CATERPILLARS & PUPAE

These were taken over 2 days but my joy was shortlived. I will get to this again in another post.

On those 2 days, I saw at least 8 Common Rose cats on these straggly stands of Aristolochia acuminata. Like my colleague said yesterday, it is the Common Rose season again. Anyway, there were these beautiful Common Birdwing and Common Rose pupae and I reminded myself to come back and check on them frequently.

There were 2 lizards hanging around, presumably to feed on some of them or the other insects e.g. ants.

I left knowing that all was not lost since these beautiful creatures were flourishing in this area with our planting of their host plants.

KOPSIA FLAVIDA

I recently saw the Common Birdwing visiting the flowers. Presumably, it is a nectar plant for its adult butterflies. Looking at the morphology of the flowers, it is not surprising considering that the flowers are single-petaled and have a tubed corolla.

But one can assume it is not a good nectar plant for most other smaller butterflies because I have never spotted them going anywhere near these flowers.