#iscabird's backyard

[iscabird]

hey! check out this lovely lady nesting on our blood orange tree

[iscabird]

A Brief Romp in Isca's Backyard

(date: 6th March, 2024)

we're past the worst of Tropical Cyclone Season, which reminded me that perhaps the local butterflies would come back -- here's what i've found this week!

note: all photos were taken on my Samsung Galaxy A30.

firstly, this tiny (approx. 4mm) little guy in its early instar! It's definitely a member of Papilionidae, though I'm not fully sure that it's an orchard swallowtail (P. aegeus), because its colouration is a little different from other early instars I've seen so far. either way, i'm keen to watch how it develops!

this bigger lad (left) is a P. aegeus, but this one's in its late instar! sometime soon it should turn into a pupa, just like its companion (right) hanging out on another branch!

while I was outside, I spotted this poor orange just split open. perhaps someone or something couldn't wait for it to ripen up first. it's not a big deal, though -- our orange tree is ridiculously prolific.

while I was outside the other day, we found a small litter of eastern red lacewings (Cethosia cydippe) on some passionfruit vine growing under the orange tree. I didn't have my phone on me then, and when I went looking for them today, I couldn't find them as mum had pulled out the vine. so instead, I opted to do a drawing of one. (note: artist's impression was drawn in Clip Studio Paint.)

I also spotted these two beetles. I don't actually know what the one on the left is -- but the one on the right is definitely an Asian Ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis). they were both sitting on different parts of the same tridax daisy (Tridax procumbens), which is one of the many invasive plants in my area (and in our backyard).