Well, this is actually a butterfly./.....the Blue spotted crow butterfly, Euploea midamus. Often seen in large numbers on the same plant....
These images were taken in the HK golf course. YOu can often find them, like here, on dead and withered plants “leaf-scratching",
which is a specialised behaviour for gathering secondary plant substances. Done by
“pharmacophagous” insects which are able to sequester specific substances in their
body tissues, these can either be toxic or help with pheromone production.
This image below was also taken in my sequence of trying to capture butterflies in flight in the Autumn of 2020.
Often seen in groups on their favourite food plants, like these below.
They have stunning blue wings, although they tend to keep them closed when they are feeding.
You may have seen swarms of these sometimes on their favourite plants, maybe 30 or so on one bush, and as you get close they take off and flutter gently around you, a wonderful experience.
Here a close up showing the delicate veins in the wings, and the white spot patterning on the body.
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