Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Two Butterflies at Mandai Track 15

I went to Mandai Track 15 on 4 Oct in the afternoon instead of  my usual morning outing due to a stormy weather.

For a long period of time, there were no cyclists and no critters coming along to greet me while I was heading towards the direction of the highway,  along the forest trail. However cicada songs did accompany me at times and broke the dreadful silence of the forest.

Almost an hour later, I noticed a small lycaenid, Logania marmorata damis resting rather tamely on a leaf surface which was not its usual behaviour. Though it is not a pretty butterfly in terms of colour variations, its wing patterns look rather intricate and artistic to me.
Being rather lethargic on a cool afternoon, it  provided me with more time to compose my shots with different camera settings of this usually active lycaenid always fluttering with erratic flights.
I decided to turn back and walked along a tarred road when I reached the end of the forest trail. At one open patch where some Mikania micrantha  flowers were abundant, another lycaenid was waiting for me. It was believed to be a male Nacaduba berenice icena. Not cooperative as the above Logania, it didn't stay still for me to take some properly-composed shots.
Wild grasses and Bidens flowers along the road and at the shelter had been cleared. I am not sure if this had greatly reduced the number of  skippers and other critters in the area.?

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