gaudy orange and red decorations that Chinese New Year brings each
year, the festival also brings in a wave of Kumquat plants and in
turn, a population boom of lime butterflies. These gorgeous urban
swallowtails have adapted to use many citrus species as their
caterpillar host and the kumquat is amongst them. So my first
butterfly of 2014, by default, had to be this species.
The upperside of the lime butterfly is black with a dazzling display of
greenish-white spots. It has a distinctive erratic flight and is actually
a frequent sight along the roads, being one of the many species that
have successfully adapted to life in the city.
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What a beautiful butterfly. Digital photography is so good, allowing us time to really appreciate the markings on butterflies. I fear I still have three months to wait for my first butterfly and I know it won't be as spectacular as a Lime Butterfly!
ReplyDeleteLovely isn't it? We're lucky to have such a stunning species as a staple. The butterflies up there are no less spectacular Nick! Different, yes but undoubtedly beautiful too. I hope they come earlier than expected; three months is quite a long wait.
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