The Cycle of Life

There is a whole family of small, upright-winged butterflies that are classified as Hesperiidae, mostly found in the Indomalaya zone. I have not really seen them before this year, but they are certainly bountiful in number at present. They are difficult to recognize as butterflies when flying, as they dart about so quickly. Sometimes they come to rest on shady leaves or flowers, with their wings folded in an upright position, and that is the shutter chance.

When I took the photo of the yellow butterfly, I mistakenly labeled it "yellow moth." Days of research later, I still can't identify it for sure. It may, possibly. be a Hime-kimadara seseri, (Ochlodes ochradeus). One Japanese photographer calls it the "Little Princess." I could find no other English name. That was the only time I saw this butterfly.

A more dramatic story happened a few evenings later, as I tried to photograph a cousin of the Little Princess. Another Hesperiidae, or seseri, which the Japanese call Ichimonji, is a more frequent visitor to the garden.  The Latin name is Parmera guttata, and in English we call it the Common Straight Swift.

I was following a Swift around the garden with my camera. Before my very eyes, the butterfly became ensnared by threads cast from an awaiting spider. That was some hunting! The spider is a Thomisdae (labefactus), called Azuchigumo in Japanese.The scene of the drama is my husband's bicycle basket.