On a broad green leaf, I spotted a pair of beautiful butterflies, present in a meaningful silence. They weren't just standing there, they were performing a sacred ritual that had been going on since the time of their ancestors. They did it so solemnly, as if nothing was happening around them. Even though I was right next to them, they ignored me.
They were anchored deeply, it felt like the world belonged to them. There were no shouts or hurried movements, only a calm that seeped in slowly with each passing second. I even saw the wind blessing them both, initially a little strong and gradually becoming very gentle. The wind chose to pass carefully to maintain the balance of the leaf they were perched on and preserve the moment.
Looks like I'll have to return to this spot tomorrow or the day after. Butterflies usually lay eggs the day after mating. Hopefully, I'll be able to find them, lest they be discovered by another, more terrifying predator, the ants. Ants eat butterfly eggs. As for me, I just want to photograph them, not destroy their lives. The life of butterflies is a bitter one. They are targeted by predators from the time they are eggs until they become the beautiful winged creatures I encountered here.
The butterfly I found is a Common Lime butterfly, or Papilio demoleus in Latin. When I encounter this butterfly, I'm always amazed by the color of its wings; they're truly beautiful. What's visible right now is the underside of their wings because they're both tightly closed. The upper surface isn't visible. I don't think I need to explain the beauty of the pattern, you can see it directly in the attached image.
| Latin name | Papilio demoleus |
|---|---|
| Observation date | 24 Mar, 2026 |
| Camera used | realme 7 Pro |
| Photographers |  |
| Location | Aceh, Indonesia |
| Link to original community |
|---|
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/344829174
| Latitude | Longitude | Map |
|---|---|---|
| 4.695135 | 96.7493993 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=4.695135&mlon=96.7493993 |
