This caterpillar was part of a colony of some 20 or so individuals enclosed in silk threads. On being disturbed it threw itself out on a invisible silken thread and hung suspended in the air.
Archive for the 'Lepidoptera' Category
When on the wing, this large and powerful butterfly resembles more a small bird than a butterfly due the speed and the nature of its flight. This no doubt serves it well since it has the habit of establishing and defending hilltop territories otherwise known as “hilltoping” (hilltops serve as mate-encounter sites not only for this species but also for many other insects).
Ideally, I would have liked to photograph it with its wings open, but when it did eventually decide to land (several times on animal dung), it immediately placed its wings in an upright position. This was the best shot I could get - naturally I avoided to photograph it on dung!
Charaxes jasius’ larval foodplant is the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) but it is also attracted to fermenting fruit, animal dung, and alcohol in the form of beer and wine!
Now watch a short educational film (in French) on the life-cycle of Charaxes jasius.
Other resources :
When, as a teenager, I first heard the name “passion fruit” it conjured up in my young mind images of beauty and poetic love. Unfortunately, as is often the case when growing up one discovers that the reality was somewhat different.
