Butterflies of India – Commander (Moduza procris)

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Commander is one of the most beautiful butterflies in India. You may spot this vividly coloured butterfly right from Southern Western Ghats to North Eastern regions. The brilliant reddish brown on its upper side will attract your attention easily.

Usually seen along forest roads, water courses, open places and even close to villages, especially if its larval host plant Mussaenda is available around. If you are planning to take a close look at a Commander, its usual posture of wings pressed flat helps you get a good look. However, if you go close, it will take short flights and keep the distance.

This is part of the Butterflies of India series in Indian Biodiversity Talk's YouTube Channel.

Indian damsel flies - Sapphire eyed Spreadwing (Lestes praemorsus) mating video

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Sapphire eyed Spreadwing (Lestes praemorsus) is a beautiful damsel fly found in India and other Asian countries. Watch the damsel flies mating on the tip of an ornamental plant. Recorded from Kannur, Kerala

Kerala gets a new dragonfly added to its insect fauna

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The south Indian state of Kerala has got a new entrant to its list of insects recently when a group of researchers have found Microgomphus souteri Fraser, a dragonfly which was not spotted from the state in the past. The fly adds to the 138 member strong Odonata fauna of Kerala.

The new fly adds to the 138 member strong Odonata fauna of Kerala. The insect was spotted from Vlayamchal in the Aaralam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kannur district which is located in the slopes of the Brahmagiri ranges in northern Western Ghats.

The fly which belongs to the Microgomphus genus actually comes under Gomphidae family of dragonflies which are also known as Club-tails for the bulbous last segment of their abdomain. The Microgomphus members of Gomphidae are the smallest in the family with a unique appearance of black and greenish yellow colours.

Microgomphus souteri 
found in Aaralam Wild Life Sanctuary in Kerala
(Photo courtesy Dr.  Mohammed Jafer Palot )

According to researchers, the discoidal cell on the fore wing and hind wing of these flies differ in their shape. Moreover, the fore wing is shorter than the hind wing. The absence of an incomplete basal antenodal nervure and inner branches of superior anal appendages makes them distinct. Slightly notched inferior appendages and the presence of more than two transverse nervures between the sectors of the arc, also helps identifying the genus Microgomphus.

Among other members of the genus Microgomphus, M. souteri  differs with Antehumeral stripes on its thorax which are not confluent with mesothoracic collar. Apart from other features, the two large triangular greenish spots on the black labrum also helps distinguishing them. The 4^th and 5^th abdominal segments of this fly don’t have the mid dorsal oval yellow spots while the 8^th and 10^th segments have no yellow markings.

However, it is also reported that the specimen collected from Aaralam Wildlife Sanctury showed minor variations from the specimen in the earlier record.

Distribution of Microgomphus souteri

Usually found in the humid parts of the Western Ghats and North East India from heights of 609.5 MSL and above, other members of this genus are reported from South Asian countries like Myanmar, Malaysia, Sumatra, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Borneo and Africa.

Though usually arboreal, the males of the species are found resting on rocks in the streams or vegetation on the banks of their parent rivers. India has four members of the species M. chelifer, M. torquatus (Selys, 1854) and M. verticalis (Selys, 1873), apart from M. souteri.

The  present study is the second recorded spotting of the species from India, the first being from Sampaje in Coorg district of the adjacent state of Karnataka some 88 years back.

Why do honey bees flock to waste water?

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Honey Bees consider animal urine mixed water as their 'Complan', says a recent research

Honey bees are known to feed on nectar and pollen from flowers. But ever heard of them sucking waste water, that too from animal dung? A recent observation on honey bees (Apis dorsata)has revealed that they tend to flock on water from animal waste found in the sewage tracts of animal sheds mainly to meet their nutritional needs.

Apis dorsata feeding on waste water from animal sheds

Experiments have revealed that bees often show some attraction towards water with animal waste content . An average of 33.33 percent bees were attracted towards water with animal waste content in the experiment while only 20 percent of them were attracted to pure water. Similarly, stingless bees which belong to subfamily Meliponinae are also known to feed on feces and decaying flesh, which is less expected from such 'sweet' insects.

The answer to the unexpected phenomenon lies in the influence certain amino acids have, in the normal growth of a bee. Bees need at least ten different amino acids for their normal growth. Apart from that, they need water and salts to meet their natural growth requirements.

Thus the usual nature of animal urine gives a complete planned food option to bees as it contains sodium (Na+), potassium (K), chloride, magnesium (Mg2+), Calcium (Ca2+) ions, organic molecules like urea, creatinine and uric acid. Other substances like carbohydrates, enzymes, fatty acids, hormones, pigments and mucins are also present in small amounts.

So, in short, honey bees consider animal urine mixed water as a health drink - their 'Complan' luring them to to flock on animal waste just as they flock on to flowers for honey.


Did you ever notice such bizarre insect behavior? Let us know in the comments.