Friday, August 22, 2008

The Leopard

The Leopard is usually encountered in urban areas, parks and gardens in Singapore. This is most likely due to the fact that the caterpillar of this butterfly feeds on the Weeping Willow tree, which is an ornamental tree found in many gardens and urban areas. Occasionally, several individuals are encountered flying around a Weeping Willow tree. I photographed this one in the Alexandra Hospital Butterfly Park.
The butterfly is a rich orange brown above and ornamented with black spots and streaks.The underside is a lighter orange with a purplish sheen in side light. The Leopard is found in secondary growth and is fond of Lantana blossoms, on which it is shown feeding here.

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