All of us know that a butterfly has a four-stage life cycle. It starts with the female laying eggs on specific host plants (larval food plant). The larva (caterpillar) emerges from the egg, eats the food voraciously and after a…
Indian Tree Shrew
Initially thought to be primates (related to monkeys), tree shrews were later classified as rodents (related to mice and rats). And now, on further studies, it has been assigned to a separate order Scandentia. There are 19 species of tree…
Hermit Crab
It was late morning and the winter sun was sharp. The sea was calm and there was a gentle breeze. Small waves rolled in gently on to the clean and beautiful beach. I was strolling on the beach just far…
Moulting Grasshopper
Ask a question, “Do you look like your parents?” to insects. The young ones of grasshoppers, bugs and cockroaches will answer, “yes”, while butterflies and beetles will say “no”. All these insects start life as an egg. The young ones…
Stalk-eyed Fly
We were on a short holiday in the Coorg District of Karnataka. It was September and the monsoon was still active and infact we experienced some heavy spells during the first two days of the trip. Nevertheless, we had thoroughly…