I grow Bryophullum ( a section within the genus Kalanchoe) in my balcony, which helps to cure kidney stones. I often spotted maggot-like larvae in the leaves, eating away the fleshy part and filling it with poop. Ughh! I plucked those leaves and chucked them away in the bushes thinking they can feed on the plentiful leaves there. I had been such an idiot! The larvae eat only specific leaves- their host plant. This spring, while I was surfing the internet for Species of butterflies found in Karnataka, I found images of these larvae. It was the Larvae of the Red Pierrot! I decided that next time I won't throw them away. In the Monsoon season this year, I spotted the red pierrots stopping by and walking on my Bryophyllum plant...Yes! It was laying eggs. Check out the video, which summarizes the life cycle visually.
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Description:
The Red Pierrot butterfly is a small but beautiful butterfly with a white, orange, and black pattern on its wings. It is found in India and other parts of South Asia and belongs to the lyncaenids or blue family. The larva feeds on Kalanchoe( host plant). In Southern India, it usually lays eggs during the monsoon season.
Scientific name:
Talicada nyseus
Egg stage:
It lays eggs on the underside of the leaves.
The eggs are white and less than a millimeter in diameter.
The larvae hatch after 3-4 days, known as the incubation period. After hatching, the larva bores into the leaf. It doesn't eat its own eggshell, unlike most butterfly larvae do.
The larva bored into the leaf near the eggshell.
Larval Stage:
The Larva bore into the leaf after hatching and feed on the mesophyll layer- the layer between the "skin" of the thick leaves.
The larva bores into the Bryophyllum leaf.
It is initially pale yellow in color. It grows rapidly and eventually turns pink. The larva has fine hair on its body with tiny black spots on the side.
The yellow larva is a few millimeters long.
It grows very rapidly over multiple instars.
It eats the leave completely, reducing it to a sack of excreta.
If it runs out of leaves, it will bore into the stem.
Larva Bores into another leaf
The Larva turns Pink in the later stages.
It searches for an ideal location to make the chrysalis.
The larval stage lasts for 16 to 18 days, after which it comes out of the leaf and sits under it or in a groove like the sides of a mud pot.
The larva stays in this position for few days and changes color.
Pupa Stage:
The larva stays in a suitable place and builds a fine silk pad and a thread to hold it in position. The Color of the larva turns from pink to yellow. The main blood vessel can be seen on the back of the larva rhythmically pumping blood. The Pupal stage lasts for a week.
In the first 2-3 days, it gets black spots on the pupa.
The pupa gets black spots.
More Pupae!
By the 4th or 5th-day, eyes can be seen.
By the 5th or 6th day, the wings become prominent.
By the 6th or 7th day, it becomes black and will hatch on the following day.
Butterfly Stage:
The butterfly hatches in the morning and pumps its wings for 5 to 10 minutes. While pumping and even after pumping fluids into its wings, it excretes few drops of excess pink fluid. It takes another 20 minutes to dry its wings. Finally, it flaps its wings for the first time and takes off.
Around 30 eggs were laid on my plant, and from the last week of August, the butterflies started hatching from the pupae. It is truly a mesmerizing moment to watch it fly away to decorate the gardens.
The Common Mormon is a black butterfly found in south-east Asia. The male is black with white spots on the lower wing. There are 3 types of females: Cyrus, being black with white spots with small red spots(looks like a male); Stichius has fewer white spots and more red spots; and Romulous has only red spots. In the video given at the end of this post, the butterfly laying eggs is Cyrus, the one hatching is Stichius and the one in the photo at the end of the video is Romulus.
Cyrus common Mormon
Stichius common mormon
The life cycle of swallowtail. Observed in February 2020. Like and subscribe!
Scientific name:
Papilio polytes
Life cycle
The whole life cycle is shown in the video. Description for each stage is given below. The eyepiece was very useful here. The photo of the egg, larva, osmeterium, and its hatching are taken with eyepiece and phone.
Egg stage:
The Common Mormon butterfly lays eggs on a curry leaf plant (neem) or lemon plant, which are the host plants for the larvae. The eggs are yellow in color initially and the size of a mustard seed. The butterfly lays its eggs underneath the leaf. I have a neem plant and a lemon plant on my balcony so the butterflies come every year in the spring season.
Laying eggs
Egg of common Mormon/swallowtail
It is fascinating how they are able to find a neem or lemon plant in the concrete jungle I live in. It takes about 3-4 days for the eggs to hatch. The eggs turn darker and are completely black before the hatch. After hatching the larvae eat their egg shell first.
Eating eggshell
Larval phase:
The larvea are very vulnerable in the initial days after hatching, They usually fall off the plant due to wind or lose grip on dusty leaves. They are brown in color and resemble bird excreta in the initial stage.
As they feed on leaves and gain weight, their hairy skin is replaced by a smooth skin layer by the 2nd or 3rd instar. They shed their skin 4 times and each phase between that is called an instar. They resemble bird poop until 5th instar.
The caterpillars often feed on leaves very fast and then make a silk pad to get a firm grip and rest for digesting the leaves.
Caterpillar sitting on silk pad
Resembles Bird excreta
An osmeterium is a red membranous tissue that protrudes from their head when they are disturbed. This is a defense mechanism and a mimicry of snake. It also secretes a liquid that has a fruity smell. It is intriguing that they eat lemon leaves but give a sweet smell. Some show it in early stages and others in the 5th Instar.
In the 5th instar, they shed their brown skin and become green. In this instar they best mimic a snake. Their green body has eyes like patterns on their neck. When touched they show their osmeterium.
Emerging as a snake, leaving its old skin behind
Mimics a snake in the 5th instar
Showing the osmeterium to mimic a snake
They feed for about 4 weeks and then tie a silk thread to hang onto a branch for 2 to 3 days.
It takes about 5 to 7 minutes to shed their skin and emerge as chrysalis.
Pupa stage
The caterpillar forms a pupa that is either green or woody-brown in color depending on the background on which it builds the pupa/chrysalis. The pupa covering is very soft initially and is vulnerable to Chalcid wasps. To protect it from chalcid wasps I carefully cut the layer of the bark on which it made the pupa and pasted it on a toilet paper roll. Then I put this in a netted box.
The chalcid wasps make a small hole in the chrysalis and lay eggs inside it. The chalcid wasp's larvae eat the butterfly and dozens of new wasps emerge from the chrysalis. One of the chrysalides was almost infected by a chalcid wasp, but I spotted it in time. If the pupa is infected it will be bent outwards and the lower portion won't be firm. It will also have a dark pigmentation.
The pupa turns black before it hatches. It takes 10 to 12 days for the pupa to hatch.
Butterfly stage
The first chrysalis hatched when I was at school so I couldn't film it nor see it. When the second one turned black I knew it would hatch the other day. I had been up since 5:30 am waiting for the moment setting up my phone and eyepiece, and a camera too. I had my chemistry practicals exam of 11th grade that day, I left the camera outside and hoped it would get recorded. the video was not centered but yes, it got recorded.
The butterflies pump their wings which takes 15 to 20 minutes. The fluids from their body are pumped to wings by a rhythmic movement like peristaltic movement. Normally, it hatches in the morning. After expanding its wings, the butterfly dries it in the sun until they become firm. It is absolutely beautiful to watch it hatching. After few short flights, the butterfly starts a new cycle.
Hatching
Pumping wings
Feeding:
The Common mormon feeds on many small flowers like Ixoras and bougainvillea. The bougainvillea flowers in my balcony attract these butterflies.
On 14th february, while returning from class I spotted a brown butterfly on the pavement behind the building. One of its wings was smaller than the other, so it was not able to fly for long distance. Surprisingly it was not afraid of me. It easily climbed on my palm and seemed very comfortable. So I brought it home to look at it closely.
What to feed?
Different species may need different food. For this case, I used honey and water solution in 1:7 ratio. take 1 drop of honey and mix it with 7 drops of water. Add a very tiny pinch of salt, It is not required and some species may not like it. Butterflies need minerals apart form the carbohydrates and proteins they get from the nectar. They generally gather around puddles, to absorb minerals. This is called puddling. It is a common misconception that its proboscis is used to suck the nectar. It is actually used for absorbing the liquid, like a tissue paper.
How to feed?
To feed the honey-water solution gently place the butterfly near the liquid spread on a cloth or on a plate. If the butterfly doesn't start feeding on it, try to dip a cotton swab in the liquid and gently touch it to its proboscis. If the butterfly doesn't stretch out its proboscis then do not force it. It is maybe not hungry or feels uncomfortable or it is afraid. Be very gentle, DO NOT hold it by its wings, they are very delicate.
After feeding the butterfly, I kept it on the plants. It flew away after some time.
The butterfly feeds with the proboscis.
Notice how to handle the butterfly with hand without harming it.
