Little critters

Where there are plants, there will be little not-so-creepy crawlies. Such is the beauty of nature where everything is connected to something else.

This bug in the picture below, please let us know if you know what it is, because we sure don't!

Some unknown bug

There were many butterfly plants grown in the herb garden(since these are believed to have medicinal properties as well), so it's not surprising that we saw a number of butterflies. But they do tend to be such fidgety little creatures so it took quite a bit of patience and determination to take pictures of the following butterflies JUST FOR YOU :)

Possibly a Striped Albatross butterfly (Appias libythea)

Pretty little butterfly(Family: Hesperiidae), possibly a Palm Dart(Telicota augias)

Beautiful as they are, butterflies are not necessarily well liked by farmers. More butterflies means more butterfly-sex, which means more fat, little caterpillars munching away on the precious leaves of plants, painstakingly grown. But whilst these creatures take as caterpillars, they give as butterflies. After they have morphed from their former flightless selves into their now fluttering selves, they help plants out by pollinating them. They transfer pollen from plant to plant as they fly around drinking sweet nectar from different flowers. (Take a look at this website for more details) If flowers are not pollinated you don't get the seeds and fruits we love so much. The plants need the butterflies and the butterflies need the plants.

Short horned grasshopper aka Locust

Locusts are actually grasshoppers. It is the common name given to short-horned grasshoppers. Grasshoppers usually have very long antennae. But, as can be seen from the picture above, these guys don't. This little guy was hiding away in the plant. Had he been seen, this little guy would probably have been killed :( They do feed on the plants after all, and hence, can cause much damage to the farming industry. Does it always have to be a war? Man vs. nature? Or at least parts of nature...