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Saturday 14 July 2012

The Life Of Common Rose Swallowtail Butterflies




I have been trying to document the full life cycle of butterflies for sometime. After weeks of searching, I have finally photographed a life cycle of Common Rose----a swallowtail butterfly, thanks to a nature education park near my home.


The Common Rose butterfly is one of my favourite swallowtails even though it is a common species in South and Southeast Asia.  











Its striking red body and the bright red marks on the wings make it stand out not only in its environment but also in the swallowtail family.











The pretty colouration may seem beautiful to us humans but to its predators, it is a warning sign which indicates “poison”.  






In fact, this butterfly is inedible because of the poisons it has obtained from its caterpillar food plant. Its predators seem to be well informed of the danger and often leave this butterfly alone. This strategy works so well that some edible swallowtail butterflies have even learned to mimic its appearance.


When the sun is hot, this butterfly prefers to rest in the shade which gives me the opportunity to get very close.







The egg of Common Rose is very colourful too.


The caterpillar inside this egg seems to be coming out any minute.



The life of the larva, with its poison at hand, is also high profile.  





The pupas, on the other hand, are usually well hidden in small trees not far from its larva plant.




More Images at Google+

20 comments:

Bob Bushell said...

Beautiful images. The butterflies are my favourites, superb.

Irma said...

Great pictures of the butterflies.
Greetings Irma

Monique et Daniel said...

Très beau papillon que nous n'avons pas hélàs en France; et étude très complète, merci pour le partage!

TexWisGirl said...

remarkable photos! gorgeous butterflies with vibrant colors!

Giga said...

Pokazanie motyla od jajeczka do jego pełnego rozwoju jest wspaniałe.Dobrze, że ten śliczny motyl jest trujący, bo nie będzie jedzeniem dla innych zwierząt. Jest jednocześnie lojalny, bo kolorem czerwonym ostrzega o tym. Cudowne zdjęcia. Pozdrawiam cieplutko.
Show butterfly from egg to its full development is great. Well, this beautiful butterfly is poisonous, because there will be food for other animals. It is also loyal, red alert because of this. Wonderful pictures. Yours warm.

Unknown said...

You are just amazing..wonderful depiction of all stages of this beautiful butterfly!

Breathtaking said...

Today I posted Swallowtails too but not this kind.These are indeed very beautiful and colourful.Your photos are excellent, and the macro shots just amazing.It was interesting to see the life cicle
of the Rose Swallowtail all in one incredible post.

Lindsjö taxar said...

Wow! Great pictures, nice colours of the butterflies...nice close ups...top job!

john said...

My sentiments go along with the previous comments. I enjoyed seeing these, or similar butterflies in Thailand. My photos are pathetic compared to yours.

siga said...

Honestly, your blog is like Encyclopedia or National Geographic! So many curious details, colors, and the Life! Just love it!

Irene said...

Specatular and very interesting ... your shots are amazing!

Irene

Javier Conejero said...

Tienes un blog con unas fotos espectaculares.
enhorabuena!!
saludos
Javi

Joyful said...

Lovely blog. I really like the bamboo background. I love all your photos too!

Helma said...

Really beautiful details of these butterflies. We consider here only those butterflies in butterfly gardens. You have the details really colorful impression. Just gorgeous.

Sincerely, Helma

Magia da Inês said...

✿彡✿⊱╮¸.•°
Muito lindo! É impressionante a beleza dessa borboleta nas flores vermelhas...
Bom fim de semana!
Beijinhos.
Brasil
✿彡

Giancarlo said...

Fotografie fantastiche, brava!! Una felice domenica per te...ciao

Kirsti said...

On niin kauniita kuvia. Perhoset on värikkäitä:)

Andrew said...

Excellent documentary. I have not been to LNEC for a few weeks. Either too hot or too wet. :-(

Sylwia Grabinska said...

THIS IS AMAZING! What the beautiful butterflies!!!

UNIQUE!

Icy BC said...

Amazing captured, but aren't we invading their privacy? :-)