Birth of an elegant black beauty

A story of a nature transformation ….

It was just about three weeks back that I noticed four larva of genus papilos (swallow-tails) on the leaves of a small lime tree. For me, it has been an expected observation since some time. I planted this small lime tree on a pot, in our little home garden, specifically to attract a butterfly targeting lime leaves as its larval food. I had an idea about what type might get attracted to lay eggs on it… I thought, one day a Lime butterfly would do it and i noticed one of them hanging around the garden couple of weeks back !

Having noticed the destiny of some other larva lived on nearby trees, I soon took the pot inside to save them from birds like yellow billed babblers. Then, I kept the pot near the door pane through which we welcome the morning sunshine everyday inside home.

Soon, in about one/two days, I realized these larva had accelerated the amount of take-in and made themselves bigger in days ! So it was their metabolism with the observations around the pot.

A bout four days later, they seemed not interested in having lime leaves anymore, but looking for a quiet place instead.

They neither seemed to want to rest on the same place.

Surprisingly, another day later, I found three of four have found their way up along the door pane. They had curled up in body shape and fixed themselves to the door-pane by tail end.

Interestingly, their nice greenish color had now turned into a light brownish color. It certainly looked like a dried leaf curled-up. No one would ever think that its a cocoon of a butterfly. Now I realize why i never get to see a cocoon of a butterfly so easily ….. Nature protects its assets in very strange ways….

With these clear signs of a major transformation happening, for this tiny little living thing, i waited curiously to see yet another nature’s wonderful product. However, I did not see any other sign to tell as to when I get to see them as butterflies !

Unlike the little time it took to become a bigger larva, the next step of the whole process seemed to be the longest, for it to become a butterfly…. yes, it is a major transformation indeed ! and big transformations does not happen overnight ….

About seven days later, I found a brand new big black butterfly perched on the sofa in our living room. Yay! finally it had arrived safe … For me, It looked like a brand new pair of black shoes !!! such a good black polished one …..

Very quiet, taking grasp of its surrounding, intact with the senses ….. i felt so happy. Looking at it for sometime was like a meditation. It was not in a hurry at all.

After some hours, it seemed to have decided to see the outer world… First, it flew inside spacious living room and then nature. Finally fled to the light coming through a window…and finally made its way up to the sky ! Freedom …… Wish it a safe journey for its hard earned precious life …..