Butterflies Of Mumbai

I love butterflies? Who doesn’t? The green patches within Mumbai are home to so many butterflies. I went about photographing them and here are my 10 favourite butterflies found in Mumbai.

1. GREY PANSY BUTTERFLY

The Grey Pansy Butterfly has pale greyish wings distinctly marked with dark brown lines. It makes seasonal and localised appearances and can be found in natural reserves and parks in Mumbai.

2. PEACOCK PANSY BUTTERFLY

The Peacock Pansy Butterfly is widely found in South Asia. Under sunny conditions, it has a habit of opening its wings wide to sunbathe while resting on a perch.

3. PLAIN TIGER BUTTERFLY

The Plain Tiger Butterfly is found across Asia and throughout the Indian Subcontinent. Its bright colouration serves as a warning to predators that they are either distasteful or toxic. Hence predators refrain from eating it and its colouration is mimicked by a number of other species.

4. STRIPED TIGER BUTTERFLY

The striped pattern, on the Striped Tiger Butterfly’s wings, differentiates this butterfly from the equally common Plain Tiger. This butterfly closely resembles the Monarch Butterfly of the Americas.

5. COMMON LIME BUTTERFLY

The Common Lime Butterfly, also known as the Lemon Butterfly, Lime Swallowtail, and Chequered Swallowtail, is a common and widespread swallowtail butterfly found in Mumbai. It is called so, because of its host plants, which are usually citrus species such as the cultivated lime.

6. TAILED JAY BUTTERFLY

Tailed Jay Butterflies are very active butterflies and flutter their wings constantly even when at flowers. They are also called Green Spotted Triangle, Tailed Green Jay, or Green Triangle.

7. COMMON LEOPARD BUTTERFLY

Common Leopard Butterfly is widely distributed from the tops of hills in Sri Lanka and Southern India and up to 3000m in the Himalayas. It often perches on edges of clearing with wings half open and has the habit of chasing away other butterflies and guarding its territory.

8. BLUE TIGER BUTTERFLY

The Blue Tiger Butterfly shows gregarious migratory behaviour in Southern India. The dark areas on the wing surfaces are for heat absorption to facilitate autonomous flight.

9. COMMON CROW BUTTERFLY

Common Crow Butterfly is a common butterfly found in South Asia to Australia. Like the tigers, the crows are inedible and thus mimicked by other Indian butterflies. Hence it flies leisurely and can be easily found in shrubs and bushes, in search of its host plants.

10. COMMON CASTOR BUTTERFLY

The Common Castor is an orange butterfly with brown lines whose larvae feed almost exclusively on castor. Their front legs are small and unused, effectively making them four-legged.

I have found these butterflies at Maharashtra Nature Park, Bhandup Pumping Station, and Vikhroli Mangroves in Mumbai. I hope my city remains home to my beautiful butterfly friends forever. And they can fly with no fear of their homes being destroyed. Thank you!

More info: youtube.com