. Can't do those extreme macro shots though.
ReplyDeleteYour powers of observation and attention to detail are impressive. And the photos are fantastic. What an experience in the garden to see plants and insects at the individual level, not just as a mass. You are truly inhabiting your garden!
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