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| A trap! |
Over the past two years that I've stayed in Ipil Dorm in UP Diliman, I have "saved" a number of birds and insects that have gotten themselves trapped inside. These animals get in through the windows by the staircase and the doors on both ends of the hallway. The glass panels give the illusion of an opening, and the animals will make every attempt to get through. Some birds eventually figure their way out without help. Insects, however, mostly just fly, hover near the glass surface and stay inside until they die. Today, I found yet another casualty, a beautiful butterfly with neon green spots. I looked for several online databases of butterfly species in the Philippines (such as
this and
this) and found what appeared to be a perfect match - a tailed jay or green spotted triangle with scientific name
Graphium agamemnon.
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| Detail of wing |
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| Underside |
While I will continue helping birds and insects find their way out whenever possible, I decided to begin collecting butterflies and insects that have been trapped and died inside the dorm. These creatures are just too beautiful to be swept with a broom and thrown in trash.
