28 October 2014
The Short Answer (TSA)
The Blue
Moon Butterfly is a resident of Madagascar,
Southeast Asia and the South
Pacific Islands. Each
wing of this Black Butterfly has three white spots. The lowest is circular and surrounded by a royal
blue iridescence ring. These lowest
spots look like moons and got the Blue Moon Butterfly its name.
Strangely,
you can have a bit of trouble searching for this butterfly on the internet as
it is (too) often is found only under its formal name, Hypolimnas bolina.
Blue Moon Butterfly
The Blue Moon likes light woods and scrub areas
but, sometimes, wanders into the thick green foliage around small towns and villages. As butterflies go, the Blue Moon is a bit
unusual for its careful nesting habits.
The male carefully guards the territory around the nest, while the
female cares for, and protects, her eggs until they hatch
The caterpillar that
emerges from each egg looks nothing like the mature butterfly. With a bright orange head and black body, the
caterpillar’s body soon develops bright, contrasting orange spines that “pick
up” its orange head color.
After its flashy
adolescence as an orange and black caterpillar, the time comes for a stay in its
cocoon. From there, the Blue Moon
Butterfly emerges in its mature glory.
I particularly enjoy
writing about creatures like this because I don’t have to write much. Their beauty speaks for itself.
M Grossmann of Hazelwood,
Missouri
& Belleville, Illinois
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