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Common Tree Nymph


Common Tree Nymph
Photo Information
Copyright: Chris Chafer (sandpiper2) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1906 W: 107 N: 4875] (16757)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-09-08
Categories: Insects
Camera: Pentax K100D Super, Sigma 70-300 DG Macro, Digital ISO 800, Matin 58mm UV
Exposure: f/13.0, 1/60 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): My trips to Thailand, Malaysia & Singapore [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2010-03-17 0:16
Viewed: 5497
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Common Tree Nymph (Idea stolli) is a large butterfly that occurs in West Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, Sumatra and Java. It has a wingspan of 180 mm.

Tree Nymphs are characterised by having translucent white wings, black veins, and numerous oval black spots. They are noted for their slow and very graceful flight, which gives them the appearance of white handkerchiefs floating gently on the breeze.

There are 12 Idea species, of which 5 occur in Malaysia i.e. hypermnestra, leuconoe, lynceus, iasonia and stolli. The other species are found variously in India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Irian and Papua New Guinea.

All Danaines are thought to be distasteful to birds. Their bodies contain toxins which are derived from the lactiferous larval foodplants, and are often supplemented by further toxins sequestered from adult food sources. The bright wing patterns "advertise" these unpalatable qualities, in much the same way that the bands of yellow and black of wasps advertise the fact that they can sting. Consequently any bird that suffers the highly unpleasant experience of tasting a Danaine is unlikely to attack any similarly coloured butterfly. Effectively, a few individuals are sacrificed for the good of the species as a whole.

This is a relatively common species occurring in primary and secondary rainforest and cloudforest at altitudes between sea level and about 1200m. The egg is melon-shaped and hexagonally pitted, with a flattened base. It is laid singly on leaves of Agonosma .
The caterpillar is described by Corbet & Pendlebury as being "white with broad black transverse bands and with bright red lateral patches on the 2nd and 7th abdominal segments" and with "four long black paired filaments". These filaments probably disseminate pheromones that may function to ward off predators or parasitoids.

The butterflies are typically encountered in two's and three's.
horias, siggi, anemone, anel, matatur, Alex99, Dis. Ac., jlinaresp, boreocypriensis has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • horias Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 837 W: 58 N: 2084] (11033)
  • [2010-03-17 1:21]

Chris
Wonderful capture this lovely and great butterfly.
I see for this first tine this Idea stolli, but is a lovely specie.
Congratulation!
Horia

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2010-03-17 1:23]

Hallo Chris,
What a lovely macro capture of the butterfly.Superb sharpness and a wonderful POV. The colors are beautiful and the blurry BG is great.Well done, my friend.
Best regards Siggi

Ciao Chris, fantastic butterfly with wonderul B&W decoration on wings, superb macro with splendid sharpness and wonderful details, I like a lot, ciao Silvio

Hi Chris
Great photo of this butterfly. Colours, dof and pov are nice.
TFS
Best regards
Özgür

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3053 W: 3 N: 8715] (40574)
  • [2010-03-17 5:06]

hello Chris,
Today there are so many beautiful shots just one next the others. And your picture is no exception. This is a very elegant butterfly, looks like it would go to some feast!
Very fine sharpness, subtle colors and pleasing composition.
Well done
Thanks also for the note.
Kind regards
Anne

  • Great 
  • nagraj Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1618 W: 106 N: 3208] (15166)
  • [2010-03-17 6:25]

Hi,
Simple image of beautiful nymph, fine details too. tfs.
nagraj.v

  • Great 
  • zetu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 967 W: 26 N: 3888] (16941)
  • [2010-03-17 7:19]

Hello Chris
Wonderful and perfect capture with natural colors, great details.
Thanks for sharing
Razvan

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2010-03-17 7:30]

Hello Chris,
Fantastic photo of this butterfly in splendid contrasting and clear colours. Superb matching BG. Great sharpness and details. The best possible POV and composition.
Regards,
Peter

hello Chris
this is a beauty
so beautiful colours and great sharpness
with good details and nice pose

great shot
greeting lou

A beautiful specimen in fine, lateral aspect Chris, the blurry BG emphasizes the underwing pattern rather nicely in this well exposed and sharply focused image. TFS indeed!
Mehmet

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2010-03-17 14:41]

Hi Chris,a fantastic gift for a butterflies fan like me,this is a wonderful beauty of nature,and your pic is the best way to discover this specie,top quality of sharpness and colors in a beautiful composition,my best compliments,have a nice day,Luciano

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2010-03-17 21:28]

Hi Chris.
I am impressed with delicateness, elegance and beautifulness of the butterfly and shot. Superb lovely lighting and tender colours. Details of the butterfly and twig are great. It is really art sharpness. Creamy BG is excellent addition to the subject. Bravo. Very poetic and pleasant for look work. My compliments.
Alexei.

Hello Chris,

what an great picture from this butterfly with good dof and pov.
fine natural colours.

Gert

Hello Chris,
a very beautiful macro shot of the Common Tree Nymph taken from an excellent POV showing perfectly the underside wings with very good sharpness and splendid colours, a very nice composition, i like very much this wonderful butterfly with marvellous graphic markings.
TFS
Best regards
Maurizio

Hi Chris,
A beautiful and contrasting butterfly, good job with excellent POV and masterful approach. There is a slight excess of gamma brightness in the picture, I do not know what their origin, but slightly altered coloration. TFS, Regars, Jesús

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2791 W: 0 N: 6696] (25839)
  • [2010-03-19 3:59]

Hi Chris,
wow...this is a real simple and straight forward shot. But the effect is so outstanding. ERxcellent contrast and wonderful colours. The BW butterfly is so pretty and the green surroundings make it much better seen.
Well seen in great details.

regards,
Foozi

Hi again mate!

Wonderful macro capture of this spectacular b-fly.
Great use of the available light, looks like the DOF worked extremely well.
TFS and have a nice day MF!
Cheers,

Bayram

Hello Chris.

Thank you for that picture of Idea stolli.

The composition and the point of view are very good. The sharpness is very fine and precise. The colors are properly saturated.

Thank you for the sharing. See you soon on treknature for other pictures.

All the best.

Philippe.

beautiful butterfly, TFS Ori

Hi Chris.
A very beatiful presentation of a very beautiful butterfly.
Is is a wonderful specie, and with the delicate and elegant aspect, I would not guess it is full of toxines :)
Perfect contranst between subject and gorgeous BG.
Thanks for sharing.
Rebards, Felipe.

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