Fluffy tits, white tailed butterfly species of Indian tropical forests. Butterfly facts, & photos, India/ Kerala

Butterfly with Tails, really long white wing tails. More over rare to a weird creation found in the Nature's insect kingdom, butterfly with tails on wings. One of the rarest types of tropical region butterflies you may ever encounter. These Indian butterfly species are commonly termed as Fluffy-Tit or more technically Zeltus Etolus. These long tailed butterflies comes under the family Lycaenidea. Its the second largest butterfly family which has about 28,000 butterfly species around the world and contributes to about 40 percent of known butterfly species. 

Tropical region is found to be one of the very best dwelling places for butterflies. The basic needs for a butterfly to survive are sunlight, plants and flowers. So many flowering plants with nice fragrance and nectar is needed to attract butterflies into your garden. Some of the caterpillars are very selective in eating plants.

Some caterpillars of the family in which this tailed butterfly belongs, ie the Lycaenideas, often makes friendship with ants. The caterpillar communicates to ants using bodily chemicals and vibrations. Ants gives protection to the caterpillar and inturn the caterpillar secretion after honeydew feeding is taken by ants.

Butterflies with long tails like these are very rare to see, and is mostly found in the tropical regions. Insect species of moths and butterflies are very similar. One of the difference between them is, a butterfly commonly rests under the leaves with the wings closed together or with slow fluttering, while a moth keeps the wings opened horizontally. 

Let's have a look at the special butterfly tails , the tails of Fluffy tit butterflies and some interesting butterfly facts...

Butterfly with wing tails

A fluffy tit butterfly with white tails. A really rare among the butterfly species to encounter. These butterflies are seen in the tropical regions of Asia, mainly in India. Fluffy tails are mostly seen in well lit parts of the forests and vegetation, and they are found much active. The wings are used for flying, but tails??

You know what, even if the wings are half broken the butterfly manages to fly. These insects can see only colors like yellow, red and green. Usually they gets attracted to flowers in these colours. Butterflies gets attracted each other by their bodily pheromones. 

The antennas in butterfly head is used to smell. Butterflies uses their foot to taste and also to check if the leaves are good enough for its caterpillars to eat, so that it can lay the eggs. Butterflies uses a straw like tube called PROBOSCIS, to suck the nectar from flowers and the tube is kept rolled up when not in use.

Some moths can't eat in their adult flying stage bcoz they won't have mouth, and they have to live with what they ate during caterpillar stage. Butterflies usually flies and eats during daytime while moths are night fliers. Butterfly antennas won't be feathery but moths antennas can be feathery or hairy Most of the butterflies are in bright colours while moths can be dull in colour. Butterflies have a waist portion in their body while moths misses a waist part. Butterflies body is usually slender and smooth while moths are clumsy and hairy

Butterflies have skeletons outside their body and is called exoskeletons, which helps the insects to retain water inside body. 

In some parts of Africa, Asia, middle east and North America, insects like butterflies, moths, worms and caterpillars are eaten for they are found out to be rich in proteins, minerals etc. The people who eats insects are termed Entomophagy. Interesting thing is there are also some companies which sells insect candies, insects embedded in candy bars!.

Just landed! See the parachute strings are still stretched out!. 

White and brown colors only, the brown and white butterfly, with the long white tail. You know what, butterflies can't fly in low temperatures and they have to maintain the body temperature always above 60 degrees to be on air. These insects are coldblooded and needs sunlight a lot. They are the largest group of pollinators after the bees. Some of the butterflies are migratory and a few can fly at 50Kmph at heights of a kilometer.

The butterfly closeups are taken with SonyEricsson K750i cellphone cameras in macro mode, from gardens somewhere around Kannur/ Kerala.

Closed wings and the white tails of fluffy tit butterfly found in the tropics. 

Tropical forests are ideal habitat for butterflies for the presence of enormous edible plants and flowers. Butterflies weights about only two rose-petals, and female butterflies are often bigger than male butterflies. Butterfly life span ranges from a few hours, upto a year.

Some butterflies produces toxic excretions to defend predators. Most of the butterflies fly during daytime while a few like,Northern Pearly Eye flies at night. Mourning Cloak butterflies may act dead sometimes to escape the enemy.

Butterflies don't have lungs and they respirates through their abdominal pores called spiracles. Butterfly wings are transparent in real, and they are just covered with coloured scales. Some magnificent coloures are produced by refraction of lights through those transparent wings. Some caterpillars of butterflies produces glycerol as antifreeze to defend extreme cold weather. Caterpillars are one of the vigorously growing living thing, about 27000 times the size on the time it's born to become the adult. 

Butterfly body can be divided into three, the head, thorax, and the abdomen. Butterflies have six legs with foot and a pair of antennas. The largest known butterfly had a wing of about one foot. 

Butterflies can see radiations like ultraviolet which are invisible to humans. It helps them identify the flower marking lines so vivid and task of  finding the nectar part becomes easy. Some butterflies reflects ultraviolet radiations which can be perceived by other butterflies. 

Butterfly eyes has about 6000 tiny parts or lenses, ie a compound eye. Butterflies are usually silent, but some rare species makes fluttering sounds with their wings. Monarch butterflies migrates to about 2000 miles and they are the fastest butterflies. 

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