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August-09 Blog - Monarch's Life Cycle

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 03:28:53 -0800

Monarch’s Life cycle

Monarch butterfly is an elegant Arthropods belonging to the genus Danus. They have pleasing orange wings decorated with black stripes and white spots. Both males and females look similar. They originated in the United States, but they can now be found in Southern Canada, Australia, India and the Pacific Islands. Monarch's live for an average of 6 months or more. They repose their eggs on the underside of the milkweed plant (Asclepias sp. and Calotropis procera) after feeding on the nectar of flowers.

Metamorphosis of the monarch is spectacular, undergoing four changes in form during its lifetime. Their eggs are pin-sized and have a short incubation of 3-5 days. Tiny caterpillars measuring few millimeters emerge from these eggs.

This larval or caterpillar stage is characterized by smooth exoskeleton with stripes of black, white and greenish yellow. Two sets of feelers with hooks are present at both head and end of abdomen. The caterpillars shed their exoskeletons several times in their growth period lasting couple of weeks.A new layer of exoskeleton is formed before moulting.

After a fortnight of aggressive eating, the caterpillar gets ready for the next stage of development by suspending its feeding and becoming short and stout. It spins a clump of web on the milkweed and holds it with its caudal hooks, hanging downward. It remains dormant for several hours during which its stripes begin to fade and the larva swells to a larger size. After about four hours, the caterpillar uncurls stretching downward becoming long and straight, soon thereafter its exoskeleton starts to split, wrinkles and falls off.

The caterpillar now transforms into a beautiful chrysalis (pupa), shrinking until it is only 25 millimetres long. The whole process from when the caterpillar first hangs itself until it becomes a newly formed chrysalis is about 8-12 hours. Chrysalis is greenish in colour with bright golden spots on the upper rim.

After about 5-10 days the butterfly is ready to hatch, it splits open the chrysalis and emerges transformed. It will not fly until its wings have been warmed by the sun, resting until its wings have hardened and are ready for flight. Three to four generations of monarchs grow in a given year. While most insects hibernate, the monarch is the only species of butterfly which actually flies to warmer weather (migrates) during winter to a warmer climate.

Suggested reading: http://www.laspilitas.com

Karuvaadu Meen Aagaadhu

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:52:26 -0800

The mazhai kaalam (MONSOON) reminds me of many things…. And here is one, which I would like to share with everyone.It was in the early 1990s. I was in KALPAKKAM…. An early morning, it has RAINED enough the last WEEK. They said, “Ivvolo mazahi idhuvaraikkum vanthathey illai” (it hasn’t rained so heavily till now).

There was a KAALVAAI (this canal is a part of the BUCKINHAM CANAL) in front of our house at 51st Avenue. It was filled to its capacity. The SURPLUS water was let off to the BAY OF BENGAL, through a man-made MUGATHUVARAM (literally face hole-Mouth).

There comes a VOICE from my Childhood Friend KUMARAN. ‘Elaya.….. vaada… Meen pudikkalaam (Come lets go fishing). I was very THRILLED….. I asked him “BUN (nylon thread) and MULLU (hook) irrukka da?” He says “NO”….

We got back home and asked Thyiaga (Thiagarajan) to join us. Also My BROTHERS joined for fishing. We three began to dig the soils of our garden to collect the earthworms (those fishes liked earthworms the most). At times, we even use the illy poochi (Emerita/Hippa/Albunia) as bait for the Kava meen (estuarine fish). We sat in a row along the bank of the canal with our baits searching for the fishes…

Hey……… I got carried away a bit… forgot to say that I was the LEADER of the whole GANG…..

‘Leader’….. This word reminds me of the youngest PRIME MINISTER of India Shri RAJIV GANDHIwho visited KALPAKKAM to inaugurate the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR).Well, there is an interesting story or belief I may say so.… to be told at this point…

INDIRA GANDHI died in the year 1985 soon after she visited KALPAKKAM for the inauguration of the FBTR (Fast Breeder Test Reactor). ….. and no one knew then that her SON will follow her footsteps………. YES he was assassinated after his maiden visit to KALPAKKAM.

Not to forget MGR….. Who visited KALPAKKAM with INDIRA ji.

Coming back to the fishing episode, as we started to fish the clouds gave way to the sun rays. It was quite hot for the month of Maargazhi (Dec-Jan).

The JILEYBEE usually grows in the backwaters; in fact it is not a native fish of India. It was introduced from Africa around 300 years back. And now its presence can be felt along the length and breadth of Indian waters. Again I baited my gear and started my next round.

This time, Kumaran shouted, hey… I got something in my gear; I think it’s a BIGGER FISH………………………………….. (very interesting thing to happen!!!!) Yes..

The thing that was hooked in his fishing line was something that we had never seen or heard of before (well, now I know it and writing on it). It was a purse, very beautiful, though black and was crafted to perfection with curves and bends..Most importantly, it had a precious thing within it. …………wait.... the suspense I had created did not end yet….If I name the owner of the purse, the suspense is revealed…….…

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