Wings of wonder: Bengaluru dances with blue tiger butterflies

Bengaluru residents were treated to a breathtaking natural display this week as swarms of blue tiger butterflies (Tirumala limniace) graced the city’s skies. With their vivid black and blue wings, these delicate creatures created a mesmerizing spectacle, delighting locals and sparking a flurry of videos and posts across social media. The dazzling display is part of their annual monsoon migration, a journey that begins in the lush Western and Eastern Ghats.

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Social media lit up with clips and comments capturing the butterflies in motion, many describing the sight as "magical" or "unreal." The butterflies typically appear just before the onset of the monsoon, stopping in urban spaces like Bengaluru to rest and feed on milkweed plants, their primary food source.

The Bengaluru Sustainability Forum (BSF) also joined the online buzz, sharing a video and highlighting the importance of preserving urban ecosystems that support such wildlife. “Yes, blue tigers were really in the city today,” the forum posted, emphasizing how this phenomenon underlines the ecological significance of Bengaluru’s green spaces.

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A post shared by Bengaluru Sustainability Forum (@sustainblr)

Residents in areas like Indiranagar and Koramangala were especially captivated. Some described watching thousands of butterflies flutter past their balconies, calling the experience “surreal” and “dreamlike.” One user humorously wondered if the city was “under butterfly attack,” while others marvelled at how their cameras couldn't quite capture the full beauty of the moment.