When on sees an insect, an instinctive reaction is to recoil in disgust or fear. But some are eye-catchingly beautiful and overlooked because of their size.
Many such are found around Coimbatore’s lakes. Most of us know that the city’s waterbodies host many avian visitors but few know about the teeming wealth of insect life that lives around them.
Shanthala Ramesh, an avid birdwatcher, began to shoot the insects as well. “ My std X exams finished in January, so I had plenty of time through February and March,” she explains. Her camera was Nikon D750.
Visit the water bodies early in the morning and keep your eyes peeled. It’s more than likely that you will spot one or more of the following species of insects.
Gauzy winged beauty Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura pumilio) at Kooduthurai
The colour of the sun Pale Clouded Yellow Butterfly (Colias hyale) at the southern side of Singanallur Lake
Jewelled tones Ditch jewel dragonfly (Brachythemis contaminata) at Achankulam
Deadly colour Green Huntsman spider (Micrommata virescens) at Aachankulam
An alien comes visiting Australian Common Owl fly (Suhpalacsa subtrahens) on the southern side of Singanallur lake
Gauzy winged beauty Pygmy dartlet damselfly (Brachythemis contaminata) at northern end of Singanallur Lake
Stripeed flyer Zebra blue butterfly (Leptotes plinius) at the northern end of Singanallur Lake
