Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor)

Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) is declared as  "State Butterfly of Maharashtra". The butterfly is feeding nectar of Musa velutina flowers.

Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) is declared state butterfly of Maharashtra.

Ants do dairy farming

Do you know that ants also do dairy farming like human beings? In dairy farming, cattle need to be fed regularly to get milk from them. Cattle are often released in pastures for them to feed and ruminate. Ants do exactly that; of course their cattle are certain insects. Mealy bugs and aphids are regularly nurtured by ants. Mealy bugs and Aphids are pests on a plant. They continuously suck the sap of plants on which they feed. Though Mealy bugs and Aphids are insects, they are almost immobile. As such, they remain in one place and suck the sap out of a plant till the plant dies.

Mealy bugs

Wingless Aphids

Winged Aphids

Many types of ants come to their rescue. Ants lift younger generation of these insect pests and deposit them on fresh growth of a plant. Now, why do the ants do this? Are they doing social work to save the insects? Not at all! In nature no one helps others unless they have some benefit. These pests are nurtured by the ants because, when these pests feed on plant sap, they exude a sugary drop from their rear end. This sugary drop is called 'Honeydew'. Ants greedily feed on Honeydew. As we milk the cattle, ants also do that. They tickle hind parts of these insects and as a result honeydew is secreted.

Red ants tending Mealy bugs

Due to immobility of the pests and their continuous sapping plant juice, the branch on which they feed dies. If the branch dies, the pests would not get food. If pests do not get food, they would die. If the pests die, ants would not get honeydew. So ants always go on lifting the immature pests and deposit them in “Fresh Pastures”. This is called as symbiosis.

I was lucky to capture the sequence of this process. The ant in the photograph is a small black ant. Earlier I had a wonderful but simple digital camera. The camera could record many things, which would not be visible to human eye, without a magnifying lens. When I took series of these photographs, I could see only an ant and a few mealy bugs. Only after loading the snaps on my computer I could see the honeydew secreted by the mealy bug. In first shot, the ant is approaching a mealy bug, in the second shot the ant is tickling the mealy bug and in the third shot one can see the secreted honeydew.

1-Ant approaching Mealy bug; 2- Tickling it. 3- Extracted honeydew

Phyllanthus angustifolius (Foliage flowers)

Phyllanthus angustifolius, commonly known as Foliage flowers is a leafless plant which was earlier classified as of Euphorbiaceae family. Now it is included in Phyllanthaceae family.  Stems of this plant resemble leaves. 

Leaf-like stems

When the plant blooms it looks like flowers are growing on leaves; hence the common name 'Foliage flowers'. 

Flowering stem

Close up of flowers

Capsule 

It is a medium size shrub and is quite drought resistant. If maintained small by regular pruning, it can make a beautiful pot plant.

Close up of stem

Stem 

Stem at maturity

Gloriosa superba (Lily of Glory)

Lily of Glory (Gloriosa superba) is a climber with most beautiful flowers. It is native to India. Its common name in Marathi is Kal-lavi. Entire plant is poisonous and roots are most toxic. Though poisonous, it is said to have certain medicinal properties. Its Sanskrit name is Agnishikha; meaning a flame. Young flowers have yellow petals. They start getting red from their tips and literally resemble flames. As the flowers mature, petals turn completely red.

Gloriosa superba

Gloriosa superba root tubers

The climber rises on a support by clasps provided on the leaf tips. Its flowering season is in monsoon. Flowering is most profuse at the time of Ganesh Chaturthi. These flowers are used to adorn Ganesh and Gouri idols. After rains, somewhere in October, the plant goes dormant; only to start new growth next monsoon. Lily of Glory can be propagated with seeds or by division of root tubers.

Leaf tip clasp

Grown in a balcony

Gloriosa superba

Gloriosa superba

Gloriosa superba pods

Gloriosa superba pod and seeds

Ranatra linearis (Water-stick insect)

It is an aquatic insect commonly known as ‘Water-stick insect’. It is found in shallow waters containing many weeds. It feeds on other aquatic insects. It breaths thorough its breathing tube located at its hind. This breathing tube is almost as long as its body. The insect is capable of swimming and the adults are capable of short flight. In June 2013 I found these insects in a shallow pond. In the video a mating pair of these insects can be seen; a water beetle is also seen briefly.

Ranatra linearis

Perfect camouflage

Here are some insects camouflaging perfectly. Most of them are caterpillars, a cicada, a nymph of katydid, Stick insects and Rantara stick insect. See if you can find them.

Caterpillar chewing Gardenia bud

Caterpillar on Nerium oleander

Caterpillar on Ficus bengalensis

Looper caterpillar

Cicada

Katydid nymph

Stick insect

Stick insect

Stick insect

Ranatra stick insect

Borinda boliana (Himalayan Blue Mountain Bamboo)

Though the Blue Moon is rare, Blue Bamboo, though not very common, can be seen on way to Darjeeling. Borinda boliana, commonly known as "Himalayan Blue Mountain Bamboo" is a very handsome bamboo. Syn: Himalayacalamus intermedius. It is really blue in colour. I saw it for the first time in my trip to Darjeeling in April 2014.

Borinda boliana

Borinda boliana

Borinda boliana

Tabletop tray landscapes

Nature can be replicated in miniature by making Tray landscapes. By selecting plants with smaller leaves, stones/rocks/pebbles/sand etc, one can create beautiful tray landscapes. These days, wide and shallow ceramic trays are available in markets. These come handy in making tray landscapes. More than gardening skills, one needs artistic disposition.

Island created with plastic putty

Tray size about 25 x 15 cm

Waterfall made with submersible mini pump 

When ceramic trays are used for tray landscaping, the tray does not merge in to the landscape; as it stands out. To make a tray landscape without ceramic tray, I used asbestos cement sheet on which assorted rocks were fixe with very little cement. So it was as if no trays were used. Such tray landscapes look very natural.

Made with rocks cemented on asbestos cement sheet

Made with rocks cemented on asbestos cement sheet

To make the landscape realistic, one must choose plants with smaller leaves. Plants with large leaves would make it unrealistic. Alternanthera, Baby tears (Helxine soleirolii), Pilea species, dwarf Coleus, Callisia repens, Sedum makinoi, Sedum mexicanum, Acalypha wilkesiana Godseffiana 'Compacta', Ophiopogon japonicus nana, Bubble plant, Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides and varieties compact of Polyscias are most suitable for tray landscapes.