Sahyadri Cruisers

[Kaustuv Chatterjee]

Shot at OMH, Ganeshgudi, the dimorphism between male & female is stark!

Cruiser butterflies came by their name due to their robust flying and soaring abilities, allowing the species to propagate over long distances, even across the oceans of the Indo-Australian region. Their wings, spanning nearly 2.5 inches, are covered with both scales and fur. While males are more commonly seen on the ground or flying low, patrolling for mates along edge habitat, females achieve greater heights, even laying eggs at more than 5,000 feet in the tropical rainforest canopy.

Like many species, cruisers utilize mimicry and camouflage to reduce the risk of predation. They possess one or two pairs of small, circular “eyespots” on the rear of each hindwing. Eye spots have been shown to reduce susceptibility to predators, not by mimicking the eyes of larger animals as once thought, but by startling predators with the conspicuousness of the spots.

Nikon D 90, Nikkor 300 mm f4 + TC 14E, at 420 mm - male: ISO 500, 1/1250s - F/7.1, -0.3EV & female - ISO 400, 1/640s - F/6.3