I’d like to start a new topic (please merge it if there is another one like it somewhere, couldn’t find any) about
Butterflies and Moths
I love hiking and I love everything that is crawling and fluttering about around hiking trails and country roads.
So in this thread I hope people could share their pictures of butterflies, moths, and caterpillars spotted in Taiwan. I am particularly interested in matching caterpillars with butterflies/moths. Always eager to find out what a caterpillar will turn out to be after transformation.
I’ll start with this shot of what I believe is a moth caterpillar.
(Oh, and let’s try to keep it one image per post, OK?)
There’s a place called Butterfly Corridor. It’s on Yang Ming Mountain, and is supposed to have loads of butterflies from May to August (I think). I went there last year and it was raining, so I didn’t see anything. Has anyone been? If so where there really so many butterflies?
There are a few main differences I’ve noticed between caterpillars here and the majority of what I’ve seen in the UK. The ones here look so colourful and often have hairs/bristles on their backs. Does this mean that most of them are poisonous?
A few years ago I posted quite a few butterfly pics in the daily photos thread (not in the 180+ page Daily Photos - part 13, but part 12). I’m not going to post them all over again but I’ll just put four that I went back and found into this post. They were taken with a little Panasonic LX3 that worked quite well. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything that takes half-decent close-up shots now, so I’ve given up chasin the flutterbies.
That last caterpillar was about the length of a cigar. Chris is the man to ask about this stuff.
[quote=“Dr Jellyfish”]There’s a place called Butterfly Corridor. It’s on Yang Ming Mountain, and is supposed to have loads of butterflies from May to August (I think). I went there last year and it was raining, so I didn’t see anything. Has anyone been? If so where there really so many butterflies?
There are a few main differences I’ve noticed between caterpillars here and the majority of what I’ve seen in the UK. The ones here look so colourful and often have hairs/bristles on their backs. Does this mean that most of them are poisonous?[/quote]
Have been there a few times, not a great place to spot butterflies. Dark tree shade and lots of people on good days, it’s something for family outings. I prefer farm areas with open spaces and lots of wild flowers.
Cool, what are you feeding them? I have the occasional 無尾鳳蝶 (Papilio demoleus libanius) laying eggs on my orange trees on my balcony in the big city. The caterpillars will eat them to the ground. It’s always great when the butterfly comes out of the pupae (?) and then flies away. Also had those smaller gray butterflies. Sometimes I pick up caterpillars that have fallen on the street and nurse them at home, but usually they die in the process. :aiyo:
I also had what I believe was a moth caterpillar feeding on another plant, then it created a cocoon, but out didn’t come a moth but some wingless creature which then laid tiny white eggs and died. What is that all about? Now I am waiting for the eggs to grow. I am loving it. It’s kindergarten stuff, but it’s fascinating kindergarten stuff.
There’s an excellent butterfly farm in Hualien, on the 9丙 about 1-2km south of Liyu Lake. The guy who runs it is very informative, and an ex-Olympian wrestler to boot. Not always open on weekdays, but there’s a large outdoor netted area with a number of caterpillars, feeder plants, and butterflies.
1 cup brown sugar, 1 or 2 cans local beer, 3 mashed overripe bananas [or mangoes], 1 cup of molasses or syrup, 1 cup of fruit juice, 1 shot of rum.
Mix all ingredients well and paint on trees, fence posts, rocks, or stumps–or simply soak a sponge in the mix and put it in a place for them to hang out.
Daily Photos - part 13, but part 12). I’m not going to post them all over again but I’ll just put four that I went back and found into this post. They were taken with a little Panasonic LX3 that worked quite well. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything that takes half-decent close-up shots now, so I’ve given up chasin the flutterbies. 
