A Breeding Ground of Colors

The place where we live is small and we do not have a big yard. Despite the limited space my aunt managed to plant a lot of plants and flowers around our area. One of these is the Calamansi tree which is the Philippine local lime.

We found out that the tree has attracted a very interesting guest to our home.

Butterflies started to breed on our tree and we did not notice until this butterfly emerged from the chrysalis. Everyone came out to watch the emerging butterfly. I have never seen a butterfly emerge from the chrysalis and it is one of the most amazing things I have witnessed.

The empty chrysalis is still attached to the branch and I noticed that ants are coming in and out of it.

The butterfly just stayed there and was not even bothered with us closely watching. I do not know what type of butterfly is this but the last time I saw this kind was when I was a kid.

I kept thinking why it chose our tree maybe they like the taste of the leaves of the Calamansi tree. Maybe they feel safe in our area. There are not a lot of plants and trees in our community and I am glad it chose our home.

As we closely watched this scene it reminded me that life goes on and life always finds a way to survive. After a few more minutes the butterfly flew away and I felt a bit sad that she left us. I don't know where she will be going but I hope she comes back again.

As I searched the tree we discovered that more pupae were hanging under the leaves.

There were also you larvae eating away the leaves. There were a lot of them and I didn't mind that they ate the leaves.

It was like an alien invasion and our tree has become a nesting ground of butterflies. I felt excited that we will see more butterflies soon.

I also found an adult caterpillar slowly moving on the leaves. It would be great if I could see how they turn into a pupa.

This is like a gift to us and I will protect this nesting ground no matter what. It adds a peaceful ambiance to our home seeing butterflies fly by even though we are stuck at home.

Thanks for staying awhile with me today and I hope our butterfly has given you a moment of peace.

All photos are original and taken with

Lumix GX85 and Sigma 50mm with extension tube