Thats what I thought while reading about butterfly mimicry. The "talented" Mr Ripley. pops off his friend, and takes on his persona. While butterflies mimic other butterflies so that they dont get popped off.It all gets a bit confusing, but I discovered that this butterfly mimicry is a serious area of scientific research, and scientists have found the gene responsible for butterfly mimicry!!
So, if what I've understood is right, a nice tasty, colourful butterfly pretends to be a toxic, colourful butterfly, and fools the birds and reptiles to leave it alone. Now for all of this to work, there should be enough of the original toxic butterflies around, so the pretenders can get away with their disguise.
The scientist who discovered this was somebody called Bates, and so, it seems, this whole behaviour is referred to as Batesian mimicry.
I had my binocs (for once!) and so had my heart's fill of following them around. But for a camera, I only had my 'phone. Oh well, I shouldn't complain.
As also this blue tiger. Parakeets screeched overhead, while the clouds seem to have driven away the Kites, which I usually would see circling here.
On the water, were a whole bunch of egrets, black-winged stilts and some other waders that were too far away for me to see.
The scientist who discovered this was somebody called Bates, and so, it seems, this whole behaviour is referred to as Batesian mimicry.What I cant figure out is, how do we know then that it is actually butterfly A and not butterfly B which it is disguised as?!
I saw loads of these two butterflies flitting around on the meadows a couple of days ago. I was filled with childish delight and wonder as they flitted from one little purple meadow flower to another, alighting on a tall grass flower, and swaying with the breeze.
I had my binocs (for once!) and so had my heart's fill of following them around. But for a camera, I only had my 'phone. Oh well, I shouldn't complain. So I came back home referred to my books, and said to myself,"Aha, an eggfly (the black, polka-dotted one), and a plain tiger (the yellow one). Feeling very pleased at my idying abilities, I was about to move on, when my eye caught sight of an article/picture that said, "An eggfly pretending to be a plain tiger". What?! I took a look - several times - between the supposed difference between a plain tiger and an eggfly pretending to be a tiger, but I couldn't see the differences, in spots, border patterns, etc etc that i was supposed to look for.
So it turns out, that this pair are a male and female of the same Danaid eggfly. Or so I think, anyway.
As I ambled to the banks of the estuary, I saw these lovely candle bushes, all abloom and buzzing with bees, as also some Cassia.
And these purple wonders, which I cannot identify,
As I ambled to the banks of the estuary, I saw these lovely candle bushes, all abloom and buzzing with bees, as also some Cassia.
And these purple wonders, which I cannot identify,
As also this blue tiger. Parakeets screeched overhead, while the clouds seem to have driven away the Kites, which I usually would see circling here.
On the water, were a whole bunch of egrets, black-winged stilts and some other waders that were too far away for me to see.
But what I liked most were those barn swallows. These birds, I believe are only winter visitors to Madras, spending the rest of the year somewhere in the Himalayas! Their flight paths and speed are quite astonishing and I spent so much time watching them fly, dive bomb, turn on their tails....puts any fighter plane to shame!
Check out these lovely pictures from another MNS member Sripad. He saw them at Adyar Poonga.
Check out these lovely pictures from another MNS member Sripad. He saw them at Adyar Poonga.
Nice post, flowergirl. Who would have thought that those lovely butterflies would be so devious in their attempts to evade predators!
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What beautiful swallow images. I have tried to photograph swallows in flight and they come out a blur. Nice.
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