Whipping frogs, Wild Jewels,& Horned Dragons🐛💎🐞 🐸🐉🌧️🦋

🌧️ Monsoon Beauty Highlights India's Biodiversity 🌧️

🌿 Today we share From the adorable Western Tree Frog to the dazzling Jewel Bug and the formidable Horned Dragon Polyura Caterpillar, nature's show never disappoints. 🐸✨🦋

🐸 Western Tree Frog (Polypedates occidentalis): Meet the tiny gymnast of the forest, mastering branches like a pro. Our judges (aka one enthusiastic volunteer) were charmed by its wacky toes and undeniable cuteness. I mean, who wouldn't want this little guy in their family tree? 🌳💚

🦋 Horned Polyura Caterpillar (Polyura bharata): Ever seen a caterpillar rocking a horned helmet? This future butterfly is ready for Formula 1, speeding through life while looking stylishly dangerous. Watch out world, the Indian Nawab is here! 🏎️💫

✨ Jewel Bug (Chrysocoris spp.): This bug isn’t just any bug; it’s nature's very own disco ball. Reflecting light like a precious gem, the Jewel Bug adds a pop of color to the monsoon tapestry. Shine on, you crazy superstar! 🌟🌈

Join us in celebrating these incredible creatures and their vibrant stories. Remember to get outdoors and discover the magic of monsoon!

Western Tree Frog (Polypedates occidentalis

Family: Rhacophoridae
Genus: Polypedates
Species: Polypedates occidentalis

It is time to announce the winner of Monsoon Beauty's 2024 cutest observation competition. It is important to note that our jury (of one tyrannical individual - @hanenone) did not have a very tough time with declaring the winner as the Western Tree Frog. Tree frogs are exceptionally tiny in order for their weight to be carried by tender branches. Tree frogs can belong to families such as Hylidae, Hyperoliidae and Centrolenidae. But I honestly hope they just belonged to my family so we could have nice little monsoon vacation hanging upside down from our favorite trees. Tree frogs are defined by their wacky toes. The last bone in their toes (known as the terminal phalanx) is shaped like a claw.

* Monsoon Beauty's volunteer comments:** "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA CUTENESS OVERLOAD"

* Monsoon Beauty's volunteer 2 comments:** "you can't keep screaming about how adorable it is. That is not content".

Observed by @renjithjacobmathews
Location : Alattuchira, Kerala 683544, India
Identifier(s) : @rushigal
Observed on: 20, Jul 20224

A Shield-Backed Jewel Bug (Genus Chrysocoris

Family: Jewel Bugs Family Scutelleridae
Genus : Chrysocoris
Species : XXXX
Mutliple species of Chrysocoris Jewel bugs exist. Inaturalist favourite Bug expert @wongun can likely share how best to diffrentiate them.

Observed by @jayarakesh
Location : Chikkakannalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560035, India
Observed on: 23rd, Jul. 2024

Their bright colour shield, visible from a kilometer away, is the distinctive mark of the "jewel bug" belonging to the family Scutelleridae. Despite it's beetle like appearance, they are known as true bugs. True bugs are known for their beak or needle like mandibles. Through these, they often break down the food with enzymes externally before ingesting it themselves. Their immaculate metallic sheen comes from multiple thin layers of pigmented chitin. Chitin, as a natural polymer provides strength to the fragile body of most invertebrates. They also predominantly behave like liquid crystals and reflect light like magnificent gemstones. If you ever attempt to wear jewel bugs in your hair, you will likely be greeted with pungent chemicals and although beauty lies only in the eyes of the beholder, the nose can play a role in deterring one's perception too.

* Anonymous1 comments: How come jewel bugs are allowed to get away with spitting in their food? I once tired it as a fun little social experiment during a family dinner and incurred the wrath of my grandparents. Why can't all living beings be treated equally?

Dragon-headed Caterpillar - Indian Nawab (Polyura bharata)

Family Nymphalidae Brush-footed Butterflies
Genus Polyura Nawab Butterflies
Species Polyura bharata Indian Nawab (also knows as Charaxes bharata)

Observed by @trupaankspov
Location : Goregaon East, Mumbai, MH, IN
Lead Identifiers : @gaurangtawde
Observed on: 26th, Jul 2024

The dragon-headed caterpillars evolve into the beautiful Nawab Butterflies. Charaxini tribe of caterpillars gets this name from their distinctively shaped heads. These caterpillars have developed unique horn-like structures that resemble the mythical dragon. These horns, which vary in size and shape across species, likely serve multiple purposes: deterring predators by making the caterpillar look larger and more intimidating, blending in with the surrounding vegetation for camouflage, and possibly containing sensory receptors, giving the caterpillars an edge in environmental awareness—much like the high-tech sensors in a Formula 1 car.

The Genus Polyura (or Charaxes) , commonly known as Nawab butterflies, belong to the Charaxinae sub-family, also called the rajahs or nawabs group. As leafwing butterflies, they have a peculiar preference for drinking from dung and rotten fruit instead of nectar. With their incredibly powerful flight, these butterflies seem determined to outpace even Lewis Hamilton. In the image above, the future butterfly sports a stylish skin-colored helmet, adhering to the safety standards befitting a potential Formula 1 contender.

True to its regal name, the Indian Nawab displays grace and royalty as it settles down for a grand feast. Unfortunately, life has become challenging for these insect aristocrats, as Nawab populations suffer from over-collection and the use of insecticides.

On Instagram Trupaank Gautam is trupaank.wildlife

This is the Inaturalist Taxon page for this cool butterfly

This is a picture by Dr Namgyal , sourced from inaturalist :

Butterfly Image from Sikkim, India Oct 2023

Highlights Script and Design

along with the incredible records of the observers and the amazing identifiers this journal and media post was scripted and designed by the India's Nature Team : @hanenone @ram_k
References - Generally the About Taxa pages on inaturalist, and Wikipedia