We (Vidya Venkatesh and I) recently ventured into the forests of Jeypore-Dihing in Assam between April 24-29, 2011. The primary intent of the trip was butterfly-watching. Though 2 days of our trip were washed out due to heavy rains, the rest of the time spent in the field yielded over 80 species of butterflies.

On April 26th, 2011 late morning, we sighted and photographed a Hesperid. Initially, when it flew and settled under a bamboo leaf we thought it could be the Water Snow Flat – a butterfly that we had seen already during the trip. However, on closer examination of the first picture that was shot (by VV) we realised that it was different. We quickly, shot more pictures of the butterfly. It was not until we got back to our respective home towns that we could identify the butterfly.

It turned out to be the Snowy Angle Darpa pteria. The Snowy Angle is an uncommon butterfly. The nominate race is known to occur in Philippines while the race dealbata has a wide distribution extending from Assam, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Malay Peninsula, Tioman, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and Palawan.

This sighting and the subsequent photographic record of this species is perhaps the first in the recent times and also possibly the first photographic record of the species from within Indian limits.

All this was possible, solely due to the co-operation extended to us by the Assam Forest Department. We would like to thank Mr. Suresh Chand, Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam and Mr. Anurag Singh, DFO, Dibrugarh for according necessary permissions. We would also like to thank Mr. Daka,  RFO for his co-operation and hospitality.

Indian Foundation of Butterflies : Snowy Angle

Conservation India : Rediscovery of Snowy Angle Darpa pteria

Aristolochias are also popularly known as Birthworts besides many other names given to them. The family is represented by about 500 species world over. Most birthworts are creepers and several species with very showy flowers are grown in gardens as ornamentals. In India, we have a few species belonging to this family of plants.

These plants use a very interesting strategy to effect pollination of their flowers. The pollinators are perhaps attracted to the flowers owing to their colour and smell. The flowers have downward pointing hairs on the inside wall leading from the mouth to the bulb at the base. These hairs facilitate the downward movement of the pollinator. When the insect is in the bulb part of the flower, pollination is effected. Subsequently, the hairs wither allowing the pollinators to fly out.

Aristolochias also have interesting fruits. Several winged seeds are packed inside each fruit. When the fruit is mature, it breaks open and releases the flat winged seeds. At this stage the fruit looks like a little inverted parachute.

Recently, I saw an Aristolochia indica creeper entwined completely on a thorny shrub. When I saw the plant my eyes automatically started searching for the larvae of the Crimson Rose butterfly. At first, I saw a small caterpillar sitting on a flower.

Subsequently, I saw one that was feeding on the fruit of the plant.

There was also one large caterpillar resting on the main stem of the creeper. I quickly set about photographing various aspects of the flower and the larvae.

It is interesting to note that the Crimson Rose butterfly lays eggs selectively on the Aristolochia indica vines.

For that matter, all female butterflies are very particular about the plant on which they lay eggs. They will not lay eggs on every other plant they come across – they are host-specific. This is yet another example of how things in nature are inter-related.

These pictures (except that of the open seed case and the butterfly) were shot during a recent visit to the Blackbuck Resort near Bidar run by Jungle Lodges & Resorts Ltd.

I returned home from work as usual, rested awhile, had a cup of tea and walked up to my room on the first floor. Having put my bag away, I switched on the light and walked into the bathroom to freshen up. As I stepped into the room, something small scurried past the bathroom floor. Even before I could get a good look at it, the rodent like creature climbed up the shower curtain and made an exit from the bathroom window. The rest of the night was eventless. The next evening, the same set of events repeated and I failed to get a good glimpse of the creature. I had to wait until the following evening and hoped that I would get lucky.

The following day was like any other. As was the practice, I went up to my room and went directly to the bathroom to look for the creature. Nothing was in sight. But something told me that my little guest was somewhere there – hiding away from my sight. So, I decided to come back into the bathroom in a few minutes. On my return, I looked around and what caught my attention came as a surprise to me. My little guest had come out from his hiding, wherever that was, was cleaning itself sitting on the window ledge. It was a rich shade of fawn, had a long tail and black beady eyes. It quickly stepped out of the open window and disappeared. However, I noticed that it used the branch of a Jamun tree, the branch of which was within reach from the bathroom window.

This observation, albeit brief, combined with those that made the following day helped me identify the little fellow. It was a Long-tailed Tree Mouse Vandeluria oleracia. The fourth evening I decided to find the hiding place of the mouse after it had exited through the window as on previous occasions. I was excited as I eventually found a little pad of grass and some fibre hidden by some bottles and cans in an open shelf. I quickly replaced things that I had moved in my quest to find the nest. In the past, I had stumbled upon a Long-tailed Tree Mouse using an abandoned nest of social spiders. But, a nest in my bathroom was not something that I had bargained for.

Not quite knowing the habits of this mouse, my mind quickly started thinking about my precious library, my computer, my wardrobe, my camera equipment and all my slides-the result of many years of hard work stored in my room. As I kept thinking, I realised that the mouse had spent some time in the bathroom and it had not disturbed or damaged a thing. This gave me a sense of comfort. So, I did not take any special precautions to restrict the mouse to the bathroom.

Though only five days had elapsed since the first sighting of the mouse, it had already become a habit for me to go into the bathroom looking for my guest that had for some strange reason decided to make our bathroom its home. Amid all the suspense and excitement I had completely forgotten that I should take pictures of the mouse.

On day six, I equipped myself fully to photograph the mouse. I entered the bathroom with my camera fully ready and a lot of hope. The mouse had already come out. I first saw it on the railing that supported the shower curtain. I started clicking away. It was completely restless and kept moving about all over the bathroom. After giving me a tough time, it finally settled in the corner of the window for a couple of moments. This gave me ample photo opportunities before it went out of the window. Another day, another interaction with our guest, and I was a happy man.

The mouse and I had got habituated to each other over the week that had elapsed. We saw each other over the next couple of days in the manner not different from the previous days. Our little guest seemed to have settled down and I was glad that the guest found our place hospitable. One evening, perhaps, just over ten days since the first sighting the scheduled meeting did not happen. I was worried. I waited for our guest to show up, but to no avail. The next few evenings were spent in anticipation. The Long-tailed Tree Mouse seemed to have made a quiet exit. I still cannot fathom what attracted it to our bathroom and also what prompted it to go out, and in the intervening time even a build a little nest.

Later, while I was reminiscing about the events that had transpired, the fact that we (the mouse and I) used the same space without any conflict came out in a very striking manner. The mouse being nocturnal would make a quiet exit around the time I entered the room. The mouse, after a busy night, would return to its nest and I would exit the room after a good night’s sleep.

During the entire duration of its stay in the bathroom, the mouse did not damage a single thing. This is something that struck me. I was also left wondering about the number of mice that were getting trapped due the ignorance of mankind – all only because it looked like any other typical rodent. It may be worthwhile mentioning here that rodents, due to their constantly growing incisors, have an urge to constantly use them and hence, considered serious pests.

In the time that has elapsed since this incident, the Long-tailed Tree Mouse has visited my room on a few occasions. Each time, waking up to the sounds made by it when it was exploring my room. I have always promptly gone back to sleep since I knew, from experience, that there is nothing to worry about.

On many an occasion, I have wondered how a little time spent in understanding the creatures that co-exist with us in the urban landscape can prevent wanton killings. And, supporting and nurturing the biodiversity in our cities.

I was walking down the forest track. A little distance from where I was, was a little red creature lumbering down towards me.   When I was just a few feet from it I knew what it was. And, this one was indeed a particularly large Red Velvet Mite.

To show it to those with me, I gently picked it up. True to its name it felt like velvet.  No sooner than I picked it up, than it withdrew its appendages and lay motionless. This helped me draw attention to its body parts and legs. Being an arachnid (related to spiders, scorpions and ticks), its body was divided only into 2 parts and had 4 pairs of legs (as against 3 body parts and 3 pairs of legs for insects).  When I put the velvet ball down, it happily walked away as if nothing had transpired.  During the rest of the morning trail, we encountered several more of the Red Velvet Mites of various sizes – most of them smaller than half a centimetre while the odd ones, like the one that I picked up, were about a centimetre in length. These bright red mites walked about without any fear. Probably, owing to their bright red colour that offers them protection from possible predators.

The forest floor was drenched in the first few showers of the southwest monsoon that had graced the forest over the last few days. There was also ample leaf litter around. The conditions were ideal for the emergence of this pretty arachnid – this explained the abundance of these mites. After this brief emergence, they again disappear only to emerge during the early days of monsoon the following year. They are known to live, at times, for more than a year. As adults, they are part of a community of soil arthropods, and are thought to perform a very important role in the ecosystem. As larvae these mites are ectoparasites and are known to parasitize insects like grasshoppers and other arthropods. Many of these mites are dependent on invertebrates that live in the soil for food and consequently spending more time underground. They emerge when the soil is drenched.

The Red Velvet Mites have a wide distribution. There are reports of it even within Bangalore (L.Shyamal). I have seen them on the outskirts of Bangalore as well as in the vicinity of the Cauvery Fishing Camp, Bheemeshwari and even a much farther location like the Sloth Bear Resort in Hampi. They occur in the dry scrub jungles, deciduous forests and also wetter areas. So, look out for these little creatures if you are in the outdoors this time of the year.

It was early winter. The guests staying at the River Tern Lodge had just left for a drive into the jungle. They were very keen on trying their luck with the larger denizens of the jungle. I stayed behind at the campus wanting to try my luck with the little creatures. I was hoping to document photographically atleast some of them. So armed with my camera I rambled about the camp aimlessly looking for anything interesting on tree trunks, under leaves, etc.

During the process of exploration, I did see some spiders that were of interest and also some ant nests. Here, I would like to share just the highlight of the evening. While walking around the bend in the path, I briefly noticed something move in the leaf litter. It kept moving through the maze that the leaf litter had created. Whatever it was, was white in colour. Out of curiosity I sat down to examine it.

As I bent, I again saw the little white thing briefly appear and disappear. But this time, it decided not to show up again. I waited for some action – but nothing happened. I slowly lifted the leaf under which it was last seen and I could not believe my eyes. Iwas staring at a Jumping Ant Harpegnathos saltator, holding between its pronounced mandibles, the flower of Stachyterpheta !

Jumping Ant : Carrying a flower

I quickly got a picture of this before the ant again made its way through the leaf litter. Once it started moving, I lost sight of it in the leaf litter. Further searching did not help. However, I was happy with what I had chanced upon. I had in the past only seen Jumping Ants’ nest entrance decorated with coloured petals at Kabini. But this observation came as a treat since I had never seen an ant carrying a flower.

Jumping Ant : At a nest decorated with petals

Jumping Ants have very good vision; they have a pair of large compound eyes.

Jumping Ant : Look at those large eyes

This probably explains why the ant did not appear again when it first saw me close to it. It is thought that this habit of lining the entrance with coloured petals combined with their good vision helps the ants in locating their nests easily. Though for very different reasons, this behaviour can also be seen in the Bower birds.

It was way back during the late eighties, perhaps 1988 that I saw this little creature called the Sun Spider scurrying just outside the forest guest house in Tamil Nadu.  I followed it with the help of a torch before it disappeared into the wilderness.  The place I was in was very warm and dry with stunted vegetation and perhaps a bit rocky too. Ever since, I have wanted to see it again and this time around get some pictures of it.

23 years had elapsed; I was at JLR’s new Sloth Bear Resort near Hampi. The habitat was very similar to where I had seen the Sun Spider. This brought old memories back. I had just spoken about the Sun Spider to a friend and hoped we get to see it during our short stay there. This conversation happened when we had just started dinner. To our amazement, even before we finished dinner, we saw a little creature running at a breakneck speed from across the dining area.  It seemed as if the creature had heard our conversation!

We allowed the creature to run off the tiled floor. The cameras quickly came out and we busied ourselves taking pictures of the sun spider from various angles. But what fascinated me most was a head on perspective.

Picture showing eyes and chelicerae.

The Sun Spider is not a spider. For an untrained eye the sun spider does not even look like an arachnid at the first look. It has 10 appendages (4 pairs of legs and 1 pair of leg-like pedipalps) attached to its body. However, on closer examination, one can see that the Sun Spider also shares the same body plan with most other arachnids. Interestingly, the Sun Spiders are neither poisonous (like some scorpions) nor can they produce silk (like spiders) though, they are arachnids like scorpions and spiders.

Sun Spiders are carnivorous. They will make a meal of almost anything they can overpower. It could be insects, small arthropods and on occasion even small lizards! They are very well equipped to tackle such prey. They have a pair of particularly large chelicerae (organ used to grasp and chew food). This is the most noticeable feature of these creatures.

The location : Kabini River Lodge (a unit of Jungle Lodges & Resorts Ltd.)

Being the month of March, the forests were dry, the trees almost leafless. And, I had decided to go on a safari to see if I can improve my rather dismal track record with the cats. The morning was eventful. Shortly after we entered the forests we did get lucky. We saw a tiger for a good period of time before it decided to melt away into the forest.

The other wildlife enthusiasts in the jeep and I kept busy looking at birds and various other things that showed up as we drove along. We managed to take pictures of some of the birds too.

We had stopped the vehicle at one point listening to the sounds of the jungle. Not far from the road was a tree with a bend in the bole at about 15 ft from the ground. It seemed as if a branch had broken off at that point and a cavity had formed subsequently. A pair of Common Mynas landed at this place on the tree and they started calling in their usual demeanour. A cacophony with head bobbing and all ensued. I was watching the happening with my naked eyes while other co-passengers were looking at the drama through their long lenses.

Perhaps, all of 30 seconds lapsed when suddenly a Jungle Babbler flew out from amidst the mynas. The babbler must have been sitting inside this hollow. We were all caught by surprise by the sudden emergence of the babbler. The moment the babbler flew out of the hole the mynas put their head into the hole. The next moment we saw one of the mynas with the blue egg of the babbler in its beak, the contents spilling out. The mynas had managed to crack the egg and had brought it out. Even as we watched, the mynas flew away from the tree. We could not ensure if the mynas eventually fed on the contents of the egg or simply dropped it some distance away.

Once the mynas left, the babbler came back to the nest. It sat there, looked around, peeped into the nest hole and left the scene shortly after.

Mynas, being secondary hole nesters, are known to regularly evict birds from their nest and occupy them. But this incident, where they even destroyed the egg and carried it away was interesting. Whether the mynas evicted the babbler to nest there themselves or simply to feed on the egg could not be ascertained.

The chain of events transpired so quickly and I was completely taken by surprise that I did not even react fast enough to take some pictures of the event. So, here it is, a picture shot by Mr. Kesavamurthy who observed the whole drama through his camera. However, this was the highlight of the morning drive into the forest, even more interesting than a mere sighting of the tiger!!

As someone who had been recently introduced to this fascinating hobby of birdwatching, one of the first birds that I got familiar with was the Ashy Prinia. We had moved into a newly built house on the outskirts of the Bangalore. There was open space all round. Not a day went by without seeing this bird. The appearance, the call, the song, the usual perches, the usual activities, all became too familiar over a period of time. Their alarm calls would promptly take me to the garden to check out if everything was alright. On occasion, the domestic tom cat that was prowling would be shooed away. All this created that sense of familiarity and bonding.

However, the familiarity with the bird increased when a pair of Ashy Prinias decided to build their nest in our wild garden. They built their nest for several years generally in a shrub and placed below 4 ft from the ground. Knowing a bit of about birds and their habits, I decided to do a little experiment. I tied some cotton wool to a twig in the garden so that it would be visible to the nesting prinias. Having done so, I came inside the house and stationed myself near a window overlooking the garden. To my great surprise, I observed the birds taking some cotton to build their nest! When the nest was completed, I noticed that the cotton fibres were used to stitch two leaves together and also to tether the nest to the twigs amidst which it was placed. I was quite elated.

This prompted me to carry on with more observations on the bird and its nesting behaviour. Eventually, at the end of a couple of seasons, I had spent in excess of 400 hrs observing this bird. Almost every aspect of the bird’s behaviour during the breeding season was noted. The male sitting on an electric wire and singing to proclaim his territory, the pair chasing intruders, bringing in the first strand of fibre to build the nest, mating, incubation by both the parents and eventually the parents together toiling to feed the ever hungry chicks, for that matter every action of the pair trying to raise a family were all observed.  What a revelation it was!

All these observations as I mentioned earlier were made in an urban garden. Now, you may say that I was on the city outskirts. But the nice thing about the Ashy Prinia is that it seems to have become comfortable in the urban space. I have over  the years seen these  birds nest in the midst of leaves in potted plants kept on the terrace of a single storied house!  These birds even today are not uncommon in the cities.

All of us, urbanites, enjoy the fluttering of butterflies in our immediate environs. It brings back childhood memories of chasing a butterfly while on a picnic with family or when playing with friends in the neighbourhood park. It seems to bring out the child in us and also somewhere deep down establish that ever diminishing connection with Nature.

As we grow up, we learn a lot more of butterflies and their lifestyles during the biology class. But, all this learning is lost somewhere in the process of growing up and becoming “successful”. Yet, many of us indulge in a bit of gardening to keep in touch with Nature. Some of us even spend considerable time watering and tending to plants in our gardens – be it a sprawling one (a luxury in today’s cities), a kitchen garden, a terrace garden or for that matter even a few potted plants in the balcony of our apartments (seems to be the norm of the day!).

Most of us are working hard to make ends meet and are “free” only during the weekends. This is the time to enjoy a late morning cuppa and to immerse oneself in the many Sunday newspapers. Catching a recent movie (blockbuster or otherwise), eating out and some weekend shopping are all in order.

During the week it is the duty of the maid to keep the garden alive. Over the weekend, if and when we find a little time from all other activities we tend to devote to the garden. During this time, if we see that a leaf or two is damaged, we even go to the extent of using pesticides, insecticides and such chemical concoctions to keep the plants in our little gardens “healthy”. This is not without cursing the maid under our breath for negligence. We indulge in all this, without even trying to find out the reason behind the damaged foliage. Also, we have not been around enough to chance upon the reason for the few damaged leaves.

If only we observed a bit more carefully and applied what we learnt during the biology class, we would realise that the leaves have often been devoured by caterpillars. These caterpillars are the result of the eggs laid by the lady butterfly when you were away at work. These would eventually go on to become pretty butterflies. If this realisation sets in, we will desist from using the chemical potpourri that kills the larvae, not giving it a chance to become a pupa and then eventually a butterfly.

You may ask me – “Why should I spare the caterpillars that eat up my plants”? Just think, go back in time – wouldn’t this small act help relive our childhood memories? This said, it does not harm the plant if a few leaves are gobbled up by hungry caterpillars. They have after all lived together for millions of years. However, if you are worried that the leaf cover may go down, then move things around and add one more plant to your garden! Believe me you will not regret it because they more than compensate. Wouldn’t this also help bring to life our environment and re-establish that connection with our roots – Nature!

It is worth, even if it means that this revelry is possible and restricted only to the weekends when we are out of our air-conditioned offices.  You can also derive immense satisfaction when you chance upon a butterfly resting on the plant in your garden.  Or for that matter, when you admire the freedom of spirit symbolised by the delicate beauty of the butterfly fly past while waiting at a wretched traffic signal. May be, while you are enjoying your cuppa on you balcony amidst your plants, you may be treated to the incredible transformation of a caterpillar changing into a pupa or an adult emerging from a pupa that remained hidden from your sight during all the time you spent with the plants. All this is reason enough to give life a second chance to co-exist with us in the chaotic urban landscape.

Just give it a thought. You will suddenly realise that you have a lot in life to catch up on in the rat race that all urbanites seem to be running!

Monsoons breathe new life into the landscape.  The dry landscape suddenly becomes a vibrant green. The countryside that was hitherto seemingly dull, dreary, dry and bereft of any life suddenly seems to be buzzing with activity. Plants are in various processes of their reproductive stage. All animals try to maximise this time of plenty.

This was the setting when a few of us headed out one morning to the countryside a short distance from Bangalore, perhaps a 45 minute drive from the southern parts of the city. The light was dismal, the sky overcast.  We had parked the vehicles and were exploring some of the lush roadside vegetation.

My eyes were drawn to a little butterfly that was sitting on a leaf. As I went closer to photograph, I realised that the Dark Cerulean Jamides bochus was in the jaws of a Crab Spider (Family Thomisidae).  I was planning to photograph the butterfly, but instead caught the butterfly becoming the meal of a spider – a bonus natural history photo-op! Many Crab spiders are known to stay in flowers, their colour often matching the flower. They catch and make a meal of the insects that visit the flowers.

There was a constant breeze through the morning and photographing was not easy. I started scanning the vegetation within my eyeshot as I waited for the breeze to stop so that I could continue photographing. I sighted a little brown leaf-like thing that was curiously stuck to the underside of the lantana leaf. Even as my fingers neared the leaf, a Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridana; Family Oxyopidae) suddenly moved to the upperside of the same leaf. The brown ‘leaf’ that I had espied turned out to be a praying mantis that was becoming the meal of the spider! The present position of the spider offered excellent opportunity for photographing. We managed some good shots of this too. The Lynx spiders are active hunters. They are diurnal and live on vegetation.

We were satisfied with the pictures in spite of all the odds (breeze, constant traffic movement which threatened to run us over, etc.) and were ready to continue further when one of us spotted a little black creature in a low shrub – it turned out to be a Jumping Spider (Family Salticidae). The jumping spider was also having its morning meal; feeding on something we could not identify. This spider was particularly shy and gave us only 3 record shots before disappearing into the shrubbery.

There was so much life within a few square meters and before we realised we had spent a good hour photographing these 3 “preying” spiders! We were also left wondering about the kind of impact that spiders must be having on insect populations and the role of spiders in keeping a check on insect numbers which we very often ignore or even overlook.