The yellow beauty of nature

Yellow Coster, Acraea issoria, Nymphaidae
Laakuri bhanjyang, Suryabinayak Municipality, Bhaktapur
26 September 2020.

Acraea issoria, the yellow coster, is a small, leathery-winged butterfly. This species of the subgenus (Actinote) and the tawny coster (Acraea (acraea) terpsicore) with its sister species (A. (a.) moluccana) and (A. (a.) meyeri) of the nominotypical subgenus, is the only Asiatic representatives of the predominantly African subfamily Acraeinae.

According to George Talbot (Fauna of British India), the race anomala is found in the western Himalayas while the nominate form is from the eastern Himalayas.

The Rise of Concrete Jungle : Bhaktapur

A view from Suryabinayak

Once renowned for its rich cultural heritage and traditional architecture, Bhaktapur is now witnessing a rapid transformation with the proliferation of modern concrete structures. While these developments bring economic growth and urbanization, they also raise concerns about preserving the district's unique cultural identity and architectural heritage. As concrete jungles continue to expand, it becomes imperative to strike a balance between modernization and heritage conservation, ensuring that Bhaktapur retains its charm and authenticity amidst the march of progress.

 

Jewel of Highland : Blackvein Fritillary

Blackvein Fritillary

Melitaea arcesia, Nymphalidae.

Jumla, Nepal

July 2, 2020

Melitaea arcesia, the blackvein fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from southern Siberia and Transbaikalia to the Amur region, Mongolia and China. The habitat consists of steppe-clad slopes.

Adults are on wing from June to August.

Beauty Overload : Striped Blue Crow

Striped Blue Crow (female), Euploea mulciber, Nymphalidae.

Sipadol, Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur
September 20, 2020

Euploea mulciber, the striped blue crow, is a butterfly found in India, and Southeast Asia that belongs to the crows and tigers, the Danaid group of the brush-footed butterflies family.

URBAN TRAVELLER

Series I

Destination: Sipadol (Doleshwor temple area and Maali gaon)

We started our hike around 8: am after having tea and light food near Suryabinayak temple then headed to Doleshwor temple on the bike. After parking our bike at the bus stop we then headed to Mali gaon through a newly constructed motorable road. Though the construction has disturbed the natural habitat, there is still some green vegetation of grasses, shrubs, invasive plant species, and a small Pine forest alongside, which has helped us to see some birds and insects like spiders, butterflies, beetles, dragonflies, etc. We did snap some photographs of birds like Turtle dove, Great tit, warbler species, etc

Turtle Dove

Eurasian Hobby

and insects like butterflies (Indian skipper, Pale grass blue, Red lacewing, Sailer sp, Sergeant sp, some swift species, Pallid argus, etc), moths ( Episteme adulatrix, Noctuidae and Soritia strandi, Chalcosiini), 

Indian Skipper

Pale Grass Blue

Red Lacewing

Soritia strandi

Episteme adulatrix

spiders like Neoscona sp, Giant wood spider Nephila pilipes (Nephilidae), Orchard spider Leucauge decorata (Tetragnathidae), etc

 

Orchard spider

Neoscona sp

Giant Wood Spider

and Odonates like Asian widow or blue-tailed yellow skimmer Palpopleura sexamaculata (Libellulidae), Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens (Libellulidae), Fulvous forest skimmer Neurothemis fulvia (Libellulidae), Green marsh hawk Orthetrum sabina (Libellulidae), etc,

Asian widow

Fulvous Forest Skimmer

Green marsh hawk

 Orthoptera sp like the Coffee locust, Hymenoptera ( Blue-banded bee Anthophora sp) Coleoptera (Flower chafer beetle), etc. 

Coffee Locust

Blue-banded Bee

Flower Chafer Beetle

The landscape around is so much mesmerizing with varieties of plant species like Lantana camara, Chilaune, Uttis, Pine forest that are providing nectaring to pollinators, nesting for birds and many insects. The landscape view from Mali gaon is the one anyone couldn't deny to watch and capture in frame. 

MesmerisingLandscape from Mali Gaon

Grandeur sight of Eurasian Hobby

Eurasian Hobby, Falco subbuteo, Falconidae.

Sipadol, Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur. September 20,2020. 

Streamlined long-winged falcon. Note gray upperparts with plain tail, boldly streaked underparts with rusty leggings, and vent. Swift-like; flight more graceful and aerodynamic than Eurasian Kestrel. Compare this with the larger, stockier, shorter-tailed Peregrine Falcon. Favors open woodland, heathland, and farmland with stands of trees; often hunts over nearby water bodies and marshes. Hunts in the air, catching dragonflies, swallows, and other birds, which it sometimes eats on the wing.

 Eurasian Hobby, Falcon subbuteo or just simple Hobby is a small slim falcon species. It breeds across Africa, Europe and Asia. It is a long distant migrant species wintering in Africa and Asia. 

 SKIPPER: Dark Beauty of Nature 

Indian Skipper, Spialia galba, Hesperiidae
Sipadol, Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur. September 20, 2020.

Spialia galba, the Indian grizzled skipper, is a hesperiid butterfly, found in South Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia.

The butterfly ranges from Sri Lanka, and India to the Shan states in northern Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Hainan.

When sunny, the butterfly is found flying close to the ground and basking with the wings partly open. The forewing is partly closed while the hindwing is held fully open. It rests with its wings closed. It has a swift, twisting but usually short flight. The Indian skipper visits flowers, preferring those with small flowers such as Triax procumbens, (a common weed in India) and species of Dicplitera or Bidens. It sleeps on hanging grass blades and the tips of the branches of herbs.

This tiny butterfly measuring 20-25mm is often overlooked in the grass. It's flight is fast and hard to follow. Spialia g. usually found in open grass, rarely at water.

The continuity of life: Mating

Pale Grass Blue, Zizeeria maha, Lycaenidae

Sipadol, Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur, September 20, 2020

Pseudozizeeria maha, the pale grass blue, is a small butterfly found in South Asia that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by Vincenz Kollar in 1844.

Food plants: Oxalidaceae including Oxalis corniculata, some Leguminosae, and Acanthaceae.

 

ODONATES: A Beauty of Nature

Asian widow or blue-tailed yellow skimmer (female), Palpopleura sexmaculata, Libellulidae  

Sipadol, Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur, September 20, 2020.

Palpopleura sexmaculata, commonly known as the Asian widow or blue-tailed yellow skimmer, is a species of dragonfly in the family Liellulidae. It is widespread in several countries in South, East, and Southeast Asia, but is no longer believed to occur in Sri Lanka. 

It is a small dragonfly with brown-capped greenish eyes. Its thorax is greenish yellow and hind-wings are usually tinted with yellow from the base. Pterostigma is black in adults bi-colored in juveniles and sub-adults as in females. Its abdomen is pruinosed with light blue, leaving segments 1-3 as yellow. Sub-adult males and females are yellow. The pterostigma of the female is bi-colored with half black and half yellow. It breeds in marshy areas and small pools in the hills.