Zizula hylax pygmaea (Pygmy Grass Blue) are incredibly tiny butterflies that freely flutter around in my garden. Lantana camara are their firm favourites.
"The butterfly is a flying flower. The flower a tethered butterfly"
- Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun
Their strong preference for this plant could be due to the aromatic leaves and flowers.
Unfurling a coiled proboscis into the floret of Lantana camara 'spreading sunset'.
Having a field day, hopping from one floret to another, they are simply just spoilt for choice.
Their thirst for the nectar seems to be insatiable as they flit tirelessly from one inflorescence to another.
The nectar must be like ambrosia to them.
Their thirst for the nectar seems to be insatiable as they flit tirelessly from one inflorescence to another.
The nectar must be like ambrosia to them.
Even flower buds are given the once over.
The buds appear as little rectangle packages
The buds are just as interesting as the flowers.
The buds appear as little rectangle packages
Beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting which led me to discover your lovely blog.
DeleteYou have brought back great memories of a recent family holiday to Mauritius. I loved the Pygmy Grass Blues. As you say - they are so small. Because of that my camera didn't manage to focus properly on them. When I look back I think I only saw them on Lantana, also.
ReplyDeleteIf you look closely at the Lantana buds they look just like small butterflies!!
How different you view things! They do look like tiny butterflies, when I reviewed them after your remark. I only saw them as rectangled boxes.
DeleteLubię te kwiaty za ich różne kolory. Zdjecia nich z dodatkiem motyla są cudowne. Pozdrawiam.
ReplyDeleteI like these flowers for their different colors. Photograph them with the addition of a butterfly is wonderful. Yours.
Flora and fauna do complement each other and they have a symbiotic relationship.
DeletePygmy Grass Blue is so tiny and beautiful. He is such a happy butterfly in your garden, stiletto. I like to see butterflies flitting from one flower to another while flowers are so generous allowing sweet nectar all their life. Round flower from rectangular bud is interesting.
ReplyDeleteYoko
The flowers appear to give freely but a favour is expected in the form of pollination services :) So, there really is no free lunch.
DeleteI can smell the sweet aroma wafting from those blooms. And the butterfly is beautiful. I have longed for the warmer weather to see the butterflies, and they are here flittering and fluttering in the garden. Wonderful photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sage Butterfly. The sight of butterflies fluttering in the garden often makes me forget about the deadlinesfrom my job requirements momentarily.
DeleteI have seen some blues but never these species. Now I'm kicking myself for not planting Lantana this year.
ReplyDeleteIts never too late to plant them as they grow fast and will flower in no time.
DeleteNow I know this flower is lantana canara... always mixed up with Bunga Tahi Ayam... I saw beautiful blue colour when this creature fly ..unfortunately couldnt capture the blue wings .. captured only when it stop on flowers but the blue part was closed!!
ReplyDeleteI always thought that Bunga Tahi Ayam is the malay name for Lantana camara. I have to check this out. There is another type of small butterfly which is more blue on the upper parts - Cycad Blue Butterflies (Chilades pandava.
DeleteVery good job Stilleto for the very clear and vivid shots. I know how small that butterfly is, and the flower buds are so lovely. What lens did you use there? sometimes i have difficulty getting vivid lantana flowers!
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea,thanks. I love the flower buds for it gives the promise of popping up and open the view behind. The butterfly-shaped buds are unique in itself; as what Stardust said, 'round flowers from rectangle buds'.
DeleteMacro lens - AF-S Nikkor 60mm 1:28G
I should get one more than 100mm
simply beautiful shots...lovely!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kalyan. Will try out your recipe - briyani rice. It will be even more appetising to have it outdoors in my garden.
DeleteWhat patience you have to get a beautiful succesion of pictures.
ReplyDeleteActually not that much patience is used as the butterflies are too engrossed with imbibing nectar to bother too much with me and my camera.
DeleteI love lantanas which come in many colours and they are constantly flowering. The flower buds look like tiny little ribbons. These butterflies are very cute and tiny. You have captured them well!
ReplyDeleteIf one wants to see butterflies fluttering around in the garden, simply plant a Lantana and a Hibiscus shrub. Both are strong butterfly attractants.
DeleteThere are so many ways to look at the buds; butterfly-like, ribbons or bows. Just shows that different people have different perceptions which makes the world so interesting.