The fragility of life

I took this photo while walking on the island of Palawan in the Philippines - one of the most beautiful islands I've ever had the privilege to discover.
It is located off the northern coast of the Philippines, along the South China Sea and is quite undeveloped to this day -
so if you're ever thinking of going somewhere exotic and can't get enough of beaches, hot weather, gorgeous landscapes and beautiful people, Palawan is definitely a top choice.

Because of its commitment to protecting its amazing wildlife and natural beauty, Palawan has earned the title of "Last ecological frontier". In fact, this butterfly which was almost the size of my hand, is nothing compared to the great diversity of animals and insects found both in the sea and on land.

Did you know that the average lifespan of a butterfly is usually about one month?

Although the smallest butterflies that you can usually spot feasting on the flowers in your front yard will usually only live about one week. A very few selection of bigger butterflies (like the majestic Monarch for example) can live up to nine months.
How long a butterfly lives depends on its species but also its size, its habitat, and what time of the year it became an adult.

Imagine if you only had one month to live like this butterfly.
From its moment of birth to its death - so vulnerable, so delicate, so ephemeral... a beautiful reminder of the impermanence of life.

_{Photo taken with my Canon EOS 500D}

Thank you @juliank for hosting these contests.

Here is a list of all the contests you can enter on a daily basis:

Monday: foodphotography and animalphotography
Tuesday: landscapephotography and cityscapephotography
Wednesday: architecturalphotography and vehiclephotography
Thursday: macrophotography and colourfulphotography
Friday: streetphotography and portraitphotography
Saturday: sportsphotography and smartphonephotography
Sunday: goldenhourphotography and longexposurephotography

To view some of my previous posts, click on the links below:

Reunion Island - a new adventure	The treasures left behind by my great-grandfather #3
FOOD! Nom nom nom	Winter Wonderland 2

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“Learning is not a race for information, it is a walk of discovery” - Jane Healy