Butterflies of Singapore

Life History of the Ganda Dart (Potanthus ganda)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Potanthus Scudder, 1872
Species: ganda Fruhstorfer, 1911
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 21-24mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plant: Centotheca lappacea (Poaceae, common name: Sefa).

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:

On the upperside, the wings are dark brown with orange-yellow markings. On the hindwing, a spot is present in space 7, but usually none or a small spot in space 6. On the forewing, the postdiscal band is dislocated at vein 6, and the spot in space 3 barely overlaps with the spot in space 4. On the underside, the wings are black but heavily dusted with orange-yellow scales and adorned with orange-yellow bands as above. On both upperside and underside, the veins crossing the yellow bands in the hindwing are not, or minimally, darkened.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:

Ganda Dart is a recent addition to the Singapore Checklist and is typically found in forested ares in the nature reserves. It has a similar appearance as the more commonly found Lesser Dart (Potanthus omaha). The adults fly with the usual fast and skittish manner, and can be found sunbathing in sun-lit environments and visiting flowers for nectar in the nature reserves.

Early Stages:

Centotheca lappacea, commonly found in the nature reserves, have been recorded as the local larval host for Ganda Dart. The caterpillars of the Ganda Dart feed on leaves of the host plant, and live in shelters made by joining edges of a leaf or cut segment together with silk threads. As with other skipper species, the caterpillars have the habit of forcefully ejecting their frass pellets.

Local host plant: Centotheca lappacea.

The eggs are typically laid singly on the underside of a leaf of the host plant. Occasionally eggs can also be found on the upperside and near the leaf base. Each dome-shaped egg is whitish-yellow with numerous, fine longitudinal straitions. The base diameter is about 0.85mm with a height of about 0.75mm.

Two views of an egg of the Ganda Dart.

Two views of a maturing egg of the Ganda Dart.

It takes about 4.5-5 days for the egg to hatch. The young caterpillar eats just enough of the shell to emerge, and will devour the rest of the egg shell after emergence. The newly hatched has a length of about 2mm. Its whitish body has a tuff of long setae at the posterior end. The head capsule is entirely black and there is a black collar just behind the head on the dorsum of the prothorax.

Two views of a newly hatched caterpillar of the Ganda Dart.

A newly hatched caterpillar of the Ganda Dart, in the midst of constructing its first leaf shelter at the leaf tip.

The newly hatched constructs its leaf shelter at the leaf tip soon after it is done with the egg shell. The body color changes to pale yellowish green after a few feeding sessions on the leaf. The 1st instar takes about 5 days to complete with body length increases to about 4mm.

Two views of a 1st instar caterpillar, length: 3.3mm.

Two views of a late 1st instar caterpillar, dormant prior to its moult, length: 3.8mm.

Leaf shelter of an early instar caterpillar of the Ganda Dart.

The 2nd instar caterpillar is yellowish green with a black head capsule. The black prothoracic collar is still present. This instar lasts about 5-6 days with the body length reaching about 7-7.5mm.

Two views of a 2nd instar caterpillar, newly moulted.

Two views of a 2nd instar caterpillar, length: 5.5mm.

Two views of a late 2nd instar caterpillar, dormant prior to its moult, length: 7mm.

The 3nd instar caterpillar resembles the 2nd instar caterpillar closely but with its anal plate turning brown to black in most specimens. This instar lasts about 5-6 days with the body length reaching about 11-12mm.

Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, length: 8.5mm.

Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, length: 10.8mm.

Two views of a late 3rd instar caterpillar, dormant prior to its moult, length: 10.5mm.

The 4th instar caterpillar bears a strong resemblance to the 3rd instar caterpillar but with the anal plate now broad and dominantly black. This penultimate instar lasts about 5-6 days with the body length reaching up to 17-18mm.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, newly moulted.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, length: 17mm.

Two views of a late 4th instar caterpillar, dormant prior to its moult, length: 17.5mm.

The 5th instar ushers in a drastic change in the appearance of the head capsule. It is dark brown along frontal cleavage lines and the periphery, but whitish coloration fills in the area between the two. The body is pale yellowish green, and the anal plate not longer as in the previous instar. This final instar takes about 7-8 days to complete with the body length reaching up to about 31-33mm.

A newly moulted 5th instar caterpillar of the Ganda Dart.

Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar, length: 33mm.

Two views of another 5th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 26.5mm.

Towards the end of the 5th instar, the body of the caterpillar shortens and its coloration changes uniformly to whitish-yellow. Typically the basal part of the leaf is devoured bare of any lamina and the pupation shelter is constructed by folding and sealing the remaining part of the leaf blade. Within the shelter, it spins a silk pad to secure itself. Whitish waxy substance is deposited on the inner wall of the shelter in moderately large quantity. It stays dormant in the prepupatory phase which lasts for about 1 day.

A pre-pupatory larva of the Ganda Dart.

A pupation shelter of the Ganda Dart.

The pupa is secured within the tight confine of the pupation shelter. Its long, slender body is mostly pale yellowish brown and coated with the white waxy substance. There are two rather large, reddish brown "eye" markings at the anterior end. Length of pupae: 15.5-18mm.

Two views of a pupa of the Ganda Dart.

On the last day of the pupal period, the pupa becomes mostly dark brown to black. The next day, after about 9 days of the pupal phase, eclosion takes place with the adult emerging from the pupal case.

Two views of a mature pupa of the Ganda Dart.

A newly eclosed Ganda Dart.

References:

[C&P4] The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society, 1992.

Butterflies of Thailand, Pisuth Ek-Amnuay, 2nd Edition, 2012.

A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Singapore, Khew S.K., Ink On Paper Communications, 2010.

Text by Horace Tan, Photos by Koh Cher Hern, Khew SK and Horace Tan

Butterfly of the Month - October 2017
The Pale Mottle (Logania marmorata damis)

A Pale Mottle perches on the top of a leaf to rest

We are into the 10th month of 2017 now, and the cooler temperatures and wetter weather of the year end monsoons are upon us. Those countries in the northern hemisphere prepare for autumn and the coming of winter. A recent trip to Shanghai and Suzhou was met with heavy rain and I had experienced for the first time, what a 5-hour delay on an SIA flight was like. Probably nothing as far as flight delays are concerned, but a most unproductive day sitting on the plane and watching movies with glazed eyes.

In Singapore, the wetter weather saw a drop in butterfly activity in the majority of our favourite hunting grounds. Butterfly photography outings over the past couple of weeks were largely unproductive (besides the high chance of getting soaked in one of our tropical thunderstorms). But cooler days (and nights) were a welcome relief from the hot humid days in the earlier months of the year.

Just in the first week of October, another senseless shooting occurred in Las Vegas in the US. Despite calls for gun control, very little has been done, and how many more innocent lives must be lost before someone will say enough is enough? A gunman opened fire from a hotel overlooking a country music concert in Las Vegas, killing at least 58 people and wounding more than 489 others in the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history.

It is quite surreal as one views the many videos that are on the internet. It is a random shooting and you wonder who a bullet finds in that crowd, and who a bullet misses. Life is fragile indeed. Singapore is fortunate to have strict gun control laws and it is highly unlikely that a mass shooting like this can happen, even though there are no guarantees that there are determined madmen around who try to beat the system and laws.

Around the region, another natural disaster in the making is the potential eruption of the Indonesian active volcano, Mount Agung in Bali. Mount Agung has reached a "critical" stage with 500 tremors shaking the area a day, according to Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency. According to news reports, more than 134,000 people have fled the area surrounding the Mount Agung, fearing an imminent eruption. Despite the local tourism authorities assuring tourists heading for Bali that it is still "safe", it is inevitable that the tourism numbers will drop significantly as people will avoid the area.

Pale Mottles stopping to feed on the secretions of other insects amongst the ants

Again, our little island of Singapore is blessed in that we are free of typhoons, earthquakes, erupting volcanoes and other natural disasters that we often see around the world. There have been tremors felt in parts of Singapore whenever an earthquake occurs in neighbouring Indonesia, but nothing serious has affected the island in recent history.

A mating pair of Pale Mottles

Moving away from disasters, both natural and man-made, we turn our attention to our Butterfly of the Month for October 2017 - the Pale Mottle (Logania marmorata damis). This tiny butterfly belongs to the interesting sub-family of butterflies called Miletinae or collectively called the Harvesters. The caterpillars of this subfamily are considered "carnivorous", as their caterpillars feed on coccids, mealy bugs, aphids and other insects.

A typical perching Pale Mottle with its forelegs pulled in tightly to its thorax

The Pale Mottle is not considered a rare species in Singapore, as they are widespread and can occur anywhere where their caterpillar food source is available on a wide variety of plants. The adult butterfly flies with a restless erratic flight, often remaining in flight for long periods of time without stopping to rest.

A Pale Mottle feeding on the secretions of mealy bugs that are tended by ants

With a wingspan of only about 20mm, the Pale Mottle frequents shaded areas in forested localities over a wide variety of habitats. It can even be found in urban gardens and parks. As it flutters around the shrubbery, one can often expect it to land on a congregation of ants tending to aphids or other similar 'pests' that exude sweet secretions.

A Pale Mottle amongst ants - what makes the butterfly 'invisible' to these predators?

The Pale Mottle is often observed to feed on the secretions of these insects where the attending ants curiously leave the butterfly alone. Are there any natural 'cloaking devices' that the butterfly possesses that make it invisible to the ants? Or the ants instinctively know that the butterfly is not a threat and leave it alone? A good subject for a research topic!

The upperside of the Pale Mottle is a bluish grey with a broad black apical border. The hindwing is brown in the male, but features streaks of grey in the female. The underside is cryptically marked and mottled with dark brown, buff and light orange striations, giving the butterfly a marbled appearance.

Although most encounters of this butterfly are of individuals fluttering around trees and shrubs, mating pairs of the Pale Mottle are regularly seen - as can be observed by the frequent number of photographs of a pair of the butterfly 'doing their thing'. Mating pairs are usually more docile and perch stationary, making it much easier for a photographer to shoot them.

A Pale Mottle feeds on mealy bug secretions amongst the 'farmer' ants

When they locate a colony of ants tending to aphids, mealy bugs or coccids, the Pale Mottle tends to flutter around the plant stem where the ants can be found, often landing right in the midst of the ants and aphids/mealy bugs and then joining the ants that are feeding on the secretions of these insects. At times, a female may lay her eggs beside the aphids/mealy bugs, where, upon hatching, proceed to feed on the other insects!

At other times, an individual stops to rest on a leaf tip, making it an easy subject to hunt down and photograph. However, its diminutive size makes it a challenging macro subject to shoot when trying to deal with the shallow depth of field to ensure all parts of the butterfly are in sharp focus. Its preference to rest in deep shade also makes photography in low light conditions necessary.

A not-so-common shot of a Pale Mottle with all six legs fully extended

The Pale Mottle features banded legs, black at the joints. antennae are long and curved at the tips. Species in the subfamily are also characterised by prominent palpi, projecting way beyond the head and eyes of the butterfly. Even though the species has six fully-developed legs, individuals usually perch on four legs, and hold their forelegs close to the thorax. Only on rare occasions where an individual is seen perching with all six legs fully extended.

As mentioned earlier, the caterpillars of the Pale Mottle feed on other living creatures like coccids, mealy bugs and aphids, making them carnivores, unlike most caterpillars of Lepidoptera, which largely feed only on plant material.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by James Chia, Brian Goh, Huang CJ, Khew SK, Koh CH, Loke PF, Bobby Mun, Nelson Ong, Michael Soh, Jonathan Soong, Bene Tay and Anthony Wong.

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Butterflies' Favourite Nectaring Plants #14
The Golden Dewdrop (Duranta erecta)

A male Plain Tiger feeding on the attractive purple flowers of the Golden Dewdrop

Our fourteenth butterfly nectaring plant in this series is an attractive flowering bush, the Golden Dewdrop (Duranta erecta). This plant, with its lush green leaves, purple flowers and golden yellow fruits, is often cultivated in many parks and gardens in Singapore as hedge or as a colourful accent to the horticultural palette in landscape design.

The Golden Dewdrop is certainly not considered a "weed" or a wildflower, unlike the last couple of plants featured in our Butterflies' Favourite Nectaring plants series of articles. Often preferred by gardeners for its showy terminal clusters of purple flowers - known as racemes, the Golden Dewdrop is also unique in that its clusters of yellow globular fruits are also featured as part of the aesthetic value of the plant.

A flowering Golden Dewdrop bush at an urban garden

The genus name of this plant is in honour of Castore Durante da Gualdo, a fifteenth-century physician, botanist and poet of the Italian Renaissance. Amongst Castore Durante's major botanical works were the Herbario Nuovo, published in 1585, which is a description of medicinal plants from Europe and the Indies (East and West) and Il Tesoro della Sanità, published in 1586, is a collection of folk-medicine remedies for the family, with practical rules for hygiene and dietary suggestions.

The specific epithet erecta means "upright" in Latin. The plant is also known as D. repens, from the Latin for "creeping". The latter name was originally used to identify smaller-leaved varieties of the species. In some literature, the Golden Dewdrop is also called D. plumieri. However, in contemporary botanical references, the name Duranta erecta has been the most widely accepted taxonomic name for this plant.

It is considered an exotic plant in Singapore, but is common and found in many public and private gardens. Interestingly, the Golden Dewdrop is registered as an invasive weed by many councils of Australia. It is considered a fast growing weed that is spread by birds from domestic areas to natural reserves. It was introduced and marketed as a hedge plant by commercial nurseries in Australia. Many people now fight to keep this thorny pest under control. It is highly ranked in the most invasive weeds in Australia.

Plant Biodata:

Family: Verbenaceae

Genus:Duranta

Species:erecta

Synonyms:Duranta repens, D. plumieri

Country/Region of Origin: Tropical America

English Common Names: Golden Dew-Drop, Lilac-flowered Golden Dewdrop, Pigeon Berry, Sky Flower, Brazilian Sky Flower

Other Local Names: Kachang Puteh, 金露花, 假连翘, 小本苦林盘

The Golden Dewdrop is a sprawling evergreen shrub and can even grow into a small tree of up to 6 m tall and can spread to an equal width. The shrub is usually well-leafed and used as boundary hedges or even for topiary in themed gardens. A mature plant has thick woody stems growing erect from the ground but new leaves grow prolifically and spreads rapidly. There are a wide variety of cultivars available, including 'alba', 'aurea', 'Aussie Gold', 'Gold Mound', 'Geisha Girl', 'sapphire showers', and 'variegata'.

The serrated-edged mature leaves of the Golden Dewdrop

The leaves are light green, elliptic to ovate, opposite with serrate or entire leave margins, and grow up to 7.5 cm long and 3.5 cm broad, with a 1.5 cm petiole. The leaves are soft when immature, but becomes a darker shade of green with thicker lamina when mature. Foliar venation is net-veined and each leaf ends in a sharp tip.

Axillary thorns along the stems. Danger! Keep away from these sharp needle-like thorns!

Mature specimens possess axillary thorns, which are often absent on younger specimens. These thin, needle-like thorns are particularly sharp, and a photographer who is unaware of this "vicious" weapon on the plant, can suffer some particularly painful encounters. It should also be highlighted that the leaves of the plant is toxic, and combined with the thorns, it is best to be cautious around this plant.

Flower buds and flowers of the Golden Dewdrop

The bisexual flowers are light-blue or lavender, produced in tight clusters located on terminal and axillary stems referred to as racemes. The flowers bloom almost all year long. The plant grows best in full sun, where it blooms abundantly, but also tolerates semi-shaded locations. It should be pruned regularly to encourage new growth.

Fruit cluster of the Golden Dewdrop

The fruit of the Golden Dewdrop is a small globose yellow or orange berry, up to 11 mm in diameter and containing several seeds. These berries of the plant contains toxins, and are confirmed to have killed children, dogs and cats. However, it appears that some birds eat the fruit without ill effects, and indeed the seeds are dispersed by birds.

The golden yellow fruit of the Golden Dewdrop which probably gave its common name to the plant. Pretty, but poisonous!

The berries may look pretty and almost delicious, but they are certainly to be avoided. Phytochemical analysis of fruits yielded alkaloids, glycoside, saponins, and tannins and poisoning is consistent with alkaloid-type reactions. When the fruits ripen, they turn black and shriveled. The seeds are contained within the fruit and are usually dispersed by birds that ingest them.

A selection of Swallowtails feeding on the flowers of the Golden Dewdrop

Now we move over to our butterflies. The Golden Dewdrop is a reasonably attractive butterfly nectaring plant, particularly in the urban parks and gardens. When the purple flowers are in full bloom, and where the garden is butterfly-friendly, many species are usually attracted to the flowers to feed. The larger Papilionidae love the flowers, and amongst the urban dwellers, we have seen the Common Mormon, Common Rose, Lime Butterfly, Common Mime and even the speedy Common Bluebottle feeding on the Golden Dewdrop flowers.

Some Pieridae butterfly species that like the Golden Dewdrop flowers

The Pieridaes also like the flowers for nectar, and the fast flyers amongst the Emigrants are often seen stopping to feed on the purple flowers. Striped Albatross is also a frequent visitor - both males and females, and the ubiquitous Common Grass Yellow. The high-flying Painted Jezebel drops down from its aerial acrobatics to refuel at the Golden Dewdrop flowers.

Many species of Crows and Tigers are attracted to the flowers of the Golden Dewdrop

The large Crows and Tigers are regularly seen feeding on the Golden Dewdrop flowers. Amongst those city residents seen are the Plain and Common Tigers, Dark and Blue Glassy Tigers and even the odd King Crow and Striped Blue Crow. Up north in Malaysia, the Dark Blue Tiger and Yellow Glassy Tiger (both of which are recorded as seasonal migrants in Singapore) have also been observed at the purple flowers of this plant.

Some Nymphalid butterflies that love the purple flowers of the Golden Dewdrop

The urbanite Nymphalidaes also take to the flowers of the Golden Dewdrop, and amongst them, we have observed the Tawny Coster, Blue/Peacock/Chocolate Pansy and Leopard at the flowers of this plant.

Amongst the Lycaenidae, I have only seen the Grass Blues stopping to feed at the Golden Dewdrop flowers, although it is a mystery why more urban species like the Common Tit, Peacock Royal and Cycad Blue, all of which have been seen flying in the vicinity of the plant, do not quite prefer the flowers as a nectaring source. Perhaps other observers who have photograph these Lycaenidae feeding on the purple flowers can share your encounters here.

Small skippers that feed on the flowers of the Golden Dewdrop

Finally, amongst the skippers found in our local parks and gardens, the most common species found at the purple flowers of the Golden Dewdrop is the Small Branded Swift. Other species observed feeding are the Lesser Dart, Palm Bob and one or two of the Awls.

So the next time you are out enjoying yourself at a community garden or a butterfly garden where the Golden Dewdrop is cultivated, do keep a keen eye on the pretty purple flowers of this plant and watch out for the butterflies that stop and feed at this favourite nectaring source.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Chng CK, Foo JL, Huang CJ, Khew SK, Lee KH, Loke PF and Cindy Yeo.

Butterflies' Favourite Nectaring Plant #13 : Coat Buttons

Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks
Featuring : Butterfly Habitat @ Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park

A larger-than-life Common Tiger greets visitors to the Butterfly Habitat @ Bishan-AMK Park

I recall that, some time back in 2012, I was approached by two very enthusiastic and intelligent boys from Raffles Institution, asking for help to set up a butterfly habitat at the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. At that time, the park was just newly upgraded under the Public Utilities Board's ABC programme to feature a natural stream running through the 62-Hectare park. A concrete canal was demolished and a naturalised meandering stream with lush banks of wildflowers and other water plants took its place.

The Butterfly Habitat is a narrow linear butterfly garden situated next to a paved path

Today, the park is popular with the local residents in the vicinity, and is well-utilised as an outdoor exercise amenity - complete with a dog run, cycling and jogging trails, water features, event lawns, water sensitive urban design features like bioswales and cleansing biotopes. Commercial activities like a spa and F&B outlets complete the public-friendly amenities that can be found at this park, making a weekend outing convenient and enjoyable.

A sign sponsored by April Group, describing the history of how the Butterfly Habitat @ Bishan-AMK Park started

Back to the two boys from RI - Zeng Tianchen and Ernest Aw, and their plans to set up a butterfly garden at Bishan-AMK Park. I was impressed by their systematic and organised plans to persuade the authorities to set aside a small plot of land in the sprawling park for a small butterfly garden. They crafted an entire business plan on how they envisioned the butterfly garden could work, and even scouted out for alternative sites to propose to NParks.

Ample interpretative signs help to educate interested visitors to the plants and butterflies of the Butterfly Habitat. Signs also carry QR codes where visitors can scan and be brought to even more information on the internet.

Given my busy travelling schedule then, I was only able to spare a couple of weekends to give some advice and link them up with the parks manager of Bishan-AMK Park to get approval for the site to create the butterfly garden. They also organised a talk for the community to encourage the residents to volunteer to maintain the butterfly garden. Their enthusiasm gained momentum, and with the support of their teachers in RI and the community, the Butterfly Habitat @ Bishan-AMK Park was born.

A narrow gravel path leads the visitor into the Butterfly Habitat

NParks even organised an event and got the reputable producer of pulp and paper, April Group to sponsor an event and a series of interpretative signages at the Butterfly Habitat. Today, these signages help visitors and enthusiasts to the Butterfly Habitat to understand the plants and related butterfly species that they can find at the site. NParks also added useful educational signages to share more information about the plants that are cultivated at the Butterfly Habitat.

The Butterfly Habitat is a short linear butterfly-friendly garden, featuring many host and nectaring plants for butterflies. On a good day, one can find at least 10 species of butterflies fluttering amongst the flowers and shrubbery. A community-based team maintains the Butterfly Habitat with volunteers helping to keep the plants in healthy condition. Some of the volunteers also help to breed caterpillars and then release the adult butterflies at the Habitat.

Lush host and nectaring plants found at the Butterfly Habitat

The two talented RI boys went on to pursue their tertiary education, and the maintenance and upkeep of the Butterfly Habitat fell on the shoulders of NParks and a community of volunteers under the capable chairmanship of Tian HM, who is from the landscaping industry.

Typically, the more common urban species can be found at the Butterfly Habitat. Amongst the Papilionidae, one can regularly spot the Lime Butterfly and Common Mormon. Occasionally, the fast-flying Common Bluebottle and Tailed Jay can be observed zipping by to check out the nectaring plants.

The Plain Tiger is almost a daily feature at the Butterfly Habitat. Its caterpillar host plants the Crown Flower and Blood Flower can be found at the site, and if you look hard enough, you should be able to see some caterpillars chewing on the leaves of their host plants. Other Danainae caterpillar host plants can also be found here, and the occasional Tiger or Crow can be spotted at the Butterfly Habitat.

The Painted Jezebels visit the nectar-rich flowers at the Butterfly Habitat, and the availability of the caterpillar host plants of the Emigrant species - primarily Lemon and Mottled, ensures that these butterflies are regularly around at the Butterfly Habitat. The Common Grass Yellow makes its appearance at the Butterfly Habitat once in a while, fluttering restlessly amongst the plants, stopping to feed and then goes on its way elsewhere.

On hot sunny days, look for the Blue and Peacock Pansy butterflies. Whilst skittish, they may be approached more easily when feeding on flowers. The Tawny Coster, featured prominently on the main signage of the Butterfly Habitat, makes a seasonal appearance at the site, depending on the availability of its caterpillar host plants nearby.

Amongst the smaller Lycaenidae, keep a sharp look out for the Pea Blue, Grass Blues, Peacock Royal and other tailed beauties. The Skippers also visit the flowers and are usually more active in the early morning hours of the day. All in all, about 30-40 species of butterflies have been spotted at the Butterfly Habitat @ Bishan-AMK Park.

The planting design at the Butterfly Habitat should allow more space between the clusters of plants to avoid human-butterfly interaction that is a bit too close for comfort (for the butterflies)

The very busy park with many visitors moving around near the Butterfly Habitat does affect the butterfly activity at the site. The linear design that places the plants too close to the main footpaths tend to scare off the more skittish species as people walk or jog past.

Within the Butterfly Habitat itself, the very compact placement of plants and the narrow trails amongst the plants also reduce the opportunities for butterflies to stop and feed without being alarmed by visitors walking nearby. As the design brings human movement much too close to the plants and flowers, butterflies tend to look for "safer" areas to feed without fear of encounters with predators. Human movements are also interpreted as predatory behaviour which scares off the butterflies.

Amongst the more successful butterfly gardens, there are always open areas around the planters where the butterflies can beat a hasty retreat if any predatory movements are spotted. The design should also allow for some stand-off distance between the plants and footpaths so that the proximity of observers is outside the 'circle of fear' of many butterfly species. Otherwise the butterflies will be alarmed and fly off.

The open areas beside the stream could do with some clusters of butterfly-attracting plants in a more 'private' area for butterflies without too much human movements nearby

The area near the stream adjacent to the Butterfly Habitat should also be made use of, to create quieter sanctuaries where butterflies can feed without any disturbance from human interactions. The arrangement of butterfly-attracting host and nectaring plants should also be spread further apart and allow wider spaces in between them.

The Butterfly Habitat is not too far from the nature reserves at Lower Peirce Reservoir Park and the Central Catchment Reserves. The proximity to these nature areas should be an advantage over the more urban butterfly gardens. Hopefully, with some re-design of the planting clusters and a wider choice of plants, the Butterfly Habitat can see a greater diversity of butterfly species in future.

Text and Photos by Khew SK

The Butterfly Antennae
A Butterfly's Antennae - Its Biological Navigation System

The curved clubbed antennae of a Common Birdwing

In telecommunications, an antenna (singular) or antennae (plural) is simply defined as an electrical device that transmits or receives electromagnetic waves through the air. The first man-made antennae was invented by German physicist Heinrich Hertz in 1888 and its development led to wireless communications across the world. In the natural world, the antennae is a pair of long, slender, segmented structures on the head of insects, centipedes, millipedes, and crustaceans. Most antennae are organs of touch, but some are sensitive to odors and other stimuli and are believed to serve the functions of smell, navigation and balance in butterflies.

A prominently clubbed antennae of a Tawny Coster

All butterflies have a pair of antennae. These appendages are connected directly to the butterfly's head and are always clubbed. The clubbed antennae are usually used in a "non-scientific" way to distinguish between butterflies and moths. In general, moths have curly, feathery, thin antennae. However, there are some moths, including some genera in the family Zygaenidae (Burnet Moths) and Castniidae (Cane Borers) that have distinctly clubbed antennae like butterflies.

The butterfly's antennae originate from the top of its head and between the eyes. These segmented antennae are known to serve different functions that aid the butterfly to smell, navigate, balance, find a mate, detect flowering plants and even tell the time of the day! The antennae is an important organ of the butterfly that, if missing or damaged, the life span of the butterfly will be severely shortened.

Smell
Butterflies don't have noses as we humans have. However, they have chemo-receptors in their antennae and legs that perform the sensory function that is equivalent of a "nose". These allow butterflies to sense flowers that are full of nectar and distinguish them from flowers that are not as productive for the butterfly to visit. The antennae's chemo-receptors that are used for assessing the environment’s physical and chemical properties also sense the pheromones of other butterflies, helping them find mates across large distances.

Balance
The butterfly's antennae are also sensitive to wind directions and changes in the velocity of the wind. This helps the butterfly ride the wind currents and maintains its way-finding ability. Near the base of the antennae, in the 2nd antennal segment, there is a special organ called Johnston's organ. This organ draws information from the antennae to help the butterfly maintain its balance and orientation during flight. This organ also helps butterflies find mates as well, recognizing the wing beats of other butterflies of the same species. Without its antennae, a butterfly may be unable to fly in a particular direction and even end up flying aimlessly in circles.

Telling the Time
Butterflies are usually active during the day, but become sedentary and stop to 'roost' when night falls. Besides using their eyes to distinguish day from night, butterflies also use their antennae as light receptors. From research done, it has been found that the antennae track the position of the sun and turn that information into a time of day. When butterflies lose their antennae, they aren't able to determine the time of the day.

A butterfly with damaged antennae will be disoriented and cannot fly properly

Navigation
In a research conducted by biologist Steven Reppert of the University of Massachusetts who published a paper in Science, discovered an interesting outcome when he clipped off the antennae of the butterflies. When the butterflies lost their antennae, they no longer flew in a uniform direction. Without their antennae, the butterflies were unable to track the position of the sun. The butterflies lost the ability to navigate using the sun to ascertain the time of the day, and could no longer adjust their direction.

An important function of butterfly antennae is their ability to help the butterflies fly in the right direction. This is especially important for migratory species, such as the Monarch (Danaus plexippus). These butterflies must know the correct direction to fly during a specific season, such as flying south for the winter. This tends to work in conjunction with the clock feature; to keep flying south, for example, the antennae must determine what time it is and where the butterflies must be positioned relative to the sun's position in the sky, performing like a built-in GPS system for the butterfly.

The Lemon Emigrant has been observed to "migrate" in numbers across Singapore in one direction in the morning and then fly in the opposite direction in the afternoon

In Singapore, there have been occasions where a local species, the Lemon Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona pomona) have been seen to fly in groups across the island in a particular direction in the morning, and then fly in numbers again, in the opposite direction in the evening.

The orange-tipped antennae of a Commander

Now we know some of the functions of the butterfly's antennae. But do all the antennae look the same amongst the different species? From observations across the different species in the different families of butterflies here in Singapore, the simple answer is no. Besides being clubbed, the antennae of different families of butterflies show minor but interesting differences.

Have you noticed that the clubbed antennae of Papilionidae butterflies curve upwards?

Amongst the species of the Papilionidae, the clubbed end of the antennae for many of the species curve upwards away from the horizontal. Besides being usually jet black in colour, the clubbed end of the antennae in these Birdwings and Swallowtail species are thick and show a distinctive curve at the tip of the antennae.

But the clubbed antennae of the Danainae butterflies curve downwards?

Compare this curve with the Danainae species. Many of the Crows and Tigers' antennae also show a curve, but the curved end of the clubbed antennae usually bends downwards instead. Is there a reason for this difference between these two groups of medium to large sized butterflies?

The antennae of many Pieridae and Nymphalidae species are straight, rigid and end with simple clubbed ends

The Pieridaes' antennae tend to be short and rather straight, ending in a clubbed end without any marked curve, unlike those found in the Papilionidae and Danainae species. The same can be said of the antennae of many of the Nymphalidae species, where the antennae are straight with a simple clubbed end without any bends in the antennae. Many of these species also have a coloured clubbed tip - usually orange or yellow.

Many Lycaenidae species have banded antennae with thick clubbed ends

The Lycaenidaes' antennae have an interested banded appearance in many of the species - usually black-and-white and ending with a coloured tip. The short stubby antennae of the Curetinae (Sunbeams) are rigid and straight, usually with an orange-coloured tip. Amongst the Miletinae, some of the species' antennae end with a slight downward curve at the clubbed end.

The Hesperiidae have hooks at the ends of their clubbed antennae known as the apiculus

The Hesperiidae (Skippers) are known for their special 'hooked' feature in their clubbed antennae. This terminal 'hook', known as the apiculus, is a feature that is present in many of the Hesperiidae species where the antennae ends in a sharp tip after the club. In many species, there is usually a different colour either before the clubbed end or at the apiculus, and these may be diagnostic features of some of the sub-families of skippers. Some species also sport banded appearance on their antennae with either black-and-white or orange-and-black colours.

So the next time you go butterfly watching and are given an opportunity to study the antennae of the butterflies at close quarters, take a closer look at their antennae and note the differences amongst the different species of butterflies.

Text and Photos by Khew SK

Other related articles on this blog :

Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks
Featuring : Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden

An aerial view of Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden

Almost five months ago to the day, the community volunteers participated in a Community Planting Day at Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden. The brainchild of grassroots activist Sussie Ketit, it had the strong support of Mayor Teo Ho Pin, the Member of Parliament for Bukit Panjang and the local community gardeners in the area. With the help of volunteers from the Seletar Country Club group under the capable leadership of Mr Foo JL, the Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden Phase II took shape.

And this was how it all started... Community Planting and saplings in the planters just 5 months ago

Back on 3 June, the planters were prepared with topsoil and compost and various butterfly host and nectaring plants were readied for the community to do some gardening. Mr Foo's strategy of concentrating the plants in organised planter beds surrounded by concrete kerbs was to eliminate the accidental removal of the butterfly host/nectaring plants (many of which are 'weeds') by maintenance personnel. It was clear that any plants found within the planter beds were intentionally planted there and should not be cleared as 'weeds'.

Lush greenery in the planters just 5 months later!

Fast forward five months later, under the tender loving care of the volunteers, especially Sebastian Chia, Lydia Davina Yeo, Cheng Khim, Mr Foo, Evangeline Seah and many other passionate volunteers who spent a lot of their free time tending to the plants and watering them, the Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden has now attracted many species of urban and even some forest butterflies. The planter beds are now covered with lush greenery and the butterfly nectaring plants providing sustenance to the visiting butterflies.

All grown up, with lots of tender loving care!

It is amazing, when you consider the empty planters just five months back. Our equatorial climate is just ideal for the growth of plants and with some effort in maintaining the plants, the results can be quite satisfying. Today, the plants are doing well and the butterfly species count has reached 51 species in just a short five months!

Host and nectaring plants aplenty. Can you spot the Mottled Emigrant on its caterpillar host plant?

The mix of plants ranged from host plants like Rattlebox Weed, Crown Flower, Seven Golden Candlesticks, Blood Flower, and many more. Nectaring plants included Lantana, Red Tree Shrub, Purple Snakeweed, Spanish Needle, Bandicoot Berry, and so on. In the early morning hours and on a bright sunny day, a visitor can see many butterflies fluttering around the plants, feeding and laying eggs on their preferred caterpillar host plants.

Crows and Tigers attracted to Eupatorium squamosum at the butterfly garden

The alkaloids in the Asteraceae species, Eupatorium squamosum that was cultivated in the planters appear to be as attractive to the Danainaes (Tigers and Crows) as the Indian Heliotrope and the Rattlebox Weed plants. Amongst the Danainae species observed at this plant's flowers are the Striped Blue Crow, Blue and Dark Glassy Tigers and a Blue Spotted Crow.

A high-flying butterfly's view of the Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden

The success of this small butterfly garden, spanning about 150m by about 50m, is probably due to its proximity to the Central Catchment Nature Reserves. The park connector network that links up this area to the biodiversity-rich nature reserves also helps as a 'bridge' to facilitate butterflies' movements along nature-friendly 'highways'.

Although the butterfly garden is no more than 10-15 away from a major road, the use of plants as buffers help to mitigate the effects of vehicular exhaust pollution and fast-moving vehicles from the butterfly garden

Although the Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden is located just about 10-15 m away from the busy Bukit Panjang Road, air pollution and the movement of vehicles is mitigated by rows of buffer plants that shield the butterfly garden. Immediately next to the 3+3 lane major arterial road is a green roadside planting verge that features Heliconias and other shrubs. Further in, two rows of Lakka Palms and Coconut palms, with more Heliconias buffer the butterfly garden.

Creative artwork on the concrete kerbs by young and old artists lend a splash of colours to the planters at the butterfly garden

The assortment of plants in the planters have been effective in attracting butterflies. In a further attempt to beautify the planters, the boring precast concrete kerbs are given a fresh coat of paint. Volunteers, young and old, helped to add a splash of colours, in the form of stylised butterflies and plants to the kerbs.

Butterflies bred from caterpillars found at the butterfly garden

The community volunteers are trained to breed caterpillars found on the host plants at the butterfly garden, and the eclosed butterflies are released back into the garden to sustain the population of butterflies there. The Town Council has been requested not to spray pesticides at the butterfly garden to ensure that the caterpillars and butterflies are not killed.

An assortment of butterflies found at the Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden

The gardeners who are maintaining the area are also taught how to make compost from the dead leaves that are collected from the trees, and to practise sustainable gardening. The compost is then used for the planters to help sustain healthy plant growth. The community education and awareness efforts also help to inform visitors to the butterfly garden not to kill the caterpillars and butterflies as they are part of our natural biodiversity.

So the next time you are in the Bukit Panjang area, do drop by and take a look at the Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden and see how many butterflies you can count fluttering amongst the shrubbery. Here you see a variety of butterflies that can be found at the butterfly garden.

How to get there :

There are many bus services that bring visitors to the bus stop along Bukit Panjang Road. Alight just in front of Blk 222 and walk eastwards towards the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE). For those taking the MRT, alight at Choa Chu Kang MRT station (NS4), hop on to the LRT and alight at Pending Station (BP8). Drivers can access the HDB carpark via Petir Road and park your car near Blk 213 (carpark CKBJ8), where parking is free on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Alan Ang, Janice Ang, Sebastian Chia, Foo JL, Sussie Ketit, Khew SK, Michael Khor, Or Cheng Khim, Soh Kam-Yung, Irene Tan and Alson Teo

The Lacewings of Singapore

A Malay Lacewing feeding on Ixora javanica flowers

Butterflies of the genus Cethosia are medium-sized, colourful with attractive geometric patterns on their wings and are amongst some of the prettiest butterflies of the region. Collectively referred to as "Lacewings", the Cethosia species feature aposematic colouration - which is the butterfly's display of warning colours to deter would-be predators from eating them. Whenever a butterfly watcher encounters a Lacewing species, it is hard not to stop and admire them as they flutter unhurriedly from flower to flower, or just flying slowly on their way to their next destination.

A Leopard Lacewing perches on a flower

Three species of the genus Cethosia are found in Singapore. One species, the Leopard Lacewing (Cethosia cyane) is a recent addition, only having been seen in Singapore in 2005. This species probably migrated naturally from the north over the years and finally settled in Singapore. Today, it is the commonest species of the three Cethosia in Singapore, as it is regularly observed in forest habitats as well as urban parks and gardens.

A Plain Lacewing resting on a leaf

The other two native species extant in Singapore are predominantly forest-dependent, and are to be usually found in the forested nature reserves. Of these two, the Malay Lacewing (Cethosia hypsea hypsina) is the commoner of the two, and is regularly seen in our nature reserves where its caterpillar host plant, Adenia macrophylla can be found. The last species, the Plain Lacewing (Cethosia methypsea methypsea) is rare and makes intermittent appearances over the years, sometimes not seen for a long time, and then re-appearing and frequently observed for some months, before disappearing again.

The Malay Lacewing (Cethosia hypsea hypsina)

A male Malay Lacewing perches on a leaf in the nature reserves

The upperside of the wings of both the male and female of the Malay Lacewing features a bright orange-red colour with contrasting black borders.outer margins of both wings are serrated, particularly more so on the hindwings, giving the wings a saw-toothed appearance. The underside of the wings display intricate patterns with attractive orange, red, black and white colours.

Female (top) and Male (bottom) Malay Lacewing

Differences between a female (left) and male (right) Malay Lacewing

The female Malay Lacewing has a creamy white patch on the dorsal margin of the forewings above, whilst the more orange-red male does not have this patch. The female also appears a lighter orange in colour compared to the male's orange-red wings. On the underside, the male has a reddish sub-basal patch on the hindwing whilst the female's wings are orange.

The butterfly is mainly found in the forested areas, preferring to remain within the sanctuary of the nature reserves in Singapore, rarely venturing out to the urban parks and gardens. The Malay Lacewing can also be found on our offshore island of Pulau Ubin, particularly on the forested western part of the island. It is regularly photographed feeding at flowering plants like Lantana, Ixora, Syzygium and the Mile-a-Minute weed.

The Plain Lacewing (Cethosia methypsea methypsea)

This species is intermittently found in Singapore. It can be considered very rare, and found only in the forested nature reserves, where its caterpillar host plant, Adenia cordifolia grows as a climbing vine. After making an appearance for a few years in the late 1990's in Singapore, it disappeared and was not seen at all. A period of almost 14 years passed before it re-appeared again, some time in Sep 2014. For a few weeks thereafter, the species was regularly spotted in the same vicinity.

The Plain Lacewing can be distinguished from the Malay Lacewing by the thin white sub-marginal line on the underside of the hindwing, which the Malay Lacewing lacks. On the upperside, the apical area of the forewing is also markedly different in the sub-apical band that is sufficiently distinctive enough to separate the Plain Lacewing from the other two species found in Singapore.

The upperside of the Plain Lacewing generally appears more reddish than the Malay and Leopard Lacewings, and when it flight, the Plain Lacewing is usually faster and more skittish. Unlike its two cousins, the two sexes of the Plain Lacewing are very similar without very distinctive features to separate them.

The Leopard Lacewing (Cethosia cyane)

Male (left) and Female (right) Leopard Lacewing mating pair

The last of the three representatives of the genus is Singapore is a recent addition. After it was first spotted in the western catchment in Singapore in the year 2005, the Leopard Lacewing spread across the island very rapidly. The abundance of its caterpillar host plants, Passiflora foetida and Passiflora suberosa, both of which are considered urban creeper-weeds, is probably one of the reason why this immigrant has colonised and stayed on for the long term in Singapore.

Male (top) and Female (bottom) Leopard Lacewing

The Leopard Lacewing is by far the commonest species of the three Cethosia in Singapore today. It can be found foraging in urban parks and gardens, feeding on flowering plants in community butterfly gardens, in the company of other urban butterfly species. It is seasonally common and often several individuals may be seen in the same vicinity regularly.

Male (top) and Female (bottom) Leopard Lacewing

The male is orange above, with black borders, similar to the Malay and Plain Lacewings. It appears more orange on the upperside. The female is a creamy yellow above and is distinctively different from the male. On the underside, the large series of post-discal spots, set in a rather broad white sub-marginal band, sets it apart from its other two cousins in the genus.

Underside and Upperside shots of a Red Lacewing

To the north, in Malaysia and Thailand, a fourth Cethosia species can be found. This species is called the Red Lacewing, or sometimes referred to as the Batik Lacewing - Cethosia biblis. This species has rather distinctive sub-apical markings on both the upper- and underside of the forewings and easily distinguished from its cousins. The Red Lacewing has not been recorded from Singapore yet, and hopefully, it can be a new addition to the Singapore butterfly fauna in the future.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Chng CK, Khew SK, Koh CH, Loke PF, Horace Tan and Mark Wong

Butterfly of the Month - November 2017
The Common Three Ring (Ypthima pandocus corticaria)

A Common Three Ring perched on a grass blade in the nature reserves

2017 is chugging steadily into its remaining two months as the end-of-year monsoons hit the region. These days, the volume of rainfall coming down in a short time appears to challenge conventional design in drainage and hydraulic engineering. Coupled with high tides, the statistical probability of flooding in our urban environment is often much higher than predicted.

Recently, up north on the island of Penang in Malaysia, an unprecedented flood hit the city of Georgetown after being inundated with heavy rains for several hours. Photos and videos of the floods circulated widely on social media, as the state authorities struggled with evacuation plans and moving residents of low-lying areas to safety. The early Nov flood had a rainfall of 315mm and the highest on record for Penang. Sadly, seven people, mostly senior citizens, fell victim to the floods and the majority of these drowned in the rising waters.

Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia, under flood waters - a victim of climate change? © Reuters

With the rapid urban development of Penang island, its existing drainage system, both natural and engineered, was unable to cope with the unexpected deluge of rainfall. As residents struggled to get back to their normal life, aerial photos of the Pearl of the Orient showed many areas covered with brown muddy waters and rubbish carried by the floods. Many basement carparks in buildings were completely submerged, extensively damaging any vehicle unfortunate enough to be parked there. The consequences of climate change are here, despite some global leaders' refusal to believe that there are no problems with our environment.

Back in Singapore, the weather has also been unforgiving. Daily rains, whether welcomed or otherwise, was a fact of life over the past month. On one such rainy day, the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) tunnels flooded for the first time in its history, causing the train network on the N-S line to be shut down for about 20 hours. Social media erupted with criticism at the company responsible for running and maintaining the MRT system. The problem was traced to a failed pump system which was not automatically activated as designed to do.

A mating pair of Common Three Ring

The MRT woes continued with more interruptions by recurring signalling faults and other unforeseen causes that created inconveniences and caused much public ire. Just last week, another of such software faults caused injury to over 30 passengers when a train collided into a stationary train ahead of it. Even though the train was travelling at 16 km/h as reported, several passengers' injuries were severe enough to require hospitalisation.

Back to our butterfly world, the rainy season has seen the usual drop in numbers of butterflies. The inclement weather has also reduced the number of outings amongst butterfly watchers, and it's often a gamble (which we sometimes lose!) against the rain gods if we choose to head out to the forests for any butterfly watching activity.

This month, we feature a rather drab and under-appreciated butterfly, the Common Three Ring (Ypthima pandocus corticaria). This species, from the sub-family Satyrinae or often collectively referred to as Browns and Arguses, was once a very common species in Singapore. However, in recent years, the species has become very localised, and not very widespread. This may be due to the fact that its caterpillar host plant, Ischaemum muticum (Poaceae), a 'wild grass' is not as common as in the past. Or could it be due to habitat changes that are no longer conducive for this species to survive?

The Common Three Ring is found mainly along the fringes of our nature reserves, where the species' host plant can still be found. Perhaps, as a strategy to support the remaining population of this once-common butterfly could be to allow some areas near the nature reserves to be left wild with Ischaemum muticum, and these areas managed so that this caterpillar host plant is not wiped out by other invasive plant species. There could possibly be alternative host plants that the species' caterpillars may feed on, and such grasses should also be allowed to survive in the wild.

A male Common Three Ring sun-bathing

The butterfly is greyish brown on the upperside with a large sub-apical yellow-ringed ocellus with two silvery dots on a black background. The underside is a pale buff brown with fine dark striations on both the fore and hindwings. The hindwing has three yellow-ringed ocelli with the tornal pair with two silvery spots.

A female Common Three Ring with opened wings

The species of the Ypthima genus have their English common names after the number of ocelli (or eyespots) on the hindwing. The Common Three Ring is the largest of the species found in Singapore. The species has a rather feeble flight and stays close to the ground, amongst low shrubbery and grasses. Where it occurs, it is not unusual to find more than one individual flying in the area.

A Common Three Ring puddling at a sandy spot

In the early morning hours when the sun begins to warm up the environment, the Common Three Ring can often be seen with its wings opened almost flat to sunbathe in the warm rays of the sun. At other times of the day, it usually flutters around the low grasses and perch with its wings folded upright. The butterfly is also seen feeding at the ripened fruits of the Straits Rhododendron and wild flowers like the Mile-a-Minute weed. Occasionally, it can be observed puddling at damp sandy ground.

Once known to be as common and widespread as the ubiquitous Common Grass Yellow, the Common Three Ring is fast losing its title as the commonest butterfly species in Singapore. In fact, its other cousins in the genus have taken over the title of being the commonest Ypthima in Singapore. Careful observations should record the remaining colonies in the nature reserves and then some management plan carried out to ensure the survival of this once-common species.

A Common Three Ring perched on the leaf of Melastoma malabathricum

Despite not being an iconic or attractive butterfly species, the Common Three Ring is still very much a part of Singapore's extant biodiversity and should continue to be a species that can be found here. For a 'low profile' species, its caterpillar life history of over a month from egg to adult is considered long. Any disruption to its process of reaching adulthood may render this species into the 'rare' status in future.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Loke PF and Horace Tan

Further Reading and related articles :

Life History of the Common Three Ring
Lords of the Rings - Singapore's Ypthima species
Common Three Ring - A Cinderella of Butterflies

Butterflies of Borneo

Time for new Field Guides?

Glorious Begum (Agatasa calydonia mahasthama) but called "Eight Coloured Jack" by Otsuka in his book

A visitor from Europe recently left me an email to inquire about local references and literature about South East Asian butterflies, and in particular, Borneo where he planned to spend a week. Whilst I was able to point him to several decent works about butterflies in the region, I was quite hard-pressed to refer him to good field guides about Bornean butterflies. Continued searches on the internet, good nature book stores and amongst like-minded butterfly enthusiasts did not turn up anything other than what was already currently available.

A map of Borneo island.

The island of Borneo is the 3rd largest island in the world. It is politically divided among three countries: Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and Indonesia to the south. The island covers 751,936 sqkm (that's more than a thousand times the size of little Singapore!). About 73% of the island is Indonesian territory known as Kalimantan. In the north, the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak make up about 26% of the island. Additionally, the Malaysian federal territory of Labuan is situated on a small island just off the coast of Borneo. The sovereign state of Brunei Darussalam, located on the north coast, comprises about 1% of Borneo's land area.

Banded Faun (Faunis stomphax stomphax) - Bako National Park, Sarawak

Borneo has extensive primary rainforest cover that is believed to be over 140 million years old, making it one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world. In recent years, infrastructural development, logging and oil palm plantations have continued to decimate the natural rainforests. In the past decade, severe massive forest fires further reduced pristine rainforests to ashes. The island is home to a large number of endemic species, and the number of species new to science cannot be underestimated as researchers rush to document Borneo's rich biodiversity.

Kinabalu Swordtail (Pathysa stratiotes) a Bornean endemic. Mahua Waterfall, Sabah, Malaysia

There are nearly a thousand species of butterflies that have been discovered in Borneo. Of these, close to 10% are endemic to the island - meaning that these species are found only on Borneo and nowhere else in the world. Over the years, species new to science continue to be discovered as previously inaccessible parts of the rainforest are opened up. Mount Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, is the highest peak on Borneo, rising to 4,101m. There are many endemic montane species of flora and fauna found in Borneo.

One of the best taxonomic references on the Butterflies of Borneo is the out-of-print Butterflies of Borneo, Vol 2 No 1 Lycaenidae (published in 1991). However, this book only deals with the Lycaenidae species in Borneo, whilst the elusive Vol 2 No 2 covers Hesperiidae.

Currently the most comprehensive field guide on the butterflies of Borneo

Another book by the same author Kazuhisa Otsuka, is a 224-page hardcover Field Guide. A selection of about 200 species of butterflies found in Borneo is featured in the book. The book is rather short on the introduction of butterflies in Borneo and taxonomic details about butterflies. Searching for species in the usual organised taxonomic families is difficult, as the author organised the book by habitats. Even the index to the species pages are ordered by habitats and there is no easy way of searching for each species alphabetically, either by scientific or common names.

The author organises the book by the following habitats and sub-habitats :
Lowland Butterflies (by sea shores and islands)
Lowland Butterflies (around villages and farms)
Lowland Butterflies (in forests)
Low Mountain Butterflies (by streams)
Low Mountain Butterflies (edges of forests)
Low Mountain Butterflies (in forest)
High Mountain Butterflies (by streams)
High Mountain Butterflies (by ridges)
High Mountain Butterflies (in forest)

Although meant to facilitate easy reference to the species found in their natural habitats, it is extremely difficult to navigate the book to look for a particular species, as many species have overlapping habitats. This makes the book less useful as a field guide to the less experienced butterfly watcher. The author has also chosen to coin new English common names for quite a number of the species featured in the book, which are totally unfamiliar across the available literature on South East Asian butterflies. This makes the search for different species by their common names even more challenging!

A pocket guide featuring 100 species of Borneo - by Prof Dr Fatimah Abang

A second book, referred to as a "pocket guide", is a 130-page paperback by Fatimah Abang, a Professor in Entomology from Department of Zoology of the University Malaysia Sarawak. This book is intended to serve as a very basic guide to assist butterfly enthusiasts in the identification of some of the butterflies found in Malaysia. This book, entitled "Butterflies of Malaysian Borneo - a Pocket Guide", showcases a total of 100 species of butterflies.

The first 20 pages of the book starts with a useful introduction to butterflies and explanation of some of the various aspects of their habitats and host plants, morphology, life cycle and classification. The rest of the book is organised by the families of butterflies, albeit the photos of the species are from museum specimens and very few field shots are found in the book.

A useful index can be found at the end of the book, which aids in the search for species pages found in the book - by alphabetical order of their scientific and common names. Some of the English common names used in the book may have been influenced by the author of the previous book and appear to deviate from the typical names used by authors in the region.

Clipper (Parthenos sylvia borneensis) - Poring Hot Spring, Sabah, Malaysia

Whilst both these field guides on Bornean butterflies may have their shortcomings, they are nevertheless the only currently available books dealing with species found in Borneo. This leaves a big gap in the educational literature about the butterflies of Borneo for other authors to fill.

A soon-to-be published Guide to the Butterflies of Borneo - © Beaufoy Publishing

At the moment, Beaufoy Publishing has indicated that a 'coming soon' 150-species Butterflies of Borneo book is in the works. Authored by Honor Phillipps, the book is described to contain the full checklist of the butterflies of Borneo as at 2012 and their status in each state of Borneo. However, a quick check on the internet websites show that this book is still yet to be available.

Common Tree Nymph (Idea lynceus) - Poring Hot Springs, Sabah, Malaysia

Friends in the photography groups have also indicated that another book is also in the works. This book, will be published by renowned publisher of all things Borneo, Datuk Chan Chew Lun who owns the Natural History Publications (Borneo) Sdn. Bhd. a Kota Kinabalu-based publishing house. It is one of the leading English language and natural history publishers in Malaysia and Southeast Asian region. The company has published numerous works relating to the biological richness of the region, with a focus on the island of Borneo.

Butterfly enthusiasts will certainly look forward to these new publications on the Butterflies of Borneo.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Goh LC, Rod Eldie and Khew SK

Photos from the books "A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Borneo and South East Asia" and "Butterflies of Malaysian Borneo - A Pocket Guide" are copyrighted property of their respective authors and publishers, and samples of the pages from the books are featured here under the principles of fair use.

Further references :

Taxonomic List of the Butterflies of the Labi-Teraja Area - by Vic Hitchings

Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks
Featuring : Springleaf Nature Park

A tranquil view of the water and lush greenery at Springleaf Nature Park

We continue our exploration of the many public parks in Singapore managed by the National Parks Board (NParks). There are currently over 300 parks in Singapore, big and small, and 4 nature reserves under the management of NParks. In keeping with Singapore's "City in a Garden" vision, the planning of Singapore has taken into account the preservation of greenery in our intensively developed island. This is to ensure that Singapore does not become a jungle of concrete, bricks and mortar.

Signboard at Springleaf Nature Park, showing the 6 Ha park, the streams and park connector

This weekend's blog article features a small park of about 6 Ha in size. What is unique about this nature park, is that it is situated at the confluence of two streams from the catchment in the Mandai and Sembawang precinct. The water from these two streams drain into the the Lower Seletar Reservoir towards the east of this park.

Landscaping around the managed part of the park is aesthetically pleasing, but with the wrong plants, very low butterfly activity is observed.

This nature park, called Springleaf Nature Park, is located in an area formerly known as Chan Chu Kang (曾厝港) village. This village was named after the village headman by the name of Chan Ah Lak 曾亞六 (1813-1873), who owned the land in this area, where he cultivated pepper and gambier cash crops in the 1850's. The village was later renamed to Nee Soon Village after Lim Nee Soon established a rubber plantation there.

With the rapid urbanisation of Singapore, the area became part of Yishun New Town. Opened in Nov 2014, Springleaf Nature Park is the first of four new nature parks which will serve as green buffers to the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. These parks - which include Chestnut, Thomson and Windsor Nature Parks - will help to reduce visitorship pressure on the Reserve by providing an alternative venue for the public to enjoy nature-related activities. The development of these nature parks in Singapore is part of a holistic approach to conserve the biodiversity in our nature reserves.

The entrance pavilion at Springleaf Nature Park - designed by CPG Consultants.

Access to Springleaf Nature Park is via Upper Thomson Road. There is a small carpark (chargeable) with about 20 lots if you are driving. The main single-storey visitor pavilion and rest rooms are located next to the car park and adjacent to the main road. A small cafe, run by Verdure forms part of this visitor pavilion. A convenient location for some refreshments after an outing at the park!

The elevated viewing platform that encompasses a tree into its design

The view out to the promontory where the two streams converge

Setting out from the visitor pavilion will bring you to a simple red 'rubble' concrete path that winds sinuously towards an elevated circular platform that encircles a tree. From this platform, a visitor can look at the scenery beyond and the confluence of the two streams and the promontory where they intersect. A wide canal then extends beyond, where the edges are 'softened' with grass verges, instead of a hard concrete engineered canal.

Areas with good potential for planting butterfly-attracting plants or creating a small butterfly garden

Moving towards the left, one is greeted by an open space with cultivated trees. A tall hedge of Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica) and Red Tree Bush (Leea rubra) line the edge of this open grassy field. You can then make your way to the side table of the canal and walk alongside the edge of the green verges.

The resident Gram Blue butterflies and their caterpillar host plant, the creeper weed Vigna reflexopilosa

Along these areas, you can find wild-growing patches of Vigna reflexopilosa, the caterpillar host plant of the Gram Blue (Euchrysops cnejus cnejus). Once you reach this area, it is very highly likely that you will encounter several individuals of the Gram Blue, both males and females, fluttering restlessly amongst the low shrubbery. This butterfly feeds on the wildflowers in the vicinity, and the males have also been observe to puddle on carrion and bird droppings on the forest floor.

Skippers found at Springleaf Nature Park

Amongst the tall grasses like Lalang and Guinea Grass that grows along the forested edges, you can expect to see several species of Hesperiidae like the Contiguous Swift and Small Branded Swift zipping amongst the bushes and opening their wings to sunbathe. Skippers are also seen feeding at the flowers of the Chinese Violet (Asystasia gangetica)

There is good bird diversity at Springleaf Nature Park

Walking along the canal, you can observe the active bird life and the resident Kingfishers, Blue Tailed Bee Eater and Swallows will often be around to entertain you with their flying and hunting prowess. Up on the branches of the tall trees, you can often hear the calls of the raptors that nest in the upper reaches of these majestic trees.

Other urban butterflies that flutter around the area are the Plain Tiger, Chocolate Pansy, Leopard and Lemon Emigrant. However, due to the lack of the preferred nectaring plants for butterflies, Springleaf Nature Park's butterfly diversity is somewhat low. This is a pity, as the location of this park that is close to the Central Catchment Nature Reserves would have given it the advantage of being able to attract a wider diversity of butterfly species to this park.

A patch where Lantana camara used to grow, but now removed and covered with wood chips

Even at the main entrance area, where large patches of Lantana camara used to be planted, are now gone. Perhaps it was too much of a maintenance issue that resulted in the removal of these butterfly 'magnets'. The Javanese Ixora bushes appear to be unhealthy and there are very few flower heads that would encourage visiting butterflies to feed on them.

More tranquil views of blue and green at Springleaf Nature Park.

Walking on the other side of the canal after crossing the bridge along Nee Soon Road and heading back to the entrance pavilion, again the planting of orchids and other non-butterfly attracting plants did not do anything to attract the potential species of butterflies that can be found in the area. All in all, whilst this Nature Park has a lot of potential to attract butterflies, the current planting palette completely misses any opportunity to do so.

Male and female Gram Blues sunbathing

Other than an almost 'guaranteed' sighting of the Gram Blues in this Nature Park, the butterfly diversity is left much to be desired. A more judicious selection of both nectaring and host plants would have made a big difference, as could be seen in the Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden, which is also near the Central Catchment Nature Reserves. Until that happens, visit the Springleaf Nature Park for its rich bird life and tranquil green and blue scenery. But all is not lost - its butterfly diversity can easily be improved by planting the right plants to attract butterflies. It has the potential to stand equal with some of the more successful butterfly-watching parks and gardens in Singapore.

How to Get There :
By Public Transport : Take bus service SBS 138, SMRT 167, 169 or 980 and alight at bus stop outside the former Nessea Club along Upper Thomson Road.

By Car : See map for details. Parking charges apply.

Text and Photos by Khew SK

Book Review - Two Indonesian Butterfly Books
Featuring : "Precious and Protected Indonesian Butterflies" and "Butterflies of Bogor Botanic Garden"

A female Common Green Birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus poseidon)

In a previous weekend's blog article, we took a look at the literature available (or lack thereof) on Bornean butterflies. This weekend, we shift our attention to the 14th largest country in the world, in terms of land mass. Amongst the ASEAN nations, Indonesia is the largest country amongst the 10 southeast asian countries. Indonesia is the 4th most populous country in the world, after China, India and the US.

The largest archipelago in the world, Indonesia has about 1,919,000 sq km of land mass

Given the land mass of 1.9 million sq km (or about 3.5 times the size of Thailand), and the very diverse ecosystems and habitats of its 17,000 islands, any effort to document the butterflies of the entire country would be almost a superhuman feat! Hence it is not surprising that no researcher has ever attempted a comprehensive book covering all of Indonesia yet! It is with this background that Pisuth Ek-Amnuay's Butterflies of Thailand (two editions) should be lauded for the author's effort to document Thailand's butterfly fauna, as writing a book that covers over 1,000 species would certainly not have been easy.

A male Common Green Birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus poseidon) clings on to its leaf perch

Indonesia has an estimated number of 2,500 species of butterflies, or about double the number of butterfly species found in Thailand or Malaysia! It is home to many endemic species, some of which are so unique and beautiful, they should rightfully be also given protection status under the CITES list. Many of the larger species of swallowtails and birdwings found in Indonesia are amongst the largest butterfly species found in the world.

This article takes a look at two (out of four) books authored by Dr Djunijanti Peggie, which introduces a selective sample of butterflies found in Indonesia. The first book is entitled "Precious and Protected Indonesian Butterflies". This book basically features some CITES-protected species, particularly the Ornithoptera, Trogonoptera and Troides butterflies found in Indonesia. Several of these species are endemic to the country.

The format of the book, in B4 dimension, is clean and easy to read. Written in English and Bahasa Indonesia, the book is targeted at both the local Indonesian enthusiasts as well as international readers. Due to the small number of species featured, a nice visual quick index to the species helps to orientate the reader to the butterflies featured in the book.

The CITES list of the butterflies featured in Dr Peggie's book

The introductory section of the book efficiently summarises the Indonesian bio-geography and where the featured butterflies can be found. This section covers a short introduction to butterflies, nomenclature, handling collected specimens, butterfly morphology and terminology and some distinguishing features of each species. A list of of the species protected under CITES Appendix II is also included.

A page from the book featuring the very beautiful Violet Lacewing (Cethosia myrina sarnada) which is endemic in Sulawesi

The remaining pages of the book shows a double-spread of each species with useful data on the common and scientific names, wing dimensions, distinguishing features, distribution and protection status. Only photos of collected and set specimens accompany the write ups. But these are very useful to allow the reader to view the upper and underside of each species, and male/female photos also highlight the sexual dimorphism amongst these species.

The tailed male of Paradise Birdwing (Ornithoptera paradisea) is one of the beautiful birdwing butterflies in Indonesia

Specific distinguishing features of each species highlighted in the text are also annotated on the photos to visually show these features. Annotations by numbers is also helpful to guide the reader to understand the corresponding descriptions in the text box. A centimeter ruler is added under each butterfly specimen to help give an approximate scale to the photo and an indication of its wingspan.

Wallace's Golden Birdwing (Ornithoptera croesus), a spectacular species that was first described by Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859 and had a prominent mention in his book, the Malay Archipelago. This species is endemic to northern Maluku.

This 72-page book provides a good introduction to some of Indonesia's most spectacular butterflies. The book is simple and well-organised, with the key information and photographs effectively laid out to present the maximum information without any distracting clutter. The synopsis on the back cover of the book is written by Prof Dick Vane-Wright of the UK.

The second book, co-authored by Dr Peggie with Mr Mohammad Amir, is a small pocket-guide entitled "Practical Guide to the Butterflies of Bogor Botanic Garden". This guide book features a total of about 96 species of butterflies found at the Bogor Botanic Garden, which covers about 87 Hectares in Bogor City in western Java. This botanic garden is apparently initiated by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles some time in the early 19th Century.

A diagrammatic location map of Bogor Botanic Garden shows the various sub-gardens where the species featured in the book were observed.

The pocket guide is also bi-lingual in English and Bahasa Indonesia. A few quick introduction-to-butterflies pages precede the main species pages. There is also a short section about Bogor Botanic Garden with a diagrammatic map of the gardens and some specific areas within the premises where the butterflies were observed.

A location map of Bogor Botanic Gardens. The garden is about an hour's drive from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia

The species pages are organised by taxonomic families of butterflies, with the exception of Riodinidae, which is not found in Bogor Botanic Garden. Details of host plants, distribution, and some description of the butterfly are included for each species. There is a small pictorial diagram of Bogor Botanic Garden on each page to depict the locations where the species was observed within the garden.

Each species photo is of a set specimen with the upper/underside cut into half and digitally "sewn together" to depict the butterfly in one photo. This is useful to save space and keep the book concise and affordable. Description of the butterfly behaviour and other notes of interest are included. Photos of the species in the field, where available, are added to the bottom part of the page to complement the species described.

Some of the specimen photos shown are not in the best of condition, but they were probably of specimens that were actually captured and set on location from the Bogor Botanic Gardens. It should be noted that no English common names are indicated in this particular pocket guide, and only the scientific names of the species are used.

On the left page, the awesome caliper-tailed Polyura dehanii was also observed before at the Bogor Botanic Garden!

At Rp45,000 or just under S$5, this pocket guide is a good companion for any butterfly-watching enthusiast visiting Bogor Botanic Garden. And who knows, you may be lucky enough to spot the awesome caliper-tailed Polyura dehanii at the gardens!

Text and Photos by Khew SK.

Photos from the books "Precious and Protected Indonesian Butterflies" and "Practical Guide to the Butterflies of Bogor Botanic Garden" are copyrighted property of their respective authors and publishers, and samples of the pages from the books are featured here under the principles of fair use.

Butterfly of the Month - December 2017
The Common Snow Flat (Tagiades japetus atticus)

Ten years ago, in December 2007, we started the Butterfly of the Month series with our first feature butterfly, the beautiful Malay Lacewing (Cethosia hypsea hysina). This month, December 2017 we mark a milestone for this series, after featuring a total of 122 species of butterflies found in Singapore. (inclusive of this month's feature species). So we celebrate a decade of Singapore's butterflies and look forward to featuring more of our flying jewels.

December is always a month for festivities and the year-end holidays. Shopping malls, offices and even the public roads along the main shopping belts in Singapore are decorated with pretty lights and cheery Christmas decorations. The cooler winter breezes and daily rains also make the ambient temperatures feel a lot like Christmas, even though Singapore is unlikely to see any real snow for a long time to come!

Even as we enjoy the holiday season, indulge in good food and great company of friends and family, many countries continue to be on high alert for acts of terrorism during the year-end festivities. And just when you least expect it, incidents such as the recent New York Times Square bomb attack brings back the reality that there extremists out there and no amount of vigilance and surveillance by the authorities can eliminate them completely. Over the years, travellers have come to terms with terror attacks as an inevitable part of life, including travelling overseas.

In global news, North Korea continues to take centre stage, as it successfully launch an intercontinental ballistic missile that it claims can potentially reach any city in the US. The Trump Administration, on the other hand made news (and a lot of unhappy people) when it announced that it will henceforth recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

On the environmental front, Singapore saw its first electric car-sharing company starting operations this month with 80 "blue cars" and about 30 charging stations. Similar to the bike-sharing scheme which can be popularly seen all over Singapore today, this electric car-sharing scheme will be the pioneer of car mobility in our sharing economy. The scheme is operated by BlueSG, a subsidiary of the French Bollore group, which launched the world’s largest and most successful car sharing, Autolib’ in Paris. The plan is to reach a total of 1,000 BlueSG electric vehicles in Singapore, which may appeal to those who do not think it is feasible to pay an arm and a leg for Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) and the attendant high costs of car ownership in Singapore.

A Common Snow Flat feeding on the flower of Syzygium tree

Our feature butterfly for December 2017 is a rather drab Hesperiidae, predominantly brown on its upperside and bluish-white scaling on the undersurfaces of its hindwing. The Common Snow Flat (Tagiades japetus atticus) is moderately common in Singapore where it is usually found along the edges of Singapore's forested nature reserves, hill parks and wastelands.

This species belongs to the subfamily Pyrginae often referred to as Flats and Spread-Winged Skippers, indicating the open-winged posed of the butterflies when at rest or when feeding. The majority are fast-flyers, zipping rapidly around, and then stopping to rest with their wings opened flat on the undersides of leaves. The Snow Flats, of which there are four species from the genus Tagiades in Singapore, have whitened hindwings, which when in flight, makes the butterfly appear much smaller than it actually is.

The underside of the hindwing of the Common Snow Flat is suffused with bluish white scaling

The Common Snow Flat is pale brown on the upperside of its wings, with dark brown patches and spots on both wings. There are small sub-apical and post-discal hyaline spots on the forewings which are larger in the female than in the male. The underside of the hindwing is suffused with bluish-white scaling and appears almost whitish when in flight. The head, thorax and abdomen of the species is strongly whitened on the underside.

A Common Snow Flat rests with its wings opened flat on the underside of a leaf

The species' habit of stopping under leaves to rest makes it challenging to photograph. However, there are times of the day with it sunbathes on the upper surfaces of leaves with its usually open-winged post. Occasionally, when there are Syzygium trees flowering, there may be several individuals of the Common Snow Flat visiting the flowers to feed. In the early morning hours, they may be seen feeding on the flowers of plants like the Chinese Violet (Asystasia gangetica).

The Common Snow Flat is occasionally observed to feed on bird droppings on leaves or on the ground. It is rarely observed puddling at damp streambanks although other species in the subfamily have been seen to puddle more often than this species.

The local caterpillar host plant of the Common Snow Flat is of the Dioscorea spp. - a climbing vine that is more often found in the forested areas than in urban parks and gardens. The host plant is also shared by at least two other species of the genus.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Chng CK, Goh LC, Federick Ho, Huang CJ, Khew SK, Loke PF, Nelson Ong, Jonathan Soong, Horace Tan and Benjamin Yam.

ButterflyCircle 2017 - Looking Back...
The Year in Review : Part 1

We take a look back over the past 12 months in 2017 and reflect on the activities that the group has contributed to the knowledge and sharing of information about butterflies in Singapore and our neighbours in Southeast Asia. It has been quite eventful, although here in Singapore, the actual butterfly population seemed to have dropped a bit in some months. There was no haze to blame this year, so perhaps there could be other reasons to explain for the drop in the sightings of some species that were more regular in past years.

This year, we continued to share useful articles on this blog to benefit different groups of people with different interests about butterflies. Into its 10th year, since 2007, this blog continues to churn out at least an article every weekend to cover various aspects about butterflies - from ecology and biology of butterflies, to community activities and education, to photography and outings to butterfly-rich neighbouring countries. We end 2017 with a grand total of 855 articles over the past decade of blogging.

In the regular feature articles in the blog like the Butterfly of the Month articles, we continue to share information and colourful photographs of individual species every month. This year, we have completed a total of 122 species featured over the past 10 years since the Dec 2007 "centrefold". It has been an incredible journey of monthly articles about the local butterflies featured, plus a few personal anecdotes about the world we live in.

Our life history expert, Horace Tan, has worked tirelessly over the years, churning out articles with amazing details to document the early stages of Singapore's butterflies. Given that he has already covered a staggering 194 individual life histories on this blog, this forms nearly 60% of the extant species in Singapore! There are probably a few more that Horace has yet to complete, but probably with diminishing returns as we reach a level where only the rare or very rare species are left to be documented.

Our local host plant Sea Almond (Terminalia catappa) and three of the butterfly species that this plant supports in their early stages

This year, Horace added two more species to his meticulous documentation of Singapore's butterfly species with the inclusion of an update to the early stages of the Purple Duke (Eulaceura osteria kumana) and the Ganda Dart (Potanthus ganda). Horace also shared one article on the Larval Host Plants of Butterflies, featuring the Sea Almond (Terminalia catappa). At least 3 butterfly species have been successfully bred on this host plant in Singapore.

Six additional butterflies' favourite nectaring plants were featured in 2017

Our Butterflies' Favourite Nectaring Plants series added six flowering plants that our local butterflies are attracted to. This topped up our list to fourteen such nectaring plants that every butterfly garden should be cultivated with. Not all the plants are your typical landscaping material, and some of them are often considered as 'weeds' to gardeners. However, it is important to have the diversity of nectaring sources to attract a wider variety of butterflies.

On the social media front, the original FaceBook site set up for sharing butterflies of Singapore took a different direction and changed its focus more and more towards the international scene. This has pros and cons, but I feel that the original mission of setting up a sharing group that features Singapore's butterfly biodiversity first, has been diluted beyond recognition.

Hence a back-to-basics Butterflies of Singapore FB group was re-created in June this year. Whilst the community is a much smaller group now, there is better local relevance and focus on Singapore's butterflies and activities. The previous group concentrates on a global thrust which does not do much to promote butterfly conservation, community engagement outings and educational activities that are specific to our local scene. I will devote my time and effort to the local group and wish the more international-outlook group all the best in pursuing their own objectives, whatever those may be.

The ever-active and enthusiastic Mr Foo contributing his time and energy to encourage butterfly enthusiasts to participate in community butterfly gardens and sharing of knowledge

ButterflyCircle's collaboration with Foo JL's Nature @ Seletar Butterfly Group has also reaped dividends for butterfly conservation and education efforts that are more tailored towards, and of particular benefit to Singapore. It is important to leave behind a legacy that cultivates the next generation of butterfly enthusiasts for Singapore to ensure a sustainable conservation community that continues to be active locally so that nature continues to have a place in our lives, despite the pressure of intensive developments on our small 715 sq km island.

The original ButterflyCircle forum that was set up in 2004 is left to take on a more scientific and taxonomic purpose. It remains a very useful resource on butterflies, particularly when we still have the invaluable expertise of Dr Seow TL in the identification of the cryptic lookalikes amongst our butterflies. Although the forums have not been as active as before, the information that is relevant still comes in very useful from time to time.

In the next part of this article, we will share more of the educational and community engagement efforts that ButterflyCircle has participated in over the past year. As we head our to our respective Christmas Eve celebrations and parties with our friends and loved ones this evening, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our friends and readers a blessed and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Loh MY, Loke PF and Horace Tan

ButterflyCircle 2017 - Looking Back...
The Year in Review : Part 2

In our concluding article for the year in review, we take a look at some of the work done over the past 12 months by ButterflyCircle and our collaborating volunteers and members. We continue to share information about various subjects about butterflies to the butterfly-loving community in Singapore. Readers who have questions or preferences for particular information about butterflies that they would like to see featured, are encouraged to leave comments in the feedback section of this blog. We will try to research and share information about subjects that are of interest to our butterfly community.

We did reviews of butterfly books by various authors in the region. Discussions about these books help to benchmark the different ways authors feature butterflies and convey the information to different types of audience. Amongst the books reviewed were the Butterflies of India by Isaac Kehimkar, Butterflies of Borneo and Southeast Asia by Kazuhisa Otsuka, Butterflies of Malaysian Borneo by Prof Fatimah Abang, Precious and Protected Indonesian Butterflies by Dr Djunijanti and Practical Guide to the Butterflies of Bogor Botanic Garden by Dr Djunijanti Peggie and Mohammad Amir.

Whilst these books are not the typical taxonomic or scientific tomes, they contribute to different segments of the butterfly-loving community in their respective countries. By making the books appeal to a wider target audience, these authors have been effective in showcasing butterflies of their respective geographies - whether in India, Borneo or Indonesia. These authors should be complimented for their effort in promoting the appreciation and information about butterflies.

Sample photos from our Butterfly Photography 101 series

And then for the butterfly photography community, five additional articles were added to the Butterfly Photography 101 series to complete the 7-part series that was started in 2016. These articles covered a wide range of subjects and technical discussions that every butterfly photographer should know. The initial articles back in 2016 dealt with photographic equipment and magnification devices used in macro photography.

Sample photos from our Butterfly Photography 101 series

The remaining articles in the series in 2017 covered more technical information like shutter speed, aperture, ISO (and the combination of all three in butterfly photography), exposure and metering, the use of fill-flash, composition techniques, stalking and the best places to look for butterflies.

Two of our butterfly-friendly parks and gardens at Ang Mo Kio-Bishan and Bukit Panjang

We then featured some Singapore butterfly photography locations - our parks and gardens. Did you know that there are actually over 300 parks and gardens and 4 nature reserves in Singapore under the management of the National Parks Board. All these 'pockets' of greenery are places which attract our floral and faunal biodiversity and much needs to be done to enhance these sites to conserve what little we have of our natural heritage in Singapore.

Two nature parks to visit in Singapore for butterfly-watching - Coney Island and Springleaf

We took a look at four Singapore parks - Coney Island, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden and Springleaf Nature Park. Covering a range of urban heartland parks and nature parks, these areas of greenery feature a diverse range of butterfly species depending on the catchment and habitats available in the vicinity of these parks. Working with the NParks and community gardeners, a variety of butterfly-attracting plants have been cultivated at these sites to attract a wider diversity of butterfly species.

One local commercial butterfly park, the Sentosa Butterfly Park was also featured. This butterfly park, which was set up some time back in 1987, is an example of how commercialism has degraded the original mission of nature conservation. Appealing more to tourists and collectors, the use of dead beetles and butterfly wings as pieces of 'art' collages was one instance of featuring insects in bad taste. The facility was also rather run-down and in desperate need for a facelift.

ButterflyCircle's booth at the Festival of Biodiversity 2017

ButterflyCircle collaborated with members from Nature @ Seletar CC and volunteers from Chung Cheng High School to set up a booth at the Festival of Biodiversity 2017. In its sixth run, the festival that aims to introduce our local biodiversity to the general public continued to draw curious crowds year after year. In 2017, the FOB was held for the first time at NEXX Shopping mall in central Singapore.

Mr Foo gives a show-and-tell session, complete with caterpillars and pupae, at Seletar Country Club

Talks and sharing sessions were held in the course of the year to engage the community and butterfly enthusiasts. Mr Foo JL of Nature @ Seletar CC group held at talk in March for a group of nature lovers with an outing at the Seletar CC Butterfly Garden. There was a show-and-tell with different species' caterpillars and their host plants.

Butterfly Talk to a group of teachers at Deyi Secondary School

I gave a talk to the Science Instructional Programme Support Group in April. Held at the Deyi Secondary School, the talk was a sharing and educational session to the teachers who were keen on starting butterfly gardens and learning more about butterflies. The session ended with a walk around Deyi Secondary School's own Butterfly Garden which featured a small area landscaped with butterfly-attracting plants and signages to educate the students visiting the garden.

Community Planting Day at Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden

A few volunteers from the Bukit Panjang Butterfly Garden group then organised a Planting Day and invited the community to join in to set up the butterfly garden. We selected a patch of open greenery and set out to plant a series of butterfly-attracting plants in planter beds. The mayor and the grassroots representatives also joined in the fun in June 2017. Just after six months or so, the BPBG number of butterfly species has already reached 60 and counting!

ButterflyCircle's contributions to the community in Singapore

And then we featured the contributions of ButterflyCircle's involvement and contributions to the educational, conservation, community engagement and citizen science initiatives in Singapore over the years. These articles, over a three-part series, showcased the efforts of ButterflyCircle members' sharing of their time, effort and knowledge on various fronts ranging from publications, talks, outings, surveys, interpretative signage and community engagement.

A collage of butterfly antennae pictures and an upside-down butterfly - observation of butterfly behaviour in the wild

On the scientific front, we posted two articles - one on butterfly behaviour and another on the anatomical observations of the butterfly's antennae. The two-part article on butterfly behaviour in the wild highlights certain species' propensity to hide under leaves in the field. Not all butterflies behave similarly but a handful of species tended towards a habitual under-leaf typical behaviour. The antennae of butterflies took centre stage in an article that discusses the physical appearance and functions of the antennae.

It was a relatively active year for ButterflyCircle members and our collaborators in promoting the appreciation and conservation of butterflies in Singapore. It has been a fruitful 10 years, sharing information about butterflies on this blog platform, and we look forward to 2018 and more exciting news and stories about our winged friends.

2017 has been a generally challenging year globally and particularly in the region. Perhaps to me, it was also a 'forgettable' year, as some unfortunate and unpleasant events, both at the personal and at the workplace environment, added some painful learning lessons for the year. Nevertheless, we should look forward to starting the new year with a clean slate and with renewed optimism that things will always be better.

I would like to wish all our ButterflyCirle members, readers and friends a bountiful and healthy...

HAPPYNEWYEAR2018!!!

Text by Khew SK ; Photos by Khew SK, Loh MY and Or CK ; FOB17 Poster by Huang CJ

The Singapore Jays
Featuring the Jay Butterflies of Singapore

Reading the title of our first blog article of 2018, one may be forgiven if one thinks the "Singapore Jays" is a musical rock band or something like that. But the pun-ful title is purely coincidental, as in this instance, we are referring to a group of butterflies that are collectively referred to as "Jays". These species belong to the genus Graphium in the family of Birdwings and Swallowtails (Papilionidae).

Two different species of Jays puddling - Left : Lesser Jay Right : Common Jay

The Jays are very fast-flying and skittish butterflies with unique triangular-shaped wing forms that are predominantly blue or green in colour. Over the years, three extant species have been found in Singapore - the Tailed Jay, Lesser Jay and Common Jay. Subsequently, in 2014, another two Jays found their way into Singapore and have been added to the Checklist. Although these two latter species - the Great Jay and Striped Jay are considered seasonal migrants, they are not uncommon up north in Malaysia.

A pair of Lesser Jays puddling

The males of these Jay species have a common behaviour in that they are often drawn to puddle on urine-tainted sandy streambanks and damp patches of sand or soil that is rich in animal excretions or decomposing organic matter. Being fast-flying and skittish, it is only when they are puddling when a photographer gets the best odds of photographing them with much less frustration. Occasionally though, they stop to perch on the nearby shrubbery after gorging themselves on their liquid diet.

A trio of different Jays puddling together. Left : Lesser Jay Middle : Striped Jay Right : Common Jay

This blogpost introduces the five recorded species of Jays in Singapore and shares some of their behaviour and unique characteristics, host plants and how to distinguish between those species that are very similar in appearance.

The Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon agamemnon)

The first of our five Jays, the Tailed Jay is the easiest to identify and is distinctively different from the other Jays in that it has green spots on its wings. It cannot be confused with any of the other Jay species found in Singapore. However, a similar looking species, the Spotted Jay (Graphium arycles arycles), flies in Malaysia and has yet to be found in Singapore. The Spotted Jay lacks the tails at vein 2 of the hindwing of the Tailed Jay, but is similarly coloured.

The Tailed Jay is considered an urban butterfly here in Singapore, where it is often seen in the vicinity of its host plants - Soursop, Champaca and Ashoka Tree, all of which are cultivated and planted along roadside verges in urban Singapore. As its caterpillars feed on a wide variety of host plants, of which two more are found mainly in the forested nature reserves, the Tailed Jay has a widespread distribution from urban parks and gardens to the forested nature reserves.

A Tailed Jay perches on a fern to rest after a puddling feeding frenzy

It is a fast flying butterfly and often seen feeding at flowering plants more than puddling at sandy streambanks. Females are typically larger, and have longer tails than the males. The upperside of the Tailed Jay is dotted with emerald green spots on a black background. The underside features a purple-brown ground colour with green and red spots.

The Lesser Jay (Graphium evemon eventus)

The Lesser Jay, sometimes referred to as the "Blue Jay", is a forest-dependent species and is most often encountered within the forested nature reserves of Singapore. Where it occurs, it is common and at times, several individuals can be encountered puddling together. It has a rapid and erratic flight and is skittish.

An open-winged Lesser Jay showing its blue uppersides

The butterfly's wings are black above, with a blue macular band that runs across the fore and hindwings. There is a series of blue submarginal spots. The underside is a pale silvery blue with deep red spots at the sub-tornal area of the hindwings. The Lesser Jay can be identified by the black costal bar on the underside of the hindwing, where it is united with the basal band.

The early stages of the Lesser Jay has been documented successfully and the caterpillar feeds on Artabotrys wrayi (Annonaceae), which is essentially a forest plant. As such, the butterfly is more often observed in the forested areas of Singapore and rarely seen in urban parks and gardens.

The Common Jay (Graphium doson evemonides)

The Common Jay was first discovered on Pulau Ubin in 2004 and has stayed as a resident of the island ever since

The next extant Jay species that is regularly observed in Singapore is the Common Jay. This species was first observed on the island of Pulau Ubin in 2004 and has largely remained on that island to this day. Although there have been sightings of the Common Jay on Singapore island, it is more often seen on Pulau Ubin, where its caterpillar host plant grows.

The Common Jay is almost indistinguishable from its lookalike cousins when in flight. The typical black wings with a blue macular band and submarginal spots on the upperside makes it almost identical to the other species. However, on the underside of the forewing, the red-centred costal bar is separated from the black basal bar distinguishes this species from the others.

The Common Jay caterpillars have been successfully bred on Desmos chinensis (Annonaceae, common name: Dwarf Ylang Ylang), Michelia alba (Magnoliaceae, common name: White Champaca), Polyathia longifolia var. pendula (Annonaceae, common name: False Ashoka Tree). The Dwarf Ylang Ylang appears to be its preferred host plant that is found on Pulau Ubin.

The Striped Jay (Graphium bathycles bathycloides)

The Striped Jay has the most distinct yellow wingbases compared to the other Jays

The next lookalike Jay species is the Striped Jay. This species was only observed some time in 2014 with a good photo record of it. There were some claims that it was also shot here in Singapore previously, but the records have not been validated. The observation in 2014 was within the nature reserves area where the butterfly was puddling at a sandy streambank.

Again, in this species, the black upperside with a blue macular band and submarginal spots make this species almost identical to its cousins in the genus. The basal area on the underside of the wings is prominently yellow. The diagnostic feature for this species is the costal stripe which is thin and curves away from the basal bar.

The Striped Jay is common in Malaysian forests where several individuals are observed puddling together. There is another closely related Jay that is very similar to this species called the Veined Jay (Graphium chironides malayanum). However, this species has not been seen in Singapore yet.

The Great Jay (Graphium eurypylus mecisteus)

The last species of the Jays observed here in Singapore is the Great Jay. Coincidentally, also spotted in 2014 around the time when the Striped Jay was seen in Singapore, the Great Jay is superficially similar in appearance to the previous three species discussed here. It sports the same black upperside with a blue macular band across both wings, with blue submarginal spots.

Like its other cousins, the Great Jay is often photographed whilst puddling on sandy streambanks in forested areas. The skittish, fast-flying species often puddles together with its other cousins and many other species that like to puddle in numbers. The distinguishing marking on the underside of the hindwing is the red-centred costal bar with is conjoined with the basal band.

A Great Jay puddling to sip essential salts at a damp streambank

The Great Jay and Striped Jay are not considered "resident" species but have been recorded on the Singapore checklist as seasonal migrants. Until a viable colony can be established, they are likely to be seen only occasionally when the conditions are conducive for them to fly over from the neighbouring Johor forests.

So in summary, a visual guide showing the diagnostic features on the underside of the hindwings of the Lesser, Common, Striped and Great Jays is included here for reference. So when you are out in the field, observing some of these lookalikes, do try to spot these features to help you identify which of the Jays that you have encountered.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by David Chan, Bob Cheong, Goh LC, Khew SK, Henry Koh, Jonathan Soong, Horace Tan, Tea YK, Anthony Wong and Mark Wong

Butterfly of the Month - January 2018
The Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore)

Mating pair of Tawny Costers - top : male, bottom : female

Here we are, right in the middle of the first month of 2018, and we continue with our feature-butterfly monthly series into its 11th year. The weather is uncharacteristically odd in Singapore for this time of the year and we are enjoying (?) sub-23 deg C temperatures on most days, with the lowest temperature of 21.4 degC recorded in western Singapore in recent years. The persistent wet weather over the past week added to the cold snap as airconditioners were turned off, and tumble dryers doing their fair share to keep the laundry nice and dry.

A taste of climate change to come? The exceptional rain on 8 Jan dumped so much water over the eastern part of Singapore over a couple of hours that the drainage system was unable to cope with the sudden downpour. The ensuing floods in some of the low-lying areas created the first major traffic snarl for the year, coupled with half-submerged cars and damaged properties.

The residents in the eastern US will probably think that a puddle of water in Singapore is nothing compared to the 'bomb cyclone' that dropped a whole load of snow on them. Sub-zero temperatures and foot-high snow closed airports in New York and kept the kids from schools. Even in the warmer south of the US, in Florida, the sudden cold weather caused near-frozen iguanas to drop from trees! So far, we haven't had any records of our local changeable lizards dropping off our trees yet.

The cold and wet weather has kept our local butterfly-watchers indoors as there is very low butterfly activity out in the field anyway. We look forward to warmer weather and bluer skies in the coming months where we can go out and enjoy the beauty of nature's flying jewels again soon. Until then, we can only ponder on the effects of climate change, and what the impacts are, to our environment and biodiversity.

And so we turn to our January Butterfly of the Month, the Tawny Coster (Acreae terpsicore). This species did not appear in Singapore until some time back in 2006. After it reached the shores of Singapore, we postulated its likely voyage all the way from the Indian subcontinent, through Thailand and Peninsula Malaysia. Subsequently, it was spotted in Indonesia, and it is believed to have colonised part of Australia as well. A very tenacious butterfly indeed!

Tawny Coster perched with wings folded upright when resting

Before 2006, it was first spotted by collectors in the northern states of West Malaysia in 1992 as it progressively made its way down the peninsula over the span of at least a decade. The species' journey is most likely aided by the easy availability of its caterpillar host plants, Passiflora foetida, Passiflora edulis and Passiflora suberosa - all fast-growing Passion Fruit vines that are spread by birds that eat their fruits. Its caterpillars were also found on Tuneria ulmifolia another plant of the Passion Fruit family, and it is highly likely that its caterpillars can also feed on other species of Passifloraceae.

Top : Upperside of male Tawny Coster ; Bottom : Upperside of female Tawny Coster

The male Tawny Coster is a deep orange on its upperside whilst the female is a paler orange-yellow. There is a transverse black spot in the cell of the forewing. The underside is generally of a lighter shade of orange with a larger number of black spots on both wings compared to the upperside. There is a marginal row of black-bordered white spots giving the termen of the hindwing a scalloped appearance.

Mating pair of Tawny Coster - Left : female Right: male

The butterfly has a relatively slow flight, usually fluttering restlessly as it moves around to feed on various nectaring sources. Occasionally, it will stop to rest on twigs or upper surfaces of leaves with its wings folded upright. Most of the time, when it stops to feed on flowers, it tends to keep its wings open for balance.

The Tawny Coster is now a permanent extant species in Singapore and is quite common in urban parks and gardens and in undeveloped wastelands where its preferred caterpillar host plant, Passiflora foetida can be found. One of the reasons why this species is so successful may be the way the female lays its eggs - often up to 50 at one sitting and the purported distastefulness of both its caterpillars and adult butterflies.

A newly-eclosed male Tawny Coster holding on to its pupal case

The butterfly is believed to display aposematic colouration in being brightly-coloured and conspicuous. It is likely to be distasteful to birds, as are several other butterfly species that feed on Passifloraceae, e.g. the Lacewings (Cethosia spp). However, it is not immune to attacks from reptiles and mantises - as shown in the photo below where a mantis has ripped off the head of a Tawny Coster that it captured and is eating.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Bob Cheong, David Chan, Chng CK, Khew SK, Loke PF, Anthony Wong, Mark Wong and Benjamin Yam

Aberrations in Butterflies
Variations and abnormalities in butterflies

About 10 years ago, an aberration of the Common Rose which has missing hindwing white patches of the normal species appeared in Singapore. Whilst the status of this variation/form/aberration was unknown, several generations of this black hindwing Rose continued for some time before mysteriously disappearing again. With several similar individuals appearing for some time, it could be a subspecies or a different species, but its disappearance raises some doubt as to whether this "aberration" was caused by genetic or environmental triggers? *1

In the animal kingdom, abnormalities caused by genetic mutations or disorders give rise to aberrations or mutations that are physically different from the norm. The more well-known disorders like albinism (the lack of pigmentation in humans and animals), dwarfism (severely restricted growth, leading to smaller than usual individuals), Down's Syndrome (intellectual disability and characteristic facial appearance), polymelia (born with additional appendages) and too many others to discuss here, have been well-documented in genetic science.

An aberrant Malay Viscount with suffused white markings on the forewings

Aberrations in the butterfly world are not rare as thought. The number of photographs of aberrant butterflies that can be found on the Internet, ranging from minor to extreme aberrations in wing patterns and shapes, is evidence that aberrations are relatively regularly encountered in the field. An aberration is a variation in the wing pattern of a butterfly species which is different in some way to the normal pattern. This can occur as a genetic or environmentally produced/induced variation of the usual form of the species. Some aberrant forms although rare, recur on a fairly regular basis and have been documented as new "forms" of a butterfly species.

An aberration of the Branded Imperial where the dorsal side of the hindwing appears to be orange. In normally-coloured individuals, the dorsal side of the hindwing is black.

Butterfly aberrations may occur for a variety of reasons - for example, extreme temperature changes especially while the butterfly is developing during the pupal (chrysalis) stage may cause aberrations to occur. Very cold conditions can produce very dark forms of some species while heat shock may cause dramatic changes in wing pattern. Research that subject pupae to cold shock have yielded a wide variety of aberrant patterns and colours in butterflies' wings. In some extreme research, chemical injections into caterpillars and pupae to catalyse change in the butterflies' wing patterns have also been carried out in controlled environments.

An extreme aberration of a Common Bluebottle where almost all the blue pigment is missing from the wings

This article discusses and showcases examples of aberrant butterflies that have been observed in the field, that appear different from normal individuals of the species. Amongst the Papilionidae, there have been cases of minor variations observed. However, one such case stands out as a striking example of an extreme aberration. In the case of the Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon luctatius) encountered, the macular band across both wings has merged with the wing borders and the absence of the usual blue colour gives it a totally different appearance from the norm.

An aberrant Common Grass Yellow (left) with no cell spots

Minor aberrations in the spots of the Eurema spp. is quite regularly encountered in Singapore. The absence of the diagnostic cell spots in these Grass Yellows often cause confusion as to what species has been observed. In the example shown above, this aberrant Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe contubernalis) shows a total absence of its cell spots and the lack of other spots and features on the wings make it appear like a different species from the normal butterfly.

The Ypthima species are well-known for having aberrant individuals with additional ocelli on the hindwings

Amongst the Satyrinae, aberrations in the form of additional ocelli has been regularly documented in the Ypthima spp. Examples of the Common Three Ring and Common Five Ring are encountered so regularly with additional ocelli that this phenomenon is taken as "normal" that some individuals sport these extra eyespots.

An aberration of the Malayan Bush Brown with a thick, dark marginal border on both wings

This strange looking aberrant Malayan Bush Brown (Mycalesis fusca fusca) sports a marginal black band on both its wings. A normal individual does not have this dark band, but instead has marginal and submarginal zigzag lines which are completely absent in the aberrant individual.

An aberrant Peacock Pansy with very much reduced or absent hindwing ocelli

This aberrant Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana javana) with a reduced or absent large ocellus on the hindwing makes it appear very different from a normal individual of the same species. The ocelli on the forewing also lack the blue and white highlights of a normal Peacock Pansy.

An aberrant Malay Viscount with abnormal forewing markings that make it look very different from a normal individual of the species

This rare aberrant Malay Viscount (Tanaecia pelea pelea) with the highly diffused forewing markings and reduced cell spots makes it appear like a different species at a glance, when compared with a normal individual of the same species. In this case, the aberrations are limited to the forewings only, as the hindwings appear quite normal with the usual markings of the species.

Various aberrations (left, middle) of the Common Hedge Blue

Aberrations amongst the Lycaenidae appear to be quite regular amongst the Polyommatinae species. The variations in these aberrant individuals can range from a heavily darkened wings with heavier markings to additional spots and diffused striations that make the aberrant individual appear like a totally different species. In the example above, the Common Hedge Blue (Acytolepis puspa lambi) on the extreme left appears very different from the normal example on the right. The middle specimen has conjoined spots on the hindwing.

Aberrant markings of the Malayan (left, middle) which give the individuals a much darker and busier appearance than the normal appearance of the species

The Malayan (Megisba malaya sikkima) depicted above also shows a range of variations from left to right, showing examples of melanism in their wings that suggests a different species, if not carefully scrutinised.

An extreme aberration of the Pointed Line Blue (left) gives it an appearance of a different species

This example of a Pointed Ciliate Blue (Anthene lycaenina miya), an aberration with distinct diffuse white markings on both wings makes it appear very different from a normal individual of the same species.

The large black apical hindwing spot and thicker markings on this aberrant Cycad Blue makes it appear very different from a normal individual of the species

The aberrant Cycad Blue (Chilades pandava pandava) with an extra large black apical spot on the hindwing and the suffused markings on both wings depart quite significantly from the normal butterfly's wing markings.

The large hindwing patch on this aberrant female Quedara monteithii monteithii suggests a different species from what it should look like

And finally, amongst the Hesperiidae (Skippers), aberrations are also known to occur. This bred female of Quedara monteithii monteithii appears to have an extra white patch on its hindwings, whereas a normal female features an all-brown hindwing. The aberrant female appears like a different species.

The complete absence of the arrow-shaped black spots on this aberrant Plain Palm Dart, and the paler orange colour makes it look like a totally different species from the normal individual of this skipper

In the above example of a Plain Palm Dart (Cephrenes acalle niasicus) this aberrant individual lacks any of the normal black arrow-shaped markings of a normal individual of this species. Its paler than usual orange colour for this male plus the strange patch that lacks any wing scales whatsoever gives this aberrant individual a very strange appearance.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by David Chan, Chng CK, Jerome Chua, Khew SK, Bobby Mun, Simon Sng, Michael Soh, Horace Tan, Tea Yi Kai and Benjamin Yam

*1 : Notes on Pachliopta antiphus (Black Common Rose) - The taxonomic position of antiphus is uncertain. It is regarded as conspecific with Atrophaneura aristolochiae by Tsukada and Nishiyama (1982) and Fujioka et al. and but recognized as a separate species by Page & Treadaway (1995). Papilio aristolochiae subspecies poseidippus Fruhstorfer, 1911 and Papilio aristolochiae subspecies kameiros Fruhstorfer, 1911 are both treated as junior synonyms of Pachliopta antiphus antiphus (Fabricius, 1793) by Page & Treadaway (1995)

Butterflies' Favourite Nectaring Plants #15
The Spicate Eugenia (Syzygium zeylanicum)

A Plane (Bindahara phocides phocides) feeding on the flower of Syzygium zeylanicum

This article features a relatively widespread species of the Syzygium genus, the Spicate Eugenia (Syzygium zeylanicum). The genus Syzygium comprise flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1200–1800 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific. Its highest levels of diversity occur from Malaysia to northeastern Australia, where many species are very poorly known and many more have not been described taxonomically.

A Spicate Eugenia tree in full bloom along the fringe of the nature reserves

Several species of Syzygium are well-known as a popular local fruit called "Jambu", a pink or red crunchy and thirst-quenching fruit that is often eaten "off the tree". The flowers of the Syzygium spp are quite unique in that they often bloom in bushy white clusters, giving the tree a "wintry" appearance. When in full bloom, many species of the Syzygiums attract insects and other pollinators to feed on the nectar of its flowers.

Buds and flowers of the Spicate Eugenia

Whilst we feature the Spicate Eugenia as our 15th butterflies' favourite nectaring plant, there are several other local Syzygium species, like S. glaucum, S. myrtifolium, S. lineatum and probably several other species that look quite similar to the Spicate Eugenia and whose flowers are equally as attractive to butterflies. These plants can be found in Singapore's parks and nature reserves and whenever they are in bloom, it is always a delight to enjoy the numerous species of butterflies feeding on the flowers of these plants.

The genus name Syzygium is derived from 'syzygos' (Greek for 'joined'), alluding to the opposite paired leaves. The species name 'zeylanicum' refers to Ceylon (old name for Sri Lanka), where the species is also naturally distributed. The Spicate Eugenia is native to Singapore and has a distribution range across East Madagascar, through India, South China to Southeast Asia.

Plant Biodata:
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Syzygium
Species: zeylanicum
Synonyms: Eugenia longicauda, Eugenia zeylanica, Eugenia varians, Myrtus zeylanica, Syzygium spicatum, Eugenia spicata
Country/Region of Origin: Native to Singapore
English Common Names: Spicate Eugenia
Other Local Names: Kelat Nasi Nasi, Kelat Nenasi, Gelam Tikus, Gelam Paya, Gelam Tikus Laut, Kelat Merah, 锡兰蒲桃

A Spicate Eugenia tree in full bloom. Can you spot the two butterflies feeding on the flowers?

The Spicate Eugenia is a small to medium-sized tree that can grow up to 18 m tall, attain 100 cm in girth size, with oval to rounded crown.. The bark of the tree is reddish-brown and papery-flaky in young specimens. Where cultivated in parks or the fringes of nature reserves, it is planted single in rows or close together to form a hedge or a visual screen. It is sometimes seen growing wild on our natural coastal cliffs such as those on St John's Island and Labrador Park. In other areas, it is cultivated at Singapore Botanic Gardens, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park, Pulau Ubin, Pulau Tekong, Telok Blangah Hill Park and many other parks in Singapore.

Leaves of the Spicate Eugenia. Young leaves are orangish-pink and glossy

The leaves are opposite, short-stalked and leathery, elliptical to lance-shaped, 5–11 cm long by 2–5 cm wide with a pointed leaf tip. Each leaf has one vein running parallel to the leaf margin, and 10–14 pairs of side veins. Mature leaves dark glossy green above, paler green below, with numerous secondary veins spaced 2-3 mm apart and at 80°-85° angle from midvein, veins conspicuous on upper leaf surface and slightly raised on bottom surface. The young leaves are purplish to orangish-pink and very glossy.

Close up of the flowers of the Spicate Eugenia

The flowers of the Spicate Eugenia are bisexual and are white, faintly fragrant, and found in up to 2.5–4 cm long flower clusters located at ends of its branches, or axils of its leaves. The flowers are bushy, often described to look like "pom-poms" and are highly attractive to butterflies and other insect pollinators. When in full bloom, the tree looks like it is covered in white "snow". The flowers are delicate, and usually do not last for more than a week.

The whitish-green fruits of the Spicate Eugenia with a Copper Flash standing guard

The plant produces fleshy fruits that are oblong-round, 0.5–0.7 cm in diameter, white and each fruit contains one greenish seed. The small berries ripen from greenish to white and freckled with several brownish spots. The relatively thin pulp is soft and fleshy, and is edible. The seeds are eaten by birds, squirrels and other fruit-eating animals.

The Spicate Eugenia flowers infrequently - sometimes once to three times a year, and occasionally it may flower weakly and the tree does not reach a full bloom. However, when it does flower (and often several trees in the same vicinity flower together at once), the butterfly species that visit the flowers for their nectar is an awesome sight to behold! Where the tree grows at the fringes of the nature reserves, many rare and otherwise not-often-encountered species can be observed.

Butterflies of all sizes and species are attracted to the flowers of the Spicate Eugenia

A tree in full bloom attracts many representatives from five of the six families of butterflies in Singapore - with the exception being the Riodinidae, which I have personally not encountered any of the species feeding on the flowers of the Spicate Eugenia. It is interesting to note that the physical structure of the flowers are almost universal to allow butterflies of all shapes and sizes to feed on the nectar in the flowers - from the large Papilionidae to the diminutive Lycaenidae and the long-proboscis endowed Hesperiidae.

Very subtle differences between the leaf margin veins between S. zeylanicum and S. lineatum

The Spicate Eugenia is often confused with the very similar-looking Common Kelat (Syzygium lineatum). Both trees, when flowering, are equally as attractive to butterflies. The distinguishing veins on the underside of the leaf of the Common Kelat has two veins running parallel to the leaf margin, whereas the Spicate Eugenia's leaf has only one vein.

Another closely-related species, Syzygium glaucum and some butterflies that feed on the flowers

Another related species, Syzygium glaucum, has almost similar looking flowers that are equally attractive to butterflies and is also featured here with several butterfly species feeding on the flowers. This Syzygium species has been cultivated at Pasir Ris Park near the mangrove walk, and should also be observed for its attractiveness to the butterflies in this urban park.

Whilst the fragrance of the flowers is not often detectable by the human nose, once the Spicate Eugenia trees or bushes flower, particularly in nature areas, it will be swarming with butterflies, bees, moths and all sorts of insects. This strongly suggests that the nectar in the flowers must be attractive enough to bring all these visitors, which are otherwise shy and not often observed, to the flowering trees.

The usually shade-loving Archdukes come out to feed on the flower of the Spicate Eugenia.
Top : Male Archduke Bottom : Female Archduke

It is always amazing to see so many species of butterflies visiting the flowers of the Spicate Eugenia, and even the ground feeders can be seen. For example, the Archduke (Lexias pardalis dirteana), usually found in the shaded understorey of forested areas and typically feed on rotting fruits on the forest floor, has been seen feeding at the flowers of the Syzygium in the open. This observation is evidence of a change in behaviour of the shade-preferring Archdukes, whenever they are attracted to the flowers of this plant.

Various Hesperiidae and Lycaenidae feed on the Spicate Eugenia flowers

For the many other species of butterflies which an observer may encounter when the Spicate Eugenia (and several other related Syzygium spp) flowers, there are too many to name in this article. We will continue to be surprised at the diversity of butterflies that are attracted to this flowering tree and it is certain one of the 'butterfly magnets' that NParks should continue to cultivate, particularly in the vicinity of the nature catchments.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Henry Koh, Loke PF, Bene Tay and Teo Siyang

Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks
Featuring : Lower Peirce Reservoir Park

A timber boardwalk winds around the reservoir edge at the Lower Peirce Reservoir Park

This weekend's feature location for butterfly photography is adjacent to the second oldest reservoir in Singapore. (The oldest reservoir being the nearby MacRitchie Reservoir) It was originally known as the Kallang River Reservoir, and it was formed by impounding across the lower reaches of the Kallang River in 1910.

In 1922, it was renamed Peirce Reservoir in commendation of the services of Robert Peirce (engineer), who was the PWD engineer of Singapore from 1901 to 1916. In 1975, a dam was built across the upper reaches of the Peirce Reservoir, splitting it into Upper and Lower Peirce Reservoirs thereafter.

Mature secondary forest lines the banks of Lower Peirce Reservoir Park

The forested areas that line the banks of Lower Peirce Reservoir Park (LPR) is considered a mature secondary rainforest. One can still find rubber trees and oil palms in the area - reminders of a past when vast areas of Singapore were covered with cash crops and plantations. The Lower Peirce Reservoir Park is part of the 3,403 Ha Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR). It forms the eastern boundary of the CCNR and is connected to the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park. Lower Peirce Reservoir Park sits on about 6 Hectares of land covered with thick lush secondary forest.

Within LPR, a nature boardwalk meanders through one of Singapore's last remaining mature secondary forest and along the edge of Lower Peirce Reservoir. The 900m boardwalk takes the visitor along the water's edge and then through a well-shaded secondary forest which is home to an amazing diversity of flora and fauna. The boardwalk is of adequate width and is robustly constructed to withstand the ever-humid conditions under the forest canopy. I recall that this was one of the first forest boardwalks constructed by NParks and the environmentally-sensitive construction process was managed such that no mechanical equipment was allowed in the forest. Hence the construction work was done solely by manual labour.

The main road to the reservoir is lined with butterfly-attracting plants like Bandicoot Berry and Red Tree Shrub

Some common butterflies found at the open areas at Lower Peirce Reservoir Park

The main entrance to Lower Peirce Reservoir Park is via a small carpark towards the south-east of the park. Parking is free but lots are limited. Visitors walk along a paved road that is lined with native plants like Bandicoot Berry and Red Tree Shrub. As you reach the reservoir edge, you can take in the scenic view of the Lower Peirce Reservoir and the golf course beyond. Nearby, there are trellises covered with Bauhinia and there are Ixora shrubs along the paths. Look out for the Grass Yellows, Cycad Blue, Bush Browns, Grass Blues and Sailors around this area.

Note that recreational fishing is permitted along a short stretch along the edge of the reservoir, so do not be alarmed if you see what appears to be 'poachers' within a nature reserve! There are shelters and pavilions nearby to take cover if you are caught in our tropical thunderstorm. Once past this open area, you will be able to see the start of the nature boardwalk. This boardwalk will lead you towards the first section which skirts around the forest edge and bring you just next to the water of the reservoir.

Views towards the reservoir. Recreational fishing is permitted here

The start of the boardwalk accessed from the Lower Peirce Reservoir carpark

Along the boardwalk, you will be able to spot lush bushes of the Straits (or Singapore) Rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum). This ripened fruits of this plant is attractive to many species of butterflies, but you will have to wait till the fruiting season before you can enjoy watching the variety of butterflies that visit the sugary fruits. The Straits Rhododendron is also the caterpillar host plant of the Horsfield's Baron (Tanaecia iapis puseda) and if you are lucky, you will encounter the female of this species ovipositing on the host plant.

A female Horsfield's Baron preparing to lay her eggs on the Straits Rhododendron which grows beside the boardwalks around the water's edge.

Note that there are no barriers along this boardwalk, so please take care not to fall off the edge and into the water! Once you get past this stretch, the boardwalk will lead you into the heavily-shaded forested area of the park. There are adequate signages along the boardwalk with nature-friendly names like Casuarina Entrance, Jacaranda Entrance, Costus Trail, Hevea Trail and Oncospermum Trail, which are aptly named after some of the plants that can be found along the boardwalk trail.

The rare Yellow Archduke (Lexias canescens pardalina). Its caterpillar is often encountered at the Lower Peirce Reservoir boardwalk trail

At the intersection between the Bamboo Trail and Oncospermum Trail, keep your eyes peeled for the Buffy Fish Owl, which has attracted many bird photographers to this location. Coincidentally, this is also the area where the caterpillar of the rare Yellow Archduke has been photographed a number of times. Do look out for the elusive adult butterfly.

In the heavily-shaded forest through which the boardwalk winds, look out for the shade-loving species like the Archduke and Common Faun

Taking the route towards the Costus Trail will bring you to the end of the boardwalk at the Jacaranda Entrance. The heavily shaded forest understorey will not be generally attractive to the sun-loving butterfly species. However, look out for the forest dwellers like the Archduke, Malay Viscount and Common Faun, particularly in the vicinity of their respective caterpillar host plants.

NParks has designed rest areas for tired hikers or visitors who prefer to sit quietly and observe the amazing diversity of flora and fauna at Lower Peirce Reservoir Park

Moving along Bamboo Trail towards Hevea Trail will send you towards the Casuarina Entrance where the trail ends. Beyond this entrance and to the north is the famous Casuarina Road Prata shop which is a must-visit lunch pit stop after a long tiring walk. Note that the boardwalk trail is not flat and there are some elevation changes that will require you to walk up and down short flights of steps.

More uncommon forest species like the Saturn and Dark Blue Jungle Glory can be found here

Again, under the heavily-shaded forest canopy, you will expect to encounter only the shade loving butterfly species. It was amongst the leaf litter in the undergrowth that I spotted my first Dark Blue Jungle Glory in Singapore many years ago. Given that there are many different species of palms and rattans along the forest stream just off the boardwalk, see if you can spot the seasonal Saturn amongst the undergrowth.

And then there are some surprises amongst the Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae that will appear from time to time. If you are lucky, you may be able to encounter some of them. Some years back, I came across this pristine Fluffy Tit (Zeltus amasa maximinianus) feeding on some moss on a leaf. The occasional Arhopala and Jamides may flutter by, and when in season, you should be able to spot a couple of Branded Imperial (Eooxylides tharis distanti) around.

As you exit the boardwalk trail, do look out for the flowering bushes of the Bandicoot Berry and Buas Buas along Old Upper Thomson Road. These will usually attract the common butterflies like the Malayan Five Ring, Chestnut Bob, Chocolate Pansy and an occasional rarity that is waiting to surprise you.

The Lower Peirce Reservoir Park cannot be described as a 'butterfly haven', but the shaded habitat can spring the occasional surprise and delight you - particularly amongst the forest-loving species. Do look out for overripe figs and other forest fruits on the ground when in season, for butterflies are attracted to the sugary diets on the forest floor.

How to Get There :
By Bus:
Bus nos. 163, 167, 169, 855, 980.
Alight at the bus stop nearest to the Sembawang Hill Food Court and walk along Old Upper Thomson Road towards Lower Peirce Reservoir Park. The entrance to the trail (Casuarina Entrance) is about five minutes away.

By Car : Follow the direction of Upper Thomson Road. Turn left before the traffic lights at the junction of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 into Old Upper Thomson Road. Follow
the road until you see the entrance of the trail. Parking facilities are available along the road near the Casuarina Entrance (Paid parking). Alternatively park at the Lower Peirce Reservoir Carpark towards the south. (Free Parking)

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK and Horace Tan

Birdwing Season in Singapore
Featuring the Common Birdwing (Troides helena cerberus)

The Common Birdwing is one of Singapore's largest butterfly species by wingspan. A large female of this species can have a wingspan measured from tip to tip up to 180mm. The species can be seen from time to time throughout the year, but is sometimes uncommon in certain months. From records of sightings of this species over the years, it appears to be quite seasonal.

The Common Birdwing is more often spotted in the months of November to February each year. Towards the end of 2017 and over the first two months of 2018, the species has been spotted more often in urban parks and gardens and also at the fringes of our nature reserves. Where its caterpillar host plant, Aristolochia acuminata grows, observations of the species' caterpillars are more prevalent in these months of the year.

The Common Birdwing has rich golden yellow hindwings with black margins and black forewings, often with suffused white along the forewing veins. The female has a full range of large black submarginal spots which are not conjoined. The male has only one or occasionally more submarginal spots - usually at the tornal area. The thorax area is usually reddened from the base of the wings to the collar just behind the head of the butterfly.

A male Common Birdwing courting a female at the Singapore Botanic Gardens

The Common Birdwing is a spectacular butterfly in flight. Its large size allows it to be spotted easily as it swoops overhead, almost bird-like. The butterfly is capable of flying long distances and at great heights. As it flutters and glides at tree top level, the Common Birdwing is a sight to behold.

Male Common Birdwings feeding on Ixora (top) and Buas-Buas (bottom)

Males are usually smaller than the females. However, unlike the usual Papilionidae behaviour, the males are rarely seen to puddle at damp sandy spots along streambanks. Both sexes are more often seen feeding at flowering plants like Ixora, Pagoda Flower, Hibiscus, Peacock Flower, Prickly Lantana and even Buas Buas (Premna serratifolia).

In late 2017 and early 2018, sightings of the Common Birdwing became more and more frequent. The Common Birdwing was spotted in locations like Jurong Eco Green, Pulau Ubin, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Hort Park and Upper Seletar Reservoir Park. Invariably, all these locations where the butterfly was observed are usually where the Common Birdwing was feeding at flowering plants, or flying around looking for flowers to feed on.

Common Birdwing caterpillars

Both the males and females were equally common. Caterpillars of the species were found at various areas where the host plant was cultivated - Hort Park, Jurong Eco Green and Pulau Ubin. Over at Seletar Country Club's Butterfly Garden, where the host plant was cultivated some time ago in the hope of attracting the Common Birdwing and Common Rose, the caterpillars of the Common Birdwing suddenly appeared.

Newly eclosed Common Birdwing released at Seletar Country Club

The caterpillars were reared until successful eclosion and the adult butterflies released in the hope that they will spawn the next generation of Common Birdwings at Seletar Country Club, or appear at nearby locations where the butterfly can sustain future generations. Sadly, the unsustainable feeding habit of the caterpillars of this species is such that they tend to kill off the Aristolochia vine unnecessarily, and in the process, deprive themselves of their critical food source.

The Common Birdwing displays the usual Papilionidae flight characteristic when feeding at flowers. The hindwings are held relatively still to balance the butterfly, whilst its forewings flutter rapidly to keep it aloft. Like most species in the family, the Common Birdwing has six long and fully-developed legs which it extends and holds on to the perch or flower that it is feeding on.

Male (top) and Female (bottom) Common Birdwing feeding on Hibiscus flower

So whilst the Common Birdwing season is in full swing, do seek out the favourite locations where it is often seen and get your fill of the beauty of this butterfly before it becomes uncommon again!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by David Chan, May Chan, Bob Cheong, Foo JL, Khew SK and Ros Qian

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