Standing In The Rain

Curled up in each other on a curl

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Note on photo above: By some chance, the mating curled up dragonflies landed on this curl of a stem.

Standing In The Rain

It rained about 3 times on me today while I was out on the field.  After being bored with whatever he was doing, the Alien from KL picked the wrong date to come back into the field... and tagged along with his expensive film camera. 

Which resulted in him and me standing under a banana tree with him explaining how the banana tree is designed to provide shelter because the leaves and stems are designed in such a way to direct rain pelting from above to the roots.

This he explained, while the rain dripped on both of us.

Sometimes there are defects, he explained cheesily, flashing his huge dimples. 

Maybe Graphium evemon eventus (blue jay) on a leaf

Note on photo above:  The markings don't really match exactly... so I'm not sure that this is a blue jay.

Butterflies In The Rain

Sometimes you can tell a change in weather when the butterflies don't come out when there's sunshine (cos maybe it's going to rain) and when they come out in the rain (cos maybe it's just passing rain).

Today the butterflies came out repeatedly in the intermittent sunshine between the rains while we repeatedly retreated and emerged from the shelter of the banana tree. 

Jamides celeno aelianus (common caerulean) in the rain

Note on photo above: Butterfly in the rain.  As the rain pelted down, the butterfly lowered its tails to the ground and folded its forewing behind its hindwing as if it was trying to minimise exposure to the rain. 

This butterfly fluttered and eventually settled to drink feverishly, ignoring the rain.  Excited by its strange disposition, I forgot myself and continued to shoot it in the rain for a little while before I came to my senses and wrapped my precious camera back in my raincover.

Jamides celeno aelianus (common caerulean)

Note on photo above: Compare the wings in this photo while it was out in the sunshine versus the one of it in the rain.

Junonia almana javana (peacock pansy) in the rain

Note on photo above: The usually skittish peacock pansy was dull and listless and sat peaceably on a rain speckled leaf while I shuffled around it noisily.

In the rain, even usually skittish butterflies seem to lose about half their energy and sit around as if half asleep.

Vidule dejone erotella (cruiser) underside

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Note on photo: Skittlebug cruiser even allowed an underside shot.

Butterfly Banter

I attended a small seminar today which was organised by Yoda of the Butterflies and featured a overseas entomologist and a maths professor who had documented the life histories of (if I remember correctly) about half or more of the species of butterflies in Singapore.

It was all very good and very nice and everyone seemed way over their heads in their interest in butterflies.

Vidula dejone erotella (cruiser)

Compromise

I was disheartened to hear talk about alternative urban environments for butterflies as if their natural environment was so against the world's ideals of 'advanced economies' that it shouldn't be allowed to exist and that we should compromise.... find a way for butterflies to hang around in artificial environments... while we continue to have our way with everything else.

Elymnias hypermnestra agina (common palmfly)

Note on photo: The skittlebug king of skittlebugs even stopped for a proper pose on a leaf.

I'm frightened to say that I am not diplomatic, am not able to consider alternatives, not able to compromise.  Which usually leaves me outside of any acceptable options, refusing to participate in any future that doesn't believe in respecting Nature beyond artificially keeping her alive in a cage.    

Maybe Pelopidas conjunctus conjunctus (conjoined swift)