Butterfly observations 18.02.2024
Sinhagad valley Pune MH India

Members
Pavan Damoor

ButterfliesofPune

Timings: 8:30 am to 1:30 pm

Weather conditions:
Chilled till 8 am
Hotter in the day with unbearable heat
a bit of breeze in between

Things to carry:
Breakfast, Water - 3 litres, fruits, sweets, onion , Cap/hat, first aid box, medicines if required,

Species count: 50

List of sightings observed

Family: Hesperidae (skippers)

1. Vindhyan Bob
2. Grass Demon
3. Golden angle

Family: Lycaenidae (Blues)

1. Pea blue
2. Common Pierrot
3. Angled Pierrot
4. White-tipped line blue
5. Plains cupid
6. Common line blue
7. Tailless line blue
8. Indian Cupid
9. Tiny grass blue
10. Zebra blue
11. Lesser grass blue
12. Common shot silverline
13. Abnormal silverline
14. Forget-me-not
15. Common cerulean
16. Pointed Ciliate blue
17. Dark cerulean
18. Large guava blue
19. Indian Red flash
20. Peacock royal catterpillar

Family: Riodinidae (metal marks)

1. Double banded judy

Family: Nymphalidae (brush footed)

1. Plain tiger
2. Common crow
3. Black Rajah
4. Common Tree brown
5. Common Threering
6. Common leopard
7. Commander
8. Common Sailer
9. Common Lascar
10. Baronet
11. Blue pansy
12. Yellow pansy
13. Lemon pansy
14. Chocolate pansy
15. Peacock pansy
16. Great eggfly
17. Sahyadri Blue oakleaf

Family: Pieridae (whites and yellows)

1. Common grass yellow
2. Spotless grass yellow
3. Small grass yellow
4. Mottled emigrant
5. Lemon emigrant
6. Common Gull

Family: Papilionidae (swallowtails)

1. Lime swallowtail
2. Common Mormon
3. Spot swordtail

overall a very great day today with plenty of mud puddling and nectaring activity.

Happy for getting my first record of 2 larvae of Peacock Royal butterfly 😊

Happy Butterflying to all....

Butterfly observations 11.02.2024
Sinhagad valley Pune MH India

Members
Swanand kesari
Dr Himanshu Pandav
Pavan Damoor

ButterfliesofPune

Timing: 9:30 am to 1 pm

Species count: 40

List of sightings

1. Vindhyan Bob
2. Pea blue
3. Common Pierrot
4. Angled Pierrot
5. White tip line blue
6. Common line blue
7. Tailless line blue
8. Common hedge blue
9. Common shot silverline
10. Abnormal silverline
11. Indian Cupid
12. Tiny grass blue
13. Zebra blue
14. Lesser grass blue
15. Forget-me-not
16. Blue pansy
17. Chocolate pansy
18. Grey pansy
19. Yellow pansy
20. Lemon pansy
21. Commander
22. Common Sailer
23. Chestnut streaked Sailer
24. Baronet
25. Blue oakleaf
26. Great eggfly
27. Blue tiger
28. Glassy tiger

29. Common leopard
    30 Painted lady female egg laying

30. Dark cerulean
31. Psyche
32. Indian wanderer
33. Common grass yellow
34. Spotless grass yellow
35. Lemon emigrant
36. Indian Jezebel
37. Common Mormon
38. Lime swallowtail
39. Grass demon
40. Eggs of Peacock Royal on loranthus
41. Catterpillars of Mormon on lemon/ curry leaves

Happy Butterflying to all....

Butterfly observation 04.02.2024
Sinhagad valley Pune MH India

Pavan Damoor

ButterfliesofPune

Timing: 9:30 am to 1:30 pm
Latitude:
Longitude:

As we have visited Tamhini plenty of times so decided to change our location 😁 so this Sunday I planned to visit Sinhagad valley Pune which is very much near to my home. And with past experiences and observation I knew that the butterfly mud puddling activity must have already begun at the valley and it was the same.

This time I am sharing the list of butterflies sightings in a different format, it's a half hour count (scientific data method)

I started my butterfly walk from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm so a total of 8 counts in 4 hours.

Sharing the list of butterflies observed at Sinhagad valley

Also my special sighting of day is mentioned in the last so stay tuned ☺️

1st count - 9:30am to 10:00 am - 5 species

1. Common evening brown - (roosting) broken wings
2. Common Sailer - puddling
3. Glassy tiger - puddling
4. Red line small grass yellow - Roosting
5. Common evening brown - roosting
6. Common Grass yellow - Roosting

2nd Count - 10 am to 10:30 am - 9 species

1. Daniad eggfly (male) - puddling
2. Common Map - puddling
3. Common fivering - roosting
4. Common Pierrot - nectaring
5. Common Bush brown - roosting
6. Common Sailer - basking
7. Indian Cupid - basking
8. Tiny grass blue - nectaring
9. Lemon pansy - basking

3rd count - 10:30 am to 11:00 pm
10 species

1. Common Jezebel - nectaring on lantana flowers
2. Common Sailer - puddling
3. Chocolate pansy - puddling
4. Pea blue - puddling
5. Common silverline - basking
6. Blue tiger - puddling
7. Lemon pansy - puddling
8. Blue pansy - basking
9. Grass demon - basking/ sapping on bird dropping
10. Forget-me-not - puddling

4th count - 11:00 am to 11:30 am
10 species

1. Indian Red flash - puddling
2. Indian Nawab - basking/ puddling
3. Pointed Ciliate blue - basking/ cleaning its Probosics with its legs
4. Peacock pansy - basking
5. Blue pansy - basking
6. Lemon pansy - basking
7. Yellow pansy - basking
8. Chocolate pansy - puddling
9. Common threering - puddling
10. Pea blue - group puddling

5th count - 11:30 am to 12 pm
10 species

1. Grey pansy - basking
2. Lemon emigrant - male and female puddling
3. Vindhyan Bob - puddling
4. Indian Nawab - puddling
5. Grass demon - sapping on bird dropping
6. Daniad eggfly male - puddling
7. Great eggfly female - puddling
8. Double banded judy - puddling
9. Pointed Ciliate blue - puddling
10. Mottled emigrant - puddling
11. Tiny grass blue - puddling

6th count - 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm
9 species

1. Common line blue - puddling
2. Lemon pansy - basking
3. Spotless grass yellow - nectar
4. Common Sailer - basking
5. Common Pierrot - basking
6. Zebra blue - nectaring
7. Dark grass blue - nectaring
8. Mottled emigrant - nectaring
9. Striped tiger - flight

7th count - 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm
10 species

1. Common leopard - nectaring
2. Blue tiger - nectaring
3. Common Sailer - basking
4. Lime swallowtail - nectaring
5. Dark palm dart - nectaring
6. Indian wanderer - nectaring
7. Spotless grass yellow - nectar
8. Common grass yellow - nectar
9. Indian Cupid - nectaring
10. Vindhyan Bob - nectaring
11. Common Palmfly - flight

8th count - 1 pm to 1:30 pm
10 species

1. Painted lady - nectaring (most widely distributed butterfly in the world. It is found everywhere except the Arctic and Antarctic regions)
2. Indian Cupid - puddling
3. Spotless grass yellow - puddling
4. Pea blue - nectaring
5. Painted lady - roosting

It was getting hotter so I decided to pack up and leave for home. Had kept my camera in my sack too 😞
At that time around 1:45 pm I got to observe a very special sighting even though I couldn't click a photo of the beauty, but it made my day more beautiful 🤩

Malabar Banded Peacock 🦋 (Endemic to Western Ghats)
Special sighting for valley

Today's total species count - 45

Family count

1. Skippers - 3
2. Blue's - 11
3. Metal marks - 1
4. Brush footed - 21
5. White & Yellow - 7
6. Swallowtail - 2

Activity count - 72

1. Puddling - 26
2. Nectaring - 18
3. Basking - 17
4. Roosting - 7
5. Sapping - 1
6. Flight - 3

Species seen couple of times - 27

1. Blue pansy - 1
2. Blue tiger - 1
3. Chocolate pansy - 1
4. Common evening brown - 1
5. Common grass yellow - 1
6. Common Pierrot - 1
7. Common Sailer - 4
8. Daniad eggfly - 1
9. Grass demon - 1
10. Indian Cupid - 2
11. Indian Nawab - 1
12. Lemon pansy - 3
13. Mottled emigrant - 1
14. Painted lady - 1
15. Pea blue - 2
16. Pointed Ciliate blue - 1
17. Spotless grass yellow - 2
18. Tiny grass blue - 1
19. Vindhyan Bob - 1

ie, 72 Less 27 = 45 Species count

Apart from butterflies observed plenty of birds & Bees/ wasp

Birds - House sparrow, Jungle crow, Wabbler/ babbler, Flame backed woodpecker, Verditer flycatcher,
Monarch, Red whiskered/ vented bulbul, Yellow throated sparrow,
Black drongo, Shikra, Crested Serpent Eagle, Laughing dove

Mammals
Langoor & Wild Boar

Will share the photos shortly

Happy Butterflying to all.... 🦋🦋

Butterfly observation 28.01.2024
Tamhini Pune Maharashtra India

Dr Himanshu Pandav
Pavan Damoor

ButterfliesofPune

Timing: 8:30 am to 1:00 pm

Total species count: 30

1. Spotted small flat (nectaring)
2. Dark grass blue (basking)
3. Lesser grass blue (basking)
4. Grass jewel (roosting)
5. Common cerulean (roosting)
6. Tiny grass blue (basking)
7. Double banded judy (roosting)
8. Common Sergeant (adult, catterpillar in 2nd instar, infested catterpillar)
9. Lemon Pansy (basking)
10. Grey pansy (basking)
11. Chocolate pansy (nectaring)
12. Yellow pansy (flight)
13. Peacock pansy (basking)
14. Common Leopard (basking)
15. Common evening brown
16. Common Mormon (puddling)
17. Red Helen (flight)
18. Common grass yellow (roosting)
19. Psyche (basking)
20. Common gull (basking, nectar
21. Common castor (flight)
22. Common Sailer (basking)
23. Common crow (puddling)
24. Blue tiger (flight)
25. Rustic (basking)
26. Angled Pierrot (flight)
27. Tailless line blue (puddling)
28. Great eggfly (roosting)
29. Forget-me-not (puddling)
30. Three ring (basking)
31. Black prince catterpillar

The overall butterfly activity has gone down within a span of 15 days. Last visit on 14.01.2024 we got around 50 to 55 species, but now only 30 species.
Main reason for such a low count could be due to cold climate conditions during night & early morning and immediate rise in temperature by getting much hotter during day time. Due to this sudden change in weather conditions the butterflies might have either migrated or preferring to stay where they are and not coming out.

Happy Butterflying to all....

Butterfly observations 14.01.2024
Tamhini Pune Maharashtra India

Dr Himanshu Pandav
Pavan Damoor

Butterfliesofpune

Timing: 9:30 am to 2:30 pm

Tamhini never disappoints 👏👏

1. Catterpillar of Black Prince
2. Dark Pierrot (lifer)
3. Rice Swift
4. Spotted small flat
5. Dark grass blue
6. Lesser grass blue
7. Grass jewel
8. Common cerulean
9. Common Hegde blue
10. Tiny grass blue
11. Double banded judy
12. Common Sergeant
13. Colour Sergeant female
14. Lemon Pansy
15. Grey pansy
16. Chocolate pansy
17. Yellow pansy
18. Blue pansy
19. Peacock pansy
20. Common Lascar
21. Common Leopard
22. Common evening brown
23. Bamboo tree brown
24. Indian Nawab
25. Common Map
26. Zebra blue
27. Common Mormon
28. Blue Mormon
29. Lime swallowtail
30. Common Rose
31. Common grass yellow
32. Spotless grass yellow
33. Lemon emigrant
34. Psyche
35. Common gull
36. Common castor
37. Indian Cupid
38. Common Sailer
39. Plain Tawny Rajah
40. Common crow
41. Striped tiger
42. Blue tiger
43. Glassy tiger
44. Rustic
45. Angled Pierrot
46. Tailless line blue
47. Great eggfly
48. Daniad eggfly
49. Forget-me-not
50. Common Pierrot

Happy Butterflying 🦋🦋 to all....

Butterfly observations at Tamhini forest, District Pune MH India
19.11.2023, 10 am to 2 pm

Members:
Pavan Damoor
Dr Himanshu Pandav
Vishal Torde
Dattatray Langhi

Sharing List of butterflies observed

Family: Hesperidae (skippers)

• 7 nos

Small Brand Swift
Rice Swift
Banana skipper eggs
Chestnut Bob
Common Banded Awl larvae 5 no's and pupa
Brown Awl
Common Small Flat

Family: Lycaenidae (blues)

• 16 nos

Common hedge blue
Common cerulean
Lesser grass blue
Tiny grass blue
Dark grass blue
Lime blue
Angled Pierrot
Indian Sunbeam
Acute sunbeam
Monkey puzzle
Orchid tit
Large guava blue
Zebra blue
Pea blue
Gram blue
Grass jewel

Family: Riodinidae - 1 no

Double Banded Judy

Family: Nymphalidae - 25 nos

Lemon pansy
Grey Pansy
Chocolate pansy
Peacock pansy
Blue tiger
Plain tiger
Glassy tiger
Common castor
Common leopard
Common baron
Great eggfly
Common crow
Common Nawab
Common evening brown
Dark evening brown
Bamboo tree brown
Common Palmfly
Common three ring
Common four ring
Common five ring
Rustic
Common Sergeant
Common Sailer
Common Lascar
Common Map

Family: Pieridae (whites & yellows) - 9 nos

Common grass yellow
One spot grass yellow
Lemon emigrant
White orange tip
Common wanderer
Common gull
Psyche
Chocolate Albatross
Great Orange Tip egg

Family: Papiliondae (swallowtails) 4 nos

Lime swallowtail
Common Mormon
Blue Mormon
Red Helen

Total count 62 nos

Currently being winter season the weather is colder in the forest region around 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. Today morning it was a bit cloudy too so didn't get to observe basking activities. Also there was drastic change in temperature from cold to hot and cool breeze which prevented the butterflies to come down for mud puddling. Later on in the noon we observed some good activity of common grass yellow mud puddling in large numbers around 10 to 12. And few blue Mormons puddling too.

Overall it was a great day today....

Happy butterflying to all 🦋🦋

Butterfly observations at Vetal tekdi Kothrud Pune
27.08.2023, 10 am to 2 pm

Members:
Pavan Damoor, Prasad Navle

Sharing List of butterflies observed

Family: Hesperidae (skippers)

• 3 nos

Branded Swift
Rice Swift female egg laying
Indian dart

Family: Lycaenidae (blues)

• 12 nos

Common Pierrot
Shot silverline
Common line blue
Tailless line blue
African Babul blue female egg laying
Common hedge blue
Common cerulean female egg laying
Lesser grass blue
Tiny grass blue
Plains cupid
Small cupid
Lime blue

Family: Nymphalidae - 7 nos

Lemon pansy
Blue tiger adult and larvae
Tawny coster
Common castor
Common leopard
Common baron
Danaid eggfly female

Family: Pieridae (whites & yellows) - 8 nos

Common grass yellow
Lemon emigrant
Plain orange tip
White orange tip
Common wanderer
Common gull mating pair
Pioneer
Common Jezebel

Family: Papiliondae (swallowtails) 4 nos

Tailed Jay catterpillar
Common Jay
Lime swallowtail
Common Mormon

Total count 34 nos

Overall activity was good today... we were expecting a few showers but luckily it didn't rain so got to observe good basking and courtship behaviour activities, got few egg laying of line blues and catterpillars of
brush footed and swallow tail family. Surprisingly no sightings of evening browns and rings.

The grass has grown up to a very good height so need to think twice before entering the thick vegetation.

Happy butterflying to all 🦋🦋

Butterfly observations at Tamhini 19.02.2023

Timing. 8:30 am to 2 pm

Members
Pavan Damoor
Dr Himanshu Pandav

A chilled morning with 8 degrees, and a unbearable noon with 33 degrees

The water level in the streams are coming down day by day due to the excess heat due to which more butterflies are getting attracted towards the streams in quench of thirst and mud puddling activity in full swing.

A very abnormal day with plenty of Nymphalidae species that were seen every where in the grass lands sapping on due drops and coming down to the streams as well.

The Abnormal Silverline and other blues too made our day more fantastic.

Photo of the Day goes to the bold and beautiful Abnormal Silverline which was documented last year and today at the same location
And
Best sighting of the day goes to
Color Sergeant Male & female both captured in one frame which was an treat to our eyes.

Following species were observed

1) Skippers
Brown Awl
Water snow flat
Dark palm dart
Vindhayan Bob
Restricted Demon (Record shot & lifer)

2) Blues
Tailless line blue
Common line blue
Dingy line blue
Lesser grass blue
Dark grass blue
Tiny grass blue
Long banded Silverline
Common Silverline
Abnormal Silverline
Sunbeam male & female
Common Cerulean Adult, larvae & eggs
Common hedge blue
Dark Cerulean
Forget-me-not
Pointed Ciliate blue
Silver streak blue
Peacock Royal
Large Guava blue Male & female
Indigo flash
Slate flash
Oriental grass jewel
Cornelian
Malayan
Quaker
Monkey Puzzle in flight
Orchid Tit

3) Metalmarks
Double Banded Judy

4) Brush footed
Great eggfly
Danaid eggfly
Common map
Glassy tiger
Plain tiger Pupa
Blue tiger
Dark Blue Tiger
Peacock Pansy
Lemon Pansy
Grey Pansy
Chocolate Pansy
Common Sailer
Chestnut streaked sailer
Short banded Sailer
Common crow
Brown King crow
Common Lascar
Rustic
Common Baron
Color sergeant Male & female
Black Prince male & female
Gaudy Baron male & female
Common three ring
Common Four ring
Common leopard
Commander
Indian Nawab Adult & larvae
Plain tawny Rajah
Painted Lady
Common Evening Brown
Common Tree brown
Bush brown sp
Common Castor
Angled castor
Sahyadri Blue Oakleaf
Club Beak

5) Whites & yellows
Cm grass yellow
Lesser Gull
Common Gull
Common emigrant
Pysche in flight

6) Swallowtail
Blue Mormon
Common Mormon
Narrow banded Blue bottle

Happy Butterflying to all 🦋🦋

Butterfly observations at Bhimashankar 20.11.2022

Timing. 9:30 am to 2 pm

Members:
Dr Himanshu Pandav
Pavan Damoor

Following species were observed

Skippers

1. Spotted Small flat

Blues

1. Red flash
2. Forgot me not
3. Gram blue
4. Tailless line blue
5. Common line blue
6. Angled Pierrot
7. Red Pierrot
8. Transparent 6 line blue
9. Lesser grass blue
10. Dark grass blue
11. Zebra blue

Brush footed

1. Danaid eggfly
2. Great eggfly
3. Common castor
4. Common map
5. Glassy tiger
6. Blue tiger
7. Striped tiger
8. Black prince female
9. Lemon Pansy
10. Grey Pansy
11. Chocolate Pansy
12. Common Sailer
13. Chestnut streak sailer
14. Cm evening brown
15. Cm crow

Whites & yellows

1. Cm grass yellow
2. Plain puffin
3. Cm Gull
4. Pioneer
5. Cm emigrant

Swallowtail

1. Blue Mormon
2. Cm Mormon
3. Cm Lime
4. Tailed Jay
5. Narrow banded blue bottle

Activity was too slow due to cold weather and heavy breeze.

Butterflies were seen from 11 am onwards basking n nectaring.

Abundance of Chocolate and lemon Pansy & blues were observed.

Due to Pilgrimage place, human beings have spoilt the habitat by throwing plastic and clothes everywhere. 😅 People shouting in the forest and disturbing wildlife.

Most of the streams have dried up so very less mud puddling activity was seen.
The terrain compromises of Rocky and forest patches so very difficult to explore. The canopy in Bhimashankar is very narrow compared to Tamhini.

More visits required to explore the habitat.

Happy Butterflying to all 🦋🦋

Butterfly observations at Tamhini 05.02.2023

Timing. 8:30 am to 2 pm

Members
Dr Himanshu
Pavan
Kushal

A cold morning today with 13 degrees, but a very good sunshine helped the buddies to come out for basking from 8 am onwards,
Overall a good day today to start with
Photo of the Day goes to the bold and beautiful Silverstreak blue butterfly basking early morning and displaying it's dark blue colours was a treat to our eyes
And
Best sighting of the day goes to
Grey Count butterfly
Which was spotted by Kushal at the right time raised our eye brows 😀
Earlier this buddy was spotted by Mayuresh Kulkarni in the year 2009 at Tamhini itself and spotted now once again after a very big gap of nearly 14 years

Following species were observed

Skippers

1. Common small flat
2. Golden angle
3. Brown Awl
4. Swift species

Blues

1. Pea blue
2. Tailless line blue
3. Common line blue
4. Angled Pierrot
5. Lesser grass blue
6. Dark grass blue
7. Tiny grass blue
8. Long banded Silverline
9. Sunbeam male
10. Common Cerulean
11. Cm hedge blue
12. Dark Cerulean
13. Monkey puzzle
14. Forget-me-not
15. Pointed Ciliate blue
16. Silverstreak blue
17. Peacock Royal
18. Large Guava blue
19. Indigo flash
20. Oriental grass jewel

Metalmarks

1. Double Banded Judy

Brush footed

1. Great eggfly
2. Common map
3. Glassy tiger
4. Blue Pansy
5. Yellow Pansy
6. Lemon Pansy
7. Grey Pansy
8. Chocolate Pansy
9. Common Sailer
10. Chestnut streaked sailer
11. Cm crow
12. Plain tiger
13. Blue tiger
14. Lascar
15. Rustic
16. Cm Baron
17. Colour sergeant female

18. Gaudy Baron
    44.. Cm 4 ring

19. Cm leopard
20. Commander
21. Indian Nawab
22. Anomalous nawab
23. tawny Rajah flight
24. Painted Lady
25. Grey Count

Whites & yellows

1. Cm grass yellow
2. Lesser Gull
3. Cm Gull
4. Cm emigrant
5. Great orange tip
6. Pysche in flight

Swallowtail

1. Blue Mormon flight
2. Cm Mormon
3. Cm Lime
4. Red Helen

Happy Butterflying to all 🦋🦋