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Project Noah Nature School
Neptis jumbah
The caterpillar mimics a dried leaf. It even sleeps with its head down hanging like a loose midrib of a dry leaf...since it sleeps on the dry and torn leaf it blends in really well. The pupa is translucent to begin with but the colour darkens. There was a silver stud-like spot on the pupal case...the first day I saw it I thought it was a hole and the caterpillar was dead and gone...then I realized it was a silvery something on the case itself and not light shining through. On the day before the butterfly emerged I saw a dark knob-like thing at the far end of the pupa...maybe part of the butterfly visible through the case. The fourth photo with the dark bit at one end is actually at an odd angle because I am holding the twig...my neighbour's Boxer dog lunged at it (he likes to tear leaves) and I threw myself between the pup(a) and the dog. The pupal case hangs downwards vertically; not horizontally as the photo may lead you to believe. On the 8th of February my patience was rewarded when I saw this butterfly sitting quietly, resting near its pupal case. It rested for about two hours, crawled up and then flew away. 15 days to emerge from the pupa. O happy day!
On Bauhinia plant in my garden.
Very similar to Neptis columella. Hope I have ID-ed it correctly.
Spotted on Dec 26, 2018
Submitted on Dec 26, 2018
3 Comments
Thanks,Daniele. Second time I have been lucky enough. First was a moth. Today, this one. Both times in my tiny garden.
That's great Sukanya! We love life cycles.
The adult butterfly emerged today. I have posted the entire life cycle of this caterpillar.