Butterflies of Singapore

The Butterfly Labial Palps

Labial Palps of the Butterfly - Its Olfactory Sensory System

The exceptionally hairy labial palps of a Common Three Ring

Every butterfly possesses labial palps (or palpi) - a pair of hairy, moustache-like scaly appendages on the head of the butterfly. These palps are covered with sensory hairs and are believed to help a butterfly "taste" food sources and identify what is potentially edible and what is not. The labial palps are multi-segmented external organs and vary in size and shape across the different families of butterflies.

There are also other theories that suggest that the labial palps of a butterfly serves other functions. For example, one theory suggests that the pair of palps, given their symmetrical location on both sides of the proboscis, could offer some form of physical protection for the proboscis. It would appear to be highly plausible in some species, where the proboscis is completely hidden by the labial palps until the proboscis is uncoiled for feeding. However, in other species, the size of the labial palps is not adequately large enough to cover even half of the coiled proboscis, leaving the proboscis exposed.

© Encyclopedia Britannica (left) and © NC State University (right)

Another suggestion of the function of the labial palps would be that the long hairs covering the palps act as some form of filters and protect the eyes from being contaminated as the butterfly feeds at flowers or when puddling. Again, the extent to which this may be true or not, varies from species to species, from the extremely hairy labial palps of a Satyrinae butterfly, to the smooth and more robust labial palps of some of the Nymphalidae.

In field observations, one can observe the movement of the labial palps when the butterfly uncoils its proboscis to feed. The muscles in the head of the butterfly appears to be able to control the antennae, proboscis and the labial palps independently but yet at the same time, coordinated enough to allow maximum efficiency for the butterfly to fulfil its primary objective to extract as much food source as possible when it feeds.

The physical appearance of the labial palps varies quite a bit across the different families of butterflies. In some cases, the palps are short and plump and held closely to the head of the butterfly. In other examples, the palps are extremely hairy, whilst some are stubby and smooth. Some species have the last segment of the palps modified and stick out like a pair of horns, and some examples show the palps sticking rigidly and extending beyond the head of the butterfly like a snout.

The labial palps of the Club Beak butterfly (Libythea sp.) gives it an appearance of a face with a snout

A unique example of the labial palps evolving into something remarkable in a butterfly would be the "Club Beak Butterflies" or "Snout Butterflies". Although these species do not fly in Singapore, they are distinctive enough to be mentioned and shown here as an example of butterflies where the extended labial palps gives them an appearance of having a long snout.

The labial palps of the Papilionidae are compact with short hairs

Let us now take a look at this examples of this morphological feature across the different species in the families that can be found here in Singapore. Amongst the large Papilionidae, it can be observed that the labial palps of the majority of the species in this family are compact and held close to the head of the butterfly. The hairs of the labial palps sometimes take on the bright colours of the butterfly's body, like in the Common Rose.

The labial palps of the Common Rose takes on red hairs and gives it a distinct appearance

Given the long and thick proboscis of the Papilionidae and the comparatively compact labial palps, it is obvious that the palpi does not cover nor protect the proboscis at all, unlike some other butterfly species that we will see in the later part of this article. The sensory hairs on the labial palps are also short and thick and does not in any way extend out in front of the head of the butterfly.

In the next family, the Pieridae, the labial palps are also compact but are generally covered with longer and thicker hairs. Species from the subfamily Pierinae have labial palps covered with longer hairs and the last segment of the palps ends in a sharp point. Species from the subfamily Coliadinae, however, have compact labial palps and do not have the last segment ending in a point.

The large butterflies in the subfamily Danainae of the Nymphalidae family have compact and rather indistinct labial palps covered in short hairs. The last segment of the palps ends in a short stubby tip. The compact labial palps do not cover the proboscis completely when coiled - the proboscis is partially exposed and extends beyond the labial palps.

The labial palps of this Malay Baron gives it a beak-like look when viewed from the top

The Tawny Coster's labial palps are covered with yellow-coloured hairs

There is a wide variety of shapes of the labial palps of the several subfamilies of the Nymphalidae. Some are covered in sparse and fine hairs, like the Malay Lacewing, whilst others, like the butterflies of the Baron genus, have short stubby labial palps that look like a beak when the butterfly is viewed dorsally.

The genera Ypthima and Mycalesis features butterflies with exceptionally hairy labial palps, giving them an appearance of an unshaven face.

Of special mention are some species from the subfamily Satyrinae that feature exceptionally long hairs on their labial palps, giving the butterfly an appearance of an unshaven face. These long hairs on the palps completely hide the proboscis from view.

The Riodinidae butterflies have very compact labial palps with short hairs that can conceal their thin and short proboscis completely

The Riodinidae butterflies have very compact labial palps with very short hairs covering them. The palps are held tightly against the head and completely hide the short thin proboscis of the majority of the species in this family of butterflies.

The labial palps of this Curetis sp. are speckled with red spots

Amongst the Lycaenidae, the labial palps of many species have sharp distinct terminal segments protruding beyond the head. In some species, the extended labial palps give the butterfly an appearance of having a snout. Species from the Curetinae subfamily have red spots on the palps and are diagnostic features for separating the species in the group.

This Biggs' Brownwing has long labial palps that look like horns on the butterfly's head

Species from the Miletinae subfamily have long, smooth labial palps making the butterflies appear to have a second set of short horn-like antennae from its face. The thin proboscis is hidden between the labial palps.

Labial palps of various shapes and sizes amongst the Lycaenidae butterflies

Other species amongst the Blues and Hairstreaks have labial palps extending way beyond its compound eyes and is prominently featured like pointed horns sticking out from the butterfly's head. In several species, the labial palps are coloured distinctly.

The labial palps of this Yellow Banded Awl are broad and covered with short hairs. The terminal segments end in two needle-like appendages sticking out from the face of the butterfly

Finally, amongst the Hesperiidae, the labial palps of many of these robust-bodied species of butterflies are wide and covered with short thick hairs. The terminal segment of the labial palps of several species from the Coeliadinae subfamily end in a short, smooth needle-like points emerging from the head of the butterfly.

The thick and wide labial palps in skippers can almost hide its long proboscis

This Yellow Chequered Lancer extends its labial palps away from its face, making it appear strange

This newly-eclosed Orange Awlet extends and adjusts its labial palps (left) before retracting them close to its face (right)

A unique behaviour amongst the Hesperiidae is that the butterfly can extend the labial palps beyond its face, pushing the palps forward in a remarkable fashion, making the face of the butterfly appear strange. In newly-eclosed individuals, this behaviour is also sometimes observed, as the butterfly extends its labial palps. In the majority of species of Hesperiidae, the wide and significant labial palps are able to almost totally conceal the coiled proboscis.

When you are out in the field next, do take a much closer look for this unique morphological feature in butterflies and share any special observations that you may have of the labial palps of butterflies.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Bobby Mun and Nelson Ong

Butterfly Gardens

Importance of Interpretative Signage

In recent times, there has been a greater interest in setting up free-ranging butterfly gardens (not the enclosed gardens in a zoo-like environment) in both private and public premises. Over the years, our local knowledge about butterflies and their caterpillar host plants has increased through field observations and breeding efforts by amateur butterfly enthusiasts. Hence, if an individual or organisation wishes to set up their own butterfly garden, it is a simple case of cultivating the right caterpillar host plants, nectaring plants and creating a butterfly-friendly habitat, and then waiting for the winged jewels to appear!

Well, maybe not that overly simple! In creating a free-ranging butterfly garden, one has to look at the chosen site in relation to the surroundings, the catchment areas nearby, a quick baseline survey of the butterfly species in the vicinity, and then choose the right plants to attract the butterflies. A very important critical success factor of butterfly gardens is that there should be minimal or no spraying of pesticides at or near the site.

Interpretative sign in front of Pomelo bush at Butterfly Hill @ Pulau Ubin

And so there have been quite a few butterfly gardens and trails created all around Singapore. Some are, of course, more successful than others, depending on the people who are maintaining the butterfly garden (usually Town Council, NParks, other government agencies and volunteers) and the sustained interest of key leaders in the community. However, creating a butterfly garden does not just end there. Whilst there may be butterflies fluttering around, it would be a missed opportunity if there were no interpretative and educational signage to educate the general public about butterflies. Otherwise, visitors who are less acquainted with butterflies, caterpillars, host plants and so on, will be none the wiser after visiting the butterfly garden.

Interpretative sign in front of a bamboo grove at Butterfly Hill @ Pulau Ubin, showcasing some butterfly species whose caterpillars feed on bamboo

This is where interpretative signage becomes an important element for education and creating a better awareness of the ecological requirements of butterflies and plants. Two years ago, ButterflyCircle had the privilege of working together with the National Parks Board to put up a series of interpretative signs for the Butterfly Hill at Pulau Ubin.

Butterfly's eye view of Butterfly Hill @ Pulau Ubin

The creation of the Butterfly Hill at Pulau Ubin started way back in 2005 when a barren knoll just next to the Jelutong Campsite on Pulau Ubin was cultivated with butterfly attracting plants as an initial experiment to create a butterfly-friendly habitat. It was almost a decade in the making, when the hill became a very successful butterfly garden and is often teeming with butterflies on an ideal sunny day. Today, it is definitely a 'must-go' destination for butterfly watchers.

NParks then decided to work on a series of interpretative signs to create awareness about butterflies, showcase the butterfly species that can be regularly seen on Butterfly Hill, and their close association with plants. This blog article is a narrative of the 15 educational signs, mounted on pedestals and scattered around strategic spots at Butterfly Hill.

The introductory sign located at the entrance of Butterfly Hill tells the story of how this butterfly garden came to be

The introductory sign tells the story of how Butterfly Hill at Pulau Ubin came about and how many species of plants are cultivated at the football field sized butterfly garden. The sign is strategically located at the primary entrance to Butterfly Hill where visitors can stop by to learn about this conservation project that started with a collaborative effort between NParks and ButterflyCircle more than 10 years ago.

The next couple of signs give an overview about butterflies in general, their ecological role in nature, biology and differences between butterflies and moths. The language is kept as simple as possible so that readers do not find it too difficult to understand the educational message that is being conveyed. Both these signs are located at the top of the knoll near the shelter.

The next 12 signs describes the butterfly species that are found in the vicinity of Butterfly Hill and their relationship to plants of particular interest e.g. nectaring plants, caterpillar host plants and other feature plants. Often, where possible, the signs are located strategically next to where these plants are cultivated. Each sign also features a QR code, which brings you to NParks FloraWeb where you can learn even more details about the plant featured on the sign.

The interpretative sign about the Crown Flower, and the location of the sign in front of a clump of Crown Flower plants educates the visitor about the butterfly-plant relationship of the Plain Tiger and Crown Flower

For example, where the Crown Flower (Calotropis gigantea), the caterpillar host plant of the Plain Tiger is grown, the interpretative sign that describes the plant and butterfly is located just in front of a clump of the Crown Flower plants. Often, as one reads the sign, the Plain Tiger will be fluttering in full sight of the visitor, and frequently ovipositing on the leaves of the plant. If one looks a bit closer, one may even find the caterpillars feeding on the plant. This makes the information on the sign very effective if the visitor can connect immediately, the butterfly and its host plant from field observations.

Another plant of interest is the Rattle Weed (Crotalaria retusa). Whilst the plant is neither a host nor a nectaring plant, the Rattle Weed contains alkaloids which many Danainae butterflies love. This unique plant attracts these Crow and Tiger butterflies and the relationship of this plant to the butterflies is immediately evident to visitors.

Interpretative sign with information about nectaring plants for butterflies

And then there are signs that depict the butterflies' favourite nectaring plants like the Snakeweed (Stachytarpheta indica) and the String Bush (Cordia cylindristachya). Again, the plant details are described so that the visitor can learn more about these plants, as well as the butterflies that visit them to feed on the nectar from the flowers.

Various caterpillar host plants that support their respective butterfly species at Butterfly Hill @ Pulau Ubin

The remaining interpretative signs depicting host plants of specific butterflies like the Bamboo, Chinese Violet, Batoko Plum, Lime and Pomelo and others are also carefully located where these plants are cultivated. To attract the butterflies whose caterpillars feed on these host plants, various nectaring plants are planted nearby so that visitors can chance on these butterflies when they feed on the flowers.

Caterpillar host plant Seven Golden Candlesticks (Senna alata) are cultivated behind the interpretative signage displaying information about the plant and the butterflies that are associated with it

In conclusion, whilst designing and creating a butterfly garden is not difficult with the correct information on plants and the myriad of information available on the internet, it is also important not to miss the opportunity to create awareness and promote the conservation of butterflies through the use of interpretative and educational signage that help to spread the knowledge about our butterflies. So the next time you visit Butterfly Hill @ Pulau Ubin, do take some time and learn more about butterflies and the plants that are associated with the butterflies.

Text by Khew SK ; Photos by Khew SK and Robert Teo

Butterfly of the Month - July 2018
The Purple Bush Brown (Mycalesis orseis nautilus)

The month of July 2018 will probably be most remembered for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, a miraculous cavern rescue in Chiang Rai, Thailand, and the major cybersecurity breach of personal data in Singapore. We live in interesting times, and there are often outcomes that are still unpredictable, like who would win the World Cup, despite all means (including cats, birds and anything that can be believed!) of soothsaying by those who gambled away small fortunes.

A Purple Bush Brown found in southern Thailand - same subspecies as the one in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore

So France won the 2018 World Cup. Along the way, the usually successful Latin American teams dropped like flies, and so did defending champions Germany. Asian teams didn't make it far into the games, with only Japan remaining in the last 16 before bowing out to Belgium despite leading 2-0. The next World Cup in 2022 will be held in Doha, Qatar, and the games shifted to the end of the year to avoid the 40+ degrees summer heat in the Middle Eastern nation.

Then over in the sleepy provincial town of Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, a group of 12 teenagers and their football coach decided to take an excursion into the cave complex at Tham Luang. As this is the monsoon season in northern Thailand, the torrential storms caused flash floods that cut off the group's exit as rain water flooded the passages. A search-and-rescue operation commenced and it was only after more than 10 days of searching that they were found on a ledge more than 3km into the cave complex.

The rescue operation that followed was described as nothing short of a miracle, as the personnel involved took great risks to bring a group of boys out through the treacherous labyrinth, many parts of which were totally submerged. All in all, it was a successful rescue operation with all the boys and their coach making it out with much difficulty. Sadly, there was one casualty, a Thai Navy SEAL diver who ran out of air whilst playing a crucial support role of bringing oxygen tanks and placing them along the route for the rescuers.

The Purple Bush Brown is often encountered flying low amongst the undergrowth, in deep forest shade, perching on the top of a leaf or blade of grass.

Back home in Singapore, hackers infiltrated the government's health database and stole the confidential records of over 1.5 million patients, including the Prime Minister's drug prescriptions. Whilst the government had to soothe alarmed patients whose personal data had been compromised, the government's Cyber Security Agency will be busy patching up vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the IT system. In this cyber age and the era of connectivity, I cannot imagine having to go back to the paper and filing systems of the last millennium. Hence it is a risk that the government and any private company will have to face and resolve, moving forward.

We move back to our butterfly world with our feature butterfly of the month of July 2018. This month's butterfly is the Purple Bush Brown (Mycalesis orseis nautilus). The species is adorned with ocelli (or eye spots) on the margins of both wings and is one of many similar-looking species in the Mycalesis genus, often referred to as Bush Browns.

In Singapore, the Purple Bush Brown is the rarest species amongst the six species found here. However, the ocelli are distinctive and identification of the Purple Bush Brown is less challenging when compared to separating a few of its other close cousins. The Purple Bush Brown has prominent and distinct yellow-ringed ocelli that are rather uniform in size.

Individuals of this species have a full complement of ocelli on both wings with rather crisp colours and distinct outlines on the ocelli. The relatively uniform post-discal band is broad and faintly violet-washed in pristine individuals. There is a thin dark brown sub-basal line on both wings.

The butterfly is rather local in distribution and is considered rare in Singapore. It is a forest-dependent species and is not encountered beyond the sanctuary of heavily shaded forested areas in the nature reserves. It is usually observed singly, flying low amongst the undergrowth and grasses in heavy shade.

The Purple Bush Brown has also been observed to feed on overripe fallen fruits on the forest floor. The life history of this species has not been recorded yet in Singapore, although its caterpillars are likely to feed on a type of grass, like many of its other closely related species in the sub-family Satyrinae.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Antonio Giudici, Federick Ho, Khew SK, Koh CH, Loke PF, Billy Oh, Tan CP and Benjamin Yam.

The Sergeants of Singapore
Featuring the 5 Athyma species in Singapore

A female form-neftina Colour Sergeant feeds on the ripened fruit of the Straits Rhododendron

The genus Athyma comprises of butterflies with rather robust bodies and are powerful fliers. They belong to the subfamily Limetidinae of the family Nymphalidae. The butterflies have a horizontal striped appearance, usually black and white in the males, and females in some species that have the white bands replaced with either orange or brown.

A Common Sergeant (Athyma perius perius) that is no longer found in Singapore today

The are currently five extant species of the Athyma species in Singapore - often referred to as "Sergeants" by their English common names. There was a sixth species recorded from Singapore by the early authors - Common Sergeant (Athyma perius perius), but this species has not been seen in the wild for almost five or more decades in Singapore, and no longer considered an extant species here.

A male Colour Sergeant (Athyma nefte subrata) perches on a leaf

The other five "Sergeant" species continued to be regularly observed in Singapore over the years, with some more common than others. They are medium-sized butterflies with wingspans averaging between 55mm to 65mm. This blog post features all the five species and compares their differences and diagnostic features to distinguish and identify them.

The Lance Sergeant (Athyma pravara helma)

A Lance Sergeant. Note the cell streak on the forewing which is complete and unbroken

The Lance Sergeant is the most distinctive of these black-and-white Sergeants in Singapore. The cell streak on the forewing is unbroken and club-like and this sets it apart from all the other Athymas found in Singapore.

It was a recent new discovery to Singapore, recorded in the mid-1990's and added to the Singapore Checklist. It has made a regular appearance thereafter, usually spotted when feeding on the ripened fruits of the Straits/Singapore Rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum) and at flowering Syzygium trees.

It can be occasionally observed puddling at damp muddy footpaths in the nature reserves. The full life history has been recorded on a species of Uncaria found in the forested nature reserves of Singapore. In terms of size, the Lance Sergeant is probably the smallest of the five Athymas found in Singapore.

The Colour Sergeant (Athyma nefte subrata)

A male Colour Sergeant sunbathing. Note the blue sheen on the white bands

The Colour Sergeant is the most often seen species amongst the Athymas in Singapore. It can be observed at urban parks and gardens as well as in the nature reserves. The males are black and white striped in the usual Sergeant look, but the white stripes appear bluish when viewed with angled lighting.

A female Colour Sergeant - form-subrata

A female Colour Sergeant - form-neftina

The females of this species occur in two forms - the orange-and-black form-neftina and the brown-and-black form-subrata. The orange female form is the commoner of the two forms. The undersides are usually paler in colour with a more washed-out appearance.

A female Colour Sergeant form-neftina feeding on the ripened fruit of the Straits Rhododendron

Males are fond of perching on the top surfaces of leaves with wings opened flat, and 'attacking' intruders that wander into its space. Both sexes are often found feeding greedily on the ripened fruits of the Straits/Singapore Rhododendron.

The Dot-Dash Sergeant (Athyma kanwa kanwa)

The strange English common name of this Sergeant probably came from its cell streak which ends in a triangular 'dot'. The species is largely forest-dependent and is not often found outside the sanctuary of the nature reserves in Singapore. It is rare, and usually spotted singly.

A Dot-Dash Sergeant sunbathing with its wings opened flat. Note the narrow cell-end streak and the sharp and angular spot at the end of the streak

A powerful flyer like its other cousins in the group, it sports the flap-glide flight characteristic of the other Sergeants. It is skittish and alert, making it a challenge to photograph it, as any slight disturbance will spook it to speed away and up to the treetops.

A puddling Dot-Dash Sergeant

The Dot-Dash Sergeant has the usual black-and-white stripes on its wings. The cell streak on the forewing above is separated from the triangular spot (which is sharp and angular). The underside is a greyish-brown.

The Malay Staff Sergeant (Athyma reta moorei)

A Malay Staff Sergeant. Note the twice-constricted cell streak on the forewing

The Malay Staff Sergeant is probably the rarest of the genus in Singapore, and is usually observed within the forested areas in the nature reserves. As with most of its other cousins, it is usually spotted singly, either sunbathing on the tops of leaves, or feeding at flowering plants.

The species is also known to puddle at damp muddy footpaths. The distinguishing markings of the Malay Staff Sergeant is the twice constricted white cell streak and the triangular spot is separated from this streak. The triangular spot is also more rounded compared to the Dot-Dash Sergeant's sharper and angular shape.

The Studded Sergeant (Athyma asura idita)

A puddling Studded Sergeant. Note the black centred submarginal white spots on the hindwings

The Studded Sergeant is the largest member of the Athyma genus found in Singapore. It is also a forest-dependent species but is also regularly spotted in the vicinity of mangrove areas at Pulau Ubin and Sg Buloh Wetland Reserve.

A Studded Sergeant with wings folded upright. Note the black-centred apical spots on the forewing

The cell streak is narrow and the cell-end spot is small and rounded. The unique feature of the Studded Sergeant is the black-centred white spots at the submarginal band of the hindwing. In the local subspecies, the spots are sometimes indistinct. The apical spots on the forewing are also black-centred.

The colourful caterpillar of the Studded Sergeant

The Studded Sergeant has been locally bred on two host plants - Ilex cymosa (Aquifoliaceae), and another unidentified Ilex species in the nature reserve. The caterpillar is attractive, with bright blue spots on a green body amidst sharp spines.

A Studded Sergeant feeding at the flowers of the Mile-a-Minute weed

And there you have it, the five "Sergeants" that you can spot in Singapore. And the next time you encounter one, you can hopefully be equipped to identify which of these Sergeants that you have spotted!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Koh CH, Loke PF, Nelson Ong, Jonathan Soong, Horace Tan and Anthony Wong

Butterfly Biodiversity Project
Butterfly Survey at Mandai Zoo

WRS Invertebrate team and ButterflyCircle members

The Singapore Zoo, previously known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens, but often referred to by locals as the Mandai Zoo, was first opened in mid 1973. Sitting on a site of about 28 Hectares, the Singapore Zoo was one of the first to feature "open zoo" exhibits in the region, where animals are displayed in natural habitats without the use of cages.

Over the years, the success of the Singapore Zoo, under the stewardship of Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) continued. WRS also manages the popular Night Safari (the world's first nocturnal wildlife park), River Safari and the Jurong Bird Park.

The future Mandai Nature Precinct © Mandai Park Holdings

In 2015, Singapore investment company Temasek partnered the Singapore Government to spearhead the rejuvenation of Mandai into an integrated wildlife and nature heritage precinct in Singapore. Within the next decade or so, the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and River Safari will be joined by two new cousins, the new Bird Park and the Rainforest Park, creating an integrated nature and wildlife experience for all visitors to Mandai.

A quick discussion before the survey commenced

This weekend, ButterflyCircle members were invited to assist the WRS Invertebrate Team to conduct baseline surveys on butterfly biodiversity at the Singapore Zoo. The WRS Team intends to enhance butterfly biodiversity through its Butterfly Biodiversity Project in the coming months. This project aims to improve the butterfly fauna in the Mandai precinct by planting host and nectaring plants for local butterflies within the parks.

Looking up for the butterflies!

Our morning survey started with a short briefing by Delvinder Kaur, the coordinator of the project, and explaining the survey methodology. When we commenced the survey just past 10am in the morning, the Saturday morning crowd had already begun streaming in. The transect-based survey took us on a trail starting near the white rhino exhibit and ending at the Fragile Forest aviary.

The overcast morning was not the most ideal weather for butterfly watching, but there were a few Lemon Emigrants, Grass Yellows and a lone Striped Albatross flying about. Delvin also explained that the trails that we were surveying were no longer fogged with pesticides and hence more butterfly-friendly.

At the Tropical Crops patch. The waters of the Upper Seletar Reservoir can be seen on the left of the photo

Our walk brought us to the tropical crops area of the Zoo, which was just adjacent to the shores of Upper Seletar Reservoir Park. I recall this area from past visits to the Zoo, and where a trellis of Aristolochia acuminata, the host plant of the Common Birdwing and Common Rose, was cultivated. Both these species did not make an appearance this morning, though.

Pupa of the Autumn Leaf

We spotted a Leopard fluttering restlessly about, and a few more Lemon Emigrants trying to puddle at the freshly-tilled soil on the plant beds. I also noticed that the host plant of the subspecies pratipa of the Autumn Leaf still lined some of the trails around the area. We first spotted this subspecies, which is different in appearance from the subspecies bisaltide which is the more commonly observed subspecies all around Singapore, at the Zoo.

Caterpillar and adult female of the Autumn Leaf subspecies pratipa

Caterpillar and adult female of the Autumn Leaf subspecies bisaltide

The caterpillar of subspecies pratipa is distinctly different from the more common bisaltide in that the spots on its body are white, instead of orange. Photographic records of subspecies pratipa dated back to Aug 2007 when we were on a survey at the Zoo. This subspecies has not been seen in Singapore in recent years. Hopefully, the caterpillars will appear at the Zoo again.

The survey ended just near the new Reptopia exhibit, where we called it a day. We spotted a couple of Common Palmflies frolicking around the bushes. We took the opportunity to visit the Fragile Forest and the new butterfly aviary. This butterfly aviary was a recent add-on, but is facing some issues with predatory ants and a bunch of unwelcome moth caterpillars. The Clipper (Parthenos sylvia) and the orange form-chrysippus of the Plain Tiger were the two most common species flying in the aviary.

The new butterfly aviary adjacent to the Fragile Forest

A quick tour of the back-of-house, and visiting the breeding facilities that were still very much the same as I remembered from over 10 years ago, we ended our butterfly survey for the day. I also recall that back in 2011, the Zoo was helping to translocate the Metallic Caerulean (Jamides alecto ageladas) from the Mandai Orchid Garden that was being demolished. It would be good to check if this species can still be found at the Zoo.

A female Autumn Leaf subspecies pratipa ovipositing on its host plant at the Singapore Zoo

It was an interesting re-visit to the Zoo and we look forward to the forthcoming butterfly surveys in the months ahead. With a more targeted strategy of planting more host and nectaring plants for butterflies under the Butterfly Biodiversity Project, we hope to see a greater diversity of species at the Zoo in the near future.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Huang CJ, Khew SK and Horace Tan

Book Review : Common Butterflies of Vietnam
Dedicated books on Vietnam Butterflies

A recent business trip to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in South Vietnam led me to a local bookshop near the hotel where I stayed. Whilst browsing around the nature section, I wondered how many books I would find about the local butterfly fauna of Vietnam. The shop did not stock any, although there were quite a few other books about birds, flora and landscapes of Vietnam.

Of the 10 ASEAN countries, relatively comprehensive hardcopy literature on butterflies can be found for Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Laos and Singapore. The remaining ASEAN countries are Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Vietnam. There are basic guidebooks and many work-in-progress books for the majority of these countries. Amongst all the books available, Pisuth Ek-Amnuay's 944-page Butterflies of Thailand Vol 2 stands out as the largest comprehensive work on Thai butterflies.

A quick search online for books on the Butterflies of Vietnam showed that there are a couple of basic 'illustrated checklist and field guide' type of books, and a few more comprehensive work in progress. Most were authored by Dr Alexander Monastyrskii, a Russian entomologist, in collaboration with several other co-authors.

A basic Field Guide on the Common Butterflies of Vietnam, published in 2002 is touted as the "first illustrated field guide to the Butterflies of Vietnam". This 63-page field guide, featuring 105 of the common butterfly species in Vietnam, showcases hand-drawn illustrations of butterflies. These drawings by artist Wendy Gibbs, are very accurate drawings of the actual butterflies from a set collection.

The book opens with a foreword penned by Mr Nguyen Minh Thong, the IUCN Country representative, and Prof Vu Quang Con, the Director of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources in Hanoi.

Like the majority of butterfly books, the first six pages dwell with some basic information on classification, morphology, life cycle, behaviour, ecology and conservation. Having probably been worked on in the late 1990s and early 2000's the authors used the old taxonomic classification prior to the more recent consolidation of several families into Nymphalidae., this does not really detract from the value of this basic field guide in helping to identify common butterflies found in Vietnam.

The species pages are organised in a very simple format with the scientific names stopping at the species level. English common names are also given, and are generally quite consistent with many of the books available on ASEAN butterflies. For example the Neptis species are called "Sailors" in this book, as opposed to "Sailers" that are used by other authors.

Each species has a short write-up, describing the butterflies' behaviours, differences between the sexes, favourite nectaring plants and geographical range where the butterfly occurs. For some of the species, upper and underside or male/female illustrations are shown, using the half-butterfly depiction that is used in WA Fleming's Butterflies of West Malaysia and Singapore.

Given the small number of butterfly species featured - 105, which is less than 10% of the total number of species found in Vietnam, a reader will quickly look for more comprehensive books about Vietnam's butterflies. The good news is that there are several updates by the same author available. An example is the 114-page 2nd edition of the Butterflies of Vietnam: An Illustrated Checklist published in 2016.

Dr Monastyrskii also expanded his work into a work-in-progress series :
Butterflies of Vietnam, Volume 1: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae in 2005
Butterflies of Vietnam, Volume 2: Papilionidae in 2007
Butterflies of Vietnam, Volume 3: Nymphalidae: Danainae, Amathusiinae in 2012
These are more comprehensive books showing a wider collection of the species found in Vietnam and I am sure that more volumes will be available in due course.

For the more serious students, a scientific paper on The Biogeography of the Butterfly Fauna of Vietnam With a Focus on the Endemic Species (Lepidoptera), by A.L. Monastyrskii and J.D. Holloway, is also available. This paper discusses the biogeographic distribution of Vietnamese butterflies, featuring several key endemics found in Vietnam.

So for butterfly watchers who visit Vietnam, do check out these books for your reference to help you to identify what you have seen in various parts of this biodiversity-rich ASEAN country. Vietnam is a large country covering a total of 331,230.8 km2 of land mass and has a long coastal line. The current number of species recorded is 1,181 and counting.

Text by Khew SK

Photo plates from the books 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 - August 2018
The Banded Yeoman (Cirrochroa orissa orissa)

A Banded Yeoman puddling on the ground

Just over a week ago, the Republic of Singapore celebrated its 53rd birthday on 9 Aug 2018 - 53 years of independence after it broke away from Malaysia in 1965. Back then, post-separation, Singapore was not expected to survive long on its own. A small island nation of only 580 sq km in 1965, it had no natural resources, a resident population of about 1.9m people, scant financial resources, virtually no army and a host of political and internal security issues to deal with.

A Banded Yeoman hides under a leaf with its wings folded upright

In just over five decades, the little country punched well above its weight, grew its economy and physical size - it has a land area of about 720 sq km today, physically expanding, through reclamation, by nearly 25% since 1965. Today, Singapore ranks amongst the top 10 countries in terms of Gross Domestic Product per capita according to the International Monetary Fund.

A Banded Yeoman sunbathes with its wings opened flat

Looking forward, stormy skies loom ahead. Singapore's past successes cannot be taken for granted, as the nation struggles with high cost of living, a more demanding and vocal citizenry and business competition from other emerging economies in the region. However, Singapore still has a number of things going for it, and it has to leverage on these pluses to leap ahead in the coming decades. This is where the government is focusing on, to re-invent Singapore and restructure the economy in the face of uncertain and rapid-changing global environment.

It is also in August that the Chinese Hungry Ghost month (7th month of the Lunar Calendar) starts. An annual Chinese tradition for the spirits of the afterlife, there are many do's and don't's that have been passed from generation to generation. The Hungry Ghost Month is, generally speaking, a bad time to do anything. Many significant milestones are avoided at this time, as people believe it's simply bad luck - from renovations, to moving house or buying an apartment, to getting married.

One of the interesting no-no's is "killing a moth" (or a butterfly for that matter). The Chinese believe that spirits are reincarnated as insects, especially moths. And the souls of the dear departed are in the moths (and butterflies) that visit your homes in the wee hours of the night. So stay away from killing any moths and butterflies during the month, lest it is the soul of a loved one visiting you!

A Banded Yeoman feeding on the flower of the Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica)

Our feature Butterfly of the Month for August 2018 is the Banded Yeoman (Cirrochroa orissa orissa). This is a moderately rare species in Singapore and is forest-dependent. It is rather local in distribution, and regularly sighted at its favourite sites in the Central Catchment Nature Reserves where its caterpillar host plant, Ryparosa scortechinii, grows.

The Banded Yeoman is ochreous brown on the upperside of its forewing, with a yellow post-discal band and a black apical border. The hindwing is also ochreous brown above with a series of marginal and sub-marginal lines and black spots that is typical of species of the genus Cirrochroa (collectively called the Yeoman butterflies).

The underside is much paler, and generally reflects the patterns and markings on the upperside. The broad apical area on the forewing has two white apical spots. The post-discal silvery band is a diagnostic feature to separate the species in the genus. In flight, the Banded Yeoman resembles another species that flies in Singapore - the Rustic. Indeed, both species are often seen together when feeding at flowering plants like the Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica) along forest paths.

The Banded Yeoman is skittish and is always on the move. It has a habit of flying and hiding on the underside of leaves with its wings folded upright. The species is relatively more common in Malaysia, often seen in secondary forests and nature parks, where several individuals can be observed together.

A Banded Yeoman puddling on a damp footpath

The species is also often observed to puddle at muddy footpaths near forest streams. Even when puddling, it has a habit of opening and closing its wings as it twists and turns whilst probing its proboscis in search of nutrients in the damp mud or sand.

A newly eclosed Banded Yeoman clinging on to its pupal case

The caterpillar has been successfully bred on the forest plant Ryparosa scortechinii in Singapore. The host plant is uncommon and is primarily found in the forested nature reserves of Singapore. At certain hours of the day, the Banded Yeoman can be observed to sunbathe on the tops of leaves and opening its wings flat to capture the heat of the sun.

Interestingly, this is the 888th article to be posted on this blog, as we feature our Butterfly of the Month today at exactly 18:08 on 18/08/18. That's a lot of auspicious 8's and will hopefully bring everyone lots of luck for the remaining months of this year!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Antonio Giudici, Goh LC, Federick Ho, Khew SK, Loke PF, Tai LA, Tea Yi Kai, Horace Tan and Anthony Wong

Sailors of Singapore
Featuring the Sailor butterflies of Singapore

Short Banded Sailor feeding on Ixora flowers

Amongst the black-and-white striped butterflies of the sub-family Limetidinidae, we showcased the Sergeant (or Athyma species) in an earlier blog article. This weekend, we take a look at another group of butterflies featuring a similar striped look. Of these species, 3 are from the genus Neptis and one from the genus Phaedyma that have a 'zebra-striped' appearance. Collectively referred to as "Sailors", currently only 4 of these Sailor butterflies are extant in Singapore.

Common Sailor feeding on ripened fruit of Singapore Rhododendron

These Sailors (also referred to as Sailers in some references), fly more gracefully than their cousins, the Sergeants (that, by the way, also "sail" as they fly, albeit more rapidly). These Sailors tend to use the typical flap-glide-flap flight characteristic. They are, however, rather skittish and have a wide circle of fear that makes them hard to approach, unless they are distracted when feeding.

Burmese Sailor feeding on ripened fruit of Singapore Rhododendron

Of the sailors found here in Singapore, three are black-and-white striped and the last one is dark brown-light brown striped and quite dissimilar to any other species found in Singapore. The sole brown-coloured sailor is also the least common of the four, preferring the forested habitats in the nature reserves.

Short-Banded Sailor (Phaedyma columella singa)

The first of the four Sailors to be featured is placed in a different genus from the other three species of Sailors. It is the only representative of its genus Phaedyma in the region. This black-and-white Sailor is considered common in Singapore, and is widely distributed, from the forested areas to urban Singapore in parks and gardens.

Sporting its graceful gliding flight, the Short Banded Sailor can often be observed flying at treetop level, stopping to sunbathe with its wings opened flat amongst the foliage amongst roadside shrubs and trees. It is skittish, and when alert, is hard to approach.

With its characteristic striped appearance, it resembles the other two related Neptis species. The characteristic features that separate the Short-Banded Sailor from the two Neptis species are :

The triangular discal patch on the forewing is rounded and not elongated.
The post-discal white spot in space 2 at the dorsum of the forewing is usually missing, but where it occurs, much smaller than the spot in space 1.
Underside is deep orange-brown and the hindwing discal band does not reach the costa.
Underside of hindwing, the white discal band not prominently outlined in black.

The Common Sailor (Neptis hylas papaja)

The Common Sailor is the first of three species of the Neptis genus that is extant in Singapore. It is relatively widespread in distribution, and can be found in urban parks and gardens as well at the fringes of the nature reserves. It is moderately common and can usually be observed flying singly amongst shrubbery, and resting with its wings opened flat.

The upperside is black-and-white striped, with the discal stripe on the forewing with a subtle "break". The underside is a rich golden brown and on the underside, the white discal band is prominently outlined by black lines.

The diagnostic features of the Common Sailor to look out for, to distinguish it from the other two lookalikes black-and-white striped Sailors are :

The triangular discal patch on the forewing is usually more elongated and sharper than that of the Short Banded Sailor.
The post-discal white spot in space 2 at the dorsal edge of the forewing is always present and much larger than the spot in space 1.
Underside is rich golden brown and the hindwing white discal band reaches the costa.
Underside of hindwing, the white discal band is prominently outlined in black.
On the upperside, the abdomen is not white-ringed adjacent to the white discal band on the hindwing.

The Burmese Sailor (Neptis leucoporos cresina)

The Burmese Sailor (formerly called the Grey Sailor in the 1st edition of Butterflies of Singapore), is a predominantly forest-dependent species. It is relatively common in locations where its caterpillar host plant, Gironniera nervosa can be found. The species is rarely seen in urban areas.

The Burmese Sailor sports the same black-and-white striped appearance like many of the other Sailor butterflies. On the underside, the base colour is greyish brown and is quite unlike any of the other Sailor species in Singapore. The Burmese Sailor's flap-glide-flap flight is typical of the genus and it is usually quite skittish and not easy to approach without spooking it away.

The diagnostic features of the Burmese Sailor that distinguishes it from the Short-Banded and Common Sailor are as follows :

The triangular discal patch on the forewing is long and elongated, ending in a sharp point. The discal stripe is usually unbroken.
The post-discal white spot in space 2 at the dorsal edge of the forewing is always present and much larger than the spot in space 1.
Underside base colour is greyish to greyish-brown and the hindwing discal band, which is not outlined in black, does not reach the costa.
On the upperside, the abdomen is white ringed adjacent to the white discal band on the hindwing.

The Chocolate Sailor (Neptis harita harita)

The last of the Sailor butterflies found in Singapore is distinctly different from the other species in that the black-and-white stripes are replaced with dark and light brown. Despite the similar striped appearance, the brown stripes are obvious enough that this species is unlikely to be confused with any of the other Sailor species in Singapore.

The Chocolate Sailor (also called Dingiest Sailer in some books) is rare and is usually found in the forested areas within the nature reserves of Singapore. It was recorded as a new discovery for Singapore when it was first spotted in the early 1990's in the Mandai area. The butterfly is dark brown with lighter brown stripes across both wings. The distinctive crescent-shaped post-discal spot in space 3 of the forewing sets it apart from the other brown Sailor species that are found in Malaysia.

The diagnostic features of the Chocolate Sailor are :

Dark brown/light brown striped appearance, instead of the usual black-and-white stripes.
Post-discal spot at space 3 of the forewing is crescent shaped.
Underside is slightly paler, but also with a brownish base colour.

There is a total of 15 other Neptis species that can be found in Malaysia, and it is quite possible that one or two of these lookalike species may appear in Singapore in the future. With these basic identification tips on the four that are found here, do look out for any future discoveries that may appear on this little island one day!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Goh EC, Federick Ho, Khew SK, Horace Tan, Bene Tay, Anthony Wong and Mark Wong

Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks
Featuring : Windsor Nature Park

This weekend's blogpost features one of Singapore's nature parks, Windsor Nature Park. Located off Venus Drive in the Upper Thomson area, Windsor Nature Park is the sixth nature park in Singapore. As part of a holistic conservation approach, nature parks have been established on the margins of the Central Catchment and Bukit Timah Nature Reserves to act as green buffers.

© National Parks Board, Singapore

These nature parks buffer the Nature Reserves against developments that abut the Reserves. These parks will help to reduce visitorship pressure on the nature reserves by providing alternative venues for the public to enjoy nature-related activities. The habitats within these buffers are enhanced so that they remain rustic and forested, and at the same time, provide safe and convenient accessibility to visitors to these parks.

The 75-Ha Windsor Nature Park is located at the south-eastern boundary of the Central Catchment Nature Reserves (CCNR) and abuts the MacRitchie Reservoir Park. The entrance to Windsor NP is via Venus Drive, just off Upper Thomson Road. There is a 112-lot carpark for visitors who drive, and a conveniently located sheltered drop-off point along Venus Drive.

The trails from Windsor Nature Park intersects with the trails from MacRitchie Reservoir Park and is popular with nature and exercise enthusiasts.

I recall that, over 10 years ago, this area that butterfly and bird watchers refer to as Venus Drive, was a favourite place to look for forest biodiversity and rarities. Back then, the area was rustic and undeveloped and there were few visitors. The area was an access point to Sime Forest through the Singapore Island Country Club and we used to hike long distances to reach the nature reserves.

Boardwalks provide a safe and clean access with the nature parks and reduce the wear and tear on the forest trails

Today, the area is enhanced to provide proper boardwalks and safe accessibility to visitors. NParks' Conservation Division's Central Nature Reserve's office is also located here, where staff are on-site to conduct research, administrative work and field studies in the CCNR. Public amenities like restrooms, water-coolers, a gathering area and rest spots form part of the entrance facilities at Windsor Nature Park's visitor centre.

Biodiversity abound in the nature parks, so keep a lookout for all sorts of animals and insects around you!

The enhanced amenities and better accessibility have made Windsor NP a popular park with resident local visitors, nature enthusiasts, hikers and school groups out on educational tours. On my recent visit to Windsor NP on a weekday, I was surprised to see that the carpark was already about 70% full! There were many visitors around, and throughout my 3-hour walk around the park and into the MacRitchie area, I could hardly be alone for more than 5 minutes before meeting another visitor along the paths and boardwalks.

The marshland area at Windsor NP is conducive for bird and dragonfly observations

The entrance area of Windsor NP features a marshy wetland area where forest streams drain into. This area is great for dragonflies and teeming with many different species of our local Odonata. The landscaping around the NParks office and the public facilities includes many butterfly nectaring plants. On good days, a butterfly watcher should be able to see no fewer than 10 different species in the area, usually at the flowers of the Red Tree Shrub (Leea rubra).

Ample supply of butterfly nectaring plants around the visitor facilities at the entrance area of Windsor NP attracts many species of butterflies

The boardwalks lead a visitor towards the specially curated Hanguana Trail and the Drongo Trail. The Hanguana Trail is lined with rare native plants, some of which are named after Singapore. The Drongo Trail features a sub-canopy walk where visitors can catch a glimpse of the fauna that are found under the canopy level, in addition to examining the understorey of the regenerating secondary forest.

Natural forest streams run parallel to the boardwalks and trails showcase different habitats

There are adequate signage and wayfinding is simple and straightforward. Many visitors walk from the entrance at Windsor NP to the TreeTop Walk, which is slightly over 2.5km away. Secondary trails like the Squirrel Trail, Venus Link and Venus Loop also allow visitors to experience different parts of the nature park featuring a variety of habitats around forest streams, thick vegetation and open grasslands.

Attention to Design Details

A simple sloping detail of the timber handrail minimises problems like visitors sitting on these handrails, leaving litter on top of them, and eliminates leaf litter and twigs from collecting on the handrails.

As a visitor walks along the boardwalk and trails, one should look at some of the design details that were incorporated into the amenities at the nature park. A casual observer may not notice these design details. One of these, is the simple handrail on the boardwalk. The chamfered top surface of the timber handrail may appear simple, but it serves to prevent visitors from sitting comfortably on the handrail and thereby creating a safety concern. The sloping surface also minimises litter like cups and other things from being left behind by inconsiderate visitors as these objects will just slide off. Leaves and other natural litter will also not collect on the top of the handrail.

Leaving a gap between the safety mesh and the boardwalk makes for easy maintenance by the sweepers to keep the boardwalk free of leaves.

The stainless steel mesh is also designed to be panelised to allow for easy replacement of damaged sections or for maintenance. A 100mm gap is provided at the bottom of the safety mesh to allow the cleaner to sweep leaves and other forest litter off the boardwalk easily. A detail that is very important for housekeeping!

Creating a different walking experience with granite rocks and at the same time allowing water to flow across on rainy days during the wet season.

Along the trails where water flow is likely to be impeded by the trail, the footpaths have been designed with granite rocks as a bioswale to allow water to pass through, creating a different experience for visitors whilst allowing water to flow downstream on rainy days.

A 'cheap and good' detail to create steps along the trails without massive and expensive concrete work

Where steep slopes require some form of steps, a simple and cost-effective design of using precast blocks secured with galvanised soil spikes or crampons, and then filled with compacted earth solves the problem. This also eliminates the need to construct expensive and high maintenance concrete steps in the nature reserves. Kudos to NParks Conservation Division (in particular, Sharon Chan) and the architects for paying attention to some of these details in the design of the nature park's amenities and facilities.

Butterflies!

A Great Imperial (Jacoona anasuja anasuja) feeding on Leea rubra at Windsor Nature Park

At the entrance area, look out for butterflies at the Red Tree Shrubs which line the trails and adjacent to the buildings. A favourite nectaring plant for butterflies, the attractive red flowers of this plant will often be visited by many species of butterflies.

The open grassy areas along the trails are also good hunting grounds for various Satyrinae species like the Bush Browns, Rings and many Hesperiidae sunbathing in the early morning hours of the day.

An uncommon open winged shot of the Common Faun (Faunis canens arcesilas)

Along the boardwalk and forest trails, one can encounter butterflies like the Branded Imperial, Malay Viscount, Archduke, Saturn, Common Faun and Dark Blue Jungle Glory. Mostly forest-dependent species, these butterflies are often seen foraging amongst leaf litter and muddy forest paths.

How to Get There :

By bus: 132, 163, 165, 166, 167, 855, 980
Alight at Upper Thomson Road (Opp Flame Tree Pk, Bus stop ID: 53071; Flame Tree Pk, Bus stop ID: 53069)

Or 52, 162, 162M, 410
Alight at Sin Ming Ave (Blk 454, Bus stop ID: 53369; Opp Blk 454, Bus stop ID: 53361)

By Car : From Upper Thomson Road. turn into Venus Drive. The carpark entrance is quite obvious. The gantry closes at 7pm and cars parked at the carpark will not be able to exit. However, during the operating hours of 7am-7pm, carparking is free! Note however, that due to the popularity of Windsor Nature Park on weekends, finding an available parking lot may be a challenge.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Alan Ang, Basil Chia, Khew SK, Koh CH, Loh MY, Michael Soh, Soh KY, Jonathan Soong and Johnny Wee

Further reading :

Butterfly of the Month - September 2018

The Chocolate Demon (Ancistroides nigrita maura)

A Chocolate Demon sends its exceedingly long proboscis deep into the flower of the Torch Ginger for nectar

Just into the ninth month of 2018, Chinese communities prepare for the Mid-Autumn or Mooncake Festival towards the end of September. Many Chinese/Asians all over the world - crazy, rich or otherwise, look forward to the sweet treats in the form of mooncakes. Even in early September, I have already had my first taste of mooncakes sold by ever-enterprising retailers who start selling these diabetes-inducing desserts way ahead of the Mooncake Festival.

Over in Jakarta and Palembang, the 18th Asian Games drew to a close on 2 Sep, with just over two weeks of competitions amongst the best athletes in Asia. The Games closed without any major hitches or security issues, as Indonesia showed its proficiency and confidence to host a major sports event and could be a contender for the Summer Olympics some time in the future. Little Singapore ended the games in 14th spot (out of 46 participating asian countries) securing 22 medals with 4 golds coming from swimming, sailing and contract bridge.

Over in Japan, Mother Nature's wrath came in the form of typhoon Jebi, the strongest winds to hit Japan in 25 years. Before it made landfall, the storm had sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour and gusts of 165 kmh, the equivalent of a Category 1 Atlantic hurricane. And as the Japanese were recovering from Jebi, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Hokkaido. It is just the latest of a number of natural disasters to hit the country, continuing a summer of chaos that has seen deadly floods, typhoons, earthquakes and heatwaves. Not a good year for Japan.

A Chocolate Demon feeding on the flower of the Snakeweed

Back home in quiet, 'boring' but safe Singapore, the government had to settle for a deferment of the High Speed Rail (HSR) project that was originally touted to start operations in 2026. However, the deferment would mean that if the project will eventually happen, it would only start running in 2031. The new Malaysian government has also thrown a number of controversial bilateral proposals our way, one of which stirred the environmentalists' hornet's nest. The proposal of a 3rd terrestrial link via Pulau Ubin irked the nature community. Let us hope that this is just another 'distraction' thrown our way to mask the 'real' agenda that is yet to come.

A Chocolate Demon perches on a leaf under the shade with its wings folded upright

Let us turn to our Butterfly of the Month for September 2018. In our butterfly world, not every species is endowed with awe-inspiring beauty, colour, size or shape. Some butterfly species can appear drab and uninteresting to many observers. Our feature butterfly this month is one of them - the Chocolate Demon (Ancistroides nigrita maura).

One of the remarkable features of the Chocolate Demon is its very long proboscis

The Chocolate Demon is a relatively common species, often found in urban parks and gardens where its preferred caterpillar host plant, the Torch Ginger (Etlinger elatior) is cultivated. Several other of its caterpillar host plants are cultivated as garnishing or ingredients for our local cuisine, and hence found in urban areas.

The Chocolate Demon butterflies are often found in the vicinity of its host plant, the Torch Ginger. They feed on the flower of this ginger, and sometimes many individuals are seen feeding together How many Chocolate Demons can you count in the last photo?

It is a large skipper of the Hesperiidae family, and flies with an erratic and hopping flight amongst low shrubbery. It can often be observed to be feeding on various nectaring plants, and stops with its wings half-opened in a typical Hesperiidae fashion. Adults are also regularly seen in the vicinity of Torch Ginger groves, feeding on the large pink flowers of the plant. Sometimes up to half a dozen individuals can be seen together.

The Chocolate Demon is dark chocolate brown on the upperside and unmarked. On the underside, the marginal areas of both wings appear paler than the ground colour. A remarkable feature of this species is the extreme length of its proboscis, with which it uses to probe deep into flowers for nectar. The proboscis is more than twice as long as the butterfly's body.

Besides feeding on flowers for nectar, the Chocolate Demon can sometimes be seen to feed on bird droppings and other animal excretions, although it is rarely seen to puddle at damp forest paths. It can be skittish at times and sometimes 'jump' at the flash when photographed.

Caterpillars are usually found in leaf shelters on the preferred host plant, Torch Ginger. Other known host plants on which the caterpillars have been successfully bred in Singapore are Hedychium coronarium (White Ginger Lily, Butterfly Ginger), Zingiber officinale (Ginger) and Alpinia aquatica (Aquatic Ginger).

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Alan Ang, Goh EC, Federick Ho, Huang CJ, Khew SK, Michael Khor, Koh CH, Loke PF, Bobby Mun and Zhou Boyi

Taxonomic Classification in Butterflies
What is a Subspecies?

The Swedish naturalist, Carolus Linnaeus (Carl von Linne) pioneered the internationally recognised naming system for every creature and plant. Realising that every organism should be classified systematically according to its relationship with or organisms, he created the Linnaean system in his works, Systema Naturae in 1735 - a catalogue of the names of all known animals and plants. The 10th edition of Systema Naturae in 1758 is often adopted as the starting point for biological classification of animals and plants by family, genus and species.

According to the Linnaean system, all animals and plants are known by a combination of two names - the first indicating the genus, and the second, the species. This system, referred to as binominal nomenclature is also applied to the naming of butterflies. Furthermore, classification of butterflies used by many researchers and authors extend one more level to a rank below species. This is the subspecies. This method of naming the subspecies is known as the trinominal system and is now in general use for the scientific naming of butterflies.

A Pea Blue in Singapore is also known as a Long-Tailed Blue in Australia and Europe. But its scientific name, Lampides boeticus, is consistent, wherever it is found.

I have sometimes been asked about what a subspecies is, and how a butterfly subspecies comes about. This blogpost discusses the definition of subspecies, and the way it is applied to the scientific naming of butterflies. Although most amateurs and hobbyists prefer to use English common names for butterflies, this can often be confusing, and common names tend to differ amongst different countries and published references. Scientific names, however, are adopted universally and Lampides boeticus is the name used for the species, whether in England or in Singapore. The English common name, however, may vary from Long-Tailed Blue to Pea Blue, depending on where the butterfly is sighted!

Before we examine the concept of subspecies, let's consider what makes a species. A species is a group of living things with very similar traits that can interbreed. For example, elephants can breed with each other, but not with hippopotamuses. Different species rarely interbreed. On the occasions when they do, either by human intervention or naturally, the offsprings of the interbreeding are typically sterile, and are unable to reproduce further.

By definition, a subspecies is an individual or a group within a species that has become somewhat physically different from the species. However, they are still biologically similar enough to interbreed with individuals of the same species. Now let's take a look at why some species branch into subspecies. One major reason for this is the geographic isolation of a particular population of that species e.g. by physical distance or geographical separation, like an island. They are still the same species, but the group that became isolated may take on some different physical features simply due to their location.

The southern Malaysian and Singapore subspecies malayana (left) has less dense striations on its wings than the northern Malaysian subspecies nina (right)

However, we need to understand that the science of taxonomy is ever-evolving. Scientists often find themselves in disputes about which genus a particular species belongs to, or whether two or more butterflies with very similar physical characteristics should be classified as separate species or as subspecies. With recent developments in microbiology, phylogenetics, DNA sequencing, and the study of the early stages of a butterfly often results in new insights on the relationships between species. This newfound knowledge regularly results in the necessity to make revisions to the adopted classifications of butterflies.

Scientific name of the Lime Butterfly is :
[Genus]Papilio [Species]demoleus [Subspecies]malayanus

In the trinominal system of naming of butterfly species, we have the [Genus] followed by the [species name] and then by the [subspecies name]. Hence for a Lime Butterfly, the scientific name would be Papilio demoleus malayanus. Note that only the genus name is capitalised. The species and subspecies name should never be capitalised.

Different subspecies of butterflies found in Singapore vs those found in Northern Thailand
Top : Moduza procris procis (Chiang Dao) vs Moduza procris milonia (Singapore)
Middle : Cheritra freja friggia (Singapore) vs Cheritra freja evansi (Chiang Dao)
Bottom : Lexias pardalis jadeitina (Chiang Dao) vs Lexias pardalis dirteana (Singapore)

For amateur observers (and even for the more knowledgeable enthusiasts), it is sometimes difficult to ascertain the physical differences between two subspecies of butterflies. Very often, purely due to geographical distances, a butterfly that shows very little perceptible physical differences is given a different subspecies name. Others, however, are more obvious where the physical differences are clear.

Examples of butterflies which has only the species name, suggesting that the physical appearance of these species have no significant differences irrespective of where they are found - Lampides boeticus (Pea Blue), Acreae terpsicore (Tawny Coster), Udaspes folus (Grass Demon) and Plastingia naga (Chequered Lancer)

Then what about butterflies with only species name given to it? This suggests that the species is consistent throughout its range and there are no discernible physical differences in its appearance, no matter where it is geographically found. Some examples of such butterflies that are extant in Singapore are the Pea Blue, Grass Demon, Tawny Coster and Chequered Lancer. Interestingly, quite a number of butterflies that have been described down to only species level are from the Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae families.

Left : Subspecies malayana and Right : subspecies parkeri are both found in Singapore

Left : Subspecies bolina and Right : subspecies jacintha are both found in Singapore

Left : Subspecies pratipa and Right : subspecies bisaltide are both found in Singapore. However, subspecies pratipa has not be reliably seen since 2007.

Left : Female subspecies bisalitide and Right : subspecies pratipa showing their differences on the upperside of their wings

In Singapore, there are 3 occurrences of butterflies of which there are two subspecies observed here over the years. These are the Knight (Lebadea martha parkeri and Lebadea martha malayana), the Great / Jacintha Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina bolina and Hypolimnas bolina jacintha) and the Autumn Leaf (Doleschallia bisaltide bisaltide and Doleschallia bisaltide pratipa). Being an island separated from mainland Malaysia, it is likely that these subspecies' range overlap between Singapore and Malaysia and the evolution of the subspecies may continue until one is eventually eliminated.

Top : Caterpillar of the Autumn Leaf subspecies bisaltide and Bottom : subspecies pratipa

In the case of the Autumn Leaf, the subspecies pratipa which is usually found in Malaysia has a distinctively different caterpillar that is more obvious than the adult butterflies. However, subspecies pratipa was last seen in Aug 2007 at the Mandai Zoo and it is unknown if this subspecies still occurs in Singapore. The other two species continue to have sightings of their respective subspecies to this day.

As taxonomic science continues to evolve, technical methods and new knowledge are gained, it is inevitable that changes and updates to the scientific names of butterflies will continue.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by James Chia, Khew SK, Anthony Wong and Mark Wong

Three Helens
Featuring the Helen butterflies of Singapore

A Great Helen feeding on the yellow cultivar of Ixora javanica

The genus Papilio features a number of large and showy swallowtail butterflies. Some are tailless (despite being referred to as swallowtails), whilst many of them have spatulate tails at vein 4 of the hindwing. Amongst the Papilio species, are the "Helens" - large black and white butterflies whose wingspan measurements range from 120mm to 150mm. These Helens are attractive and eye-catching butterflies that prefer to stay in the sanctuary of the forested nature reserves and are hence forest-dependent species.

A Blue Helen puddling at a sandy streambank in the nature reserves

In Singapore, only one of the Helen butterflies was listed on the early authors' checklists - the Great Helen (Papilio iswara iswara). However, over the years, two more species joined the Great Helen, and on record, we now have the Blue Helen (Papilio prexaspes prexaspes) and the Red Helen (Papilio helenus helenus) in Singapore. The Blue Helen is rare, but regularly seen, suggesting that it is now 'naturalised' and a sustainable colony has established in Singapore. The Red Helen, however, is recorded from only a single individual spotted in 2014, and its status is considered a vagrant or seasonal migrant, despite being very common in Malaysia, compared to the Blue and Great Helens.

The Great Helen (Papilio iswara iswara)

The Great Helen is the largest species of the three Helens found in Singapore, and often spotted flying at treetop level in the forested nature reserves. When the Yellow Saraca (Saraca thaipingensis) is in bloom, one can sometimes observe the Great Helen feeding greedily at the yellow flowers of this tall forest tree.

A male Great Helen at rest. Note the lack of the red-ringed black ocelli at the tornal area of the hindwing

This species is also often seen feeding at the flowers of the red and yellow cultivars of the Javanese Ixora (Ixora javanica) along the fringes of the nature reserves where these shrubs are cultivated. The Great Helen is also attracted to flowering Spicate Eugenia (Syzygium zeylanicum) shrubs. Although the butterfly has been seen puddling in Malaysia, it is rarely observed to engage in puddling activity in Singapore.

A female Great Helen at rest. Note the two large red-ringed black ocelli at the tornal area of the hindwing

The Great Helen has a wingspan of about 130 - 150mm and the female is usually larger of the two sexes. The wings are predominantly black and the forewing of the female features white post-discal streaks, reaching the termen. Both sexes feature a large white patch on the hindwing which starts from vein 4 all the way to the apex. The female has large black ocellus ringed with red in spaces 1a and 2 on the upperside of the hindwing. On the underside, there are blue lunules in spaces 2,3 and 4.

The Blue Helen (Papilio prexaspes prexaspes)

A male Blue Helen puddling at a sandy streambank

Another black and white species, the Blue Helen was considered a new discovery when it was spotted in the 1990's. It was absent from the checklists of the early authors and collectors and was documented as a new record for Singapore. It is likely that the species migrated from Malaysia, and has since colonised areas within the nature reserves.

A Blue Helen feeding at the flower of the Spicate Eugenia

Males of the Blue Helen are observed puddling at damp sandbanks and forest trails. At other times, they can be seen feeding at the flowers of the Chinese Violet (Asystasia gangetica) and at Lantana and Ixora bushes. The Blue Helen is considered rare and usually individuals are sighted in the forested nature reserves.

The wings are black with a white discal patch that extends into space 4. There are no red ocelli on upperside of the hindwing. On the underside of the hindwing, there are narrow yellow and blue submarginal lunules, but in some individuals some of these lunules are obscure or obsolete.

The Red Helen (Papilio helenus helenus)

A Red Helen puddling at a sandy streambank

This species was a recent discovery that was added to the Singapore Checklist only in 2014 when a pristine individual was sighted feeding on the flowers of Ixora in south-western Singapore. Recorded as a vagrant or seasonal migrant, we can only speculate that the butterfly may have been carried over to Singapore by prevailing winds. The Red Helen should be looked out for in future. A common, and sometimes abundant species in Malaysia, it is a mystery as to why it did not migrate to Singapore and colonise the nature reserves like its rarer close cousin, the Blue Helen, did.

The Red Helen is often encountered puddling on damp sandy streambanks and muddy forest paths in Malaysia. Several individuals can sometimes be encountered at their favourite puddling grounds, in the company of many other Papilionids, Pierids and species of other families.

The Red Helen is similar in general appearance to its two cousins, however, the discal white patch on the hindwing is more restricted and does not extend beyond space 3. There is a full series of red submarginal lunules on the underside of the hindwing, from the tornus to the apex.

Four Red Helens and a Common Mormon puddling

We hope that in future, these Helen species will continue to be seen in Singapore, and the colonies of the Great and Blue Helens will be sustainable. The Red Helen, being a common species in Malaysia, may one day be counted as a permanent resident in Singapore, if the conditions and habitats that it prefers are ideal to support a local population.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by David Ho, Khew SK, Henry Koh, Loh Mei Yee, Nelson Ong, Simon Sng, Nicholas Tan, Tan CP and Mark Wong

Butterfly Photography

Proning Techniques - Getting Down on It!

Butterfly photography can be a very rewarding hobby where a photographer enjoys hunting, stalking and then 'shooting' his/her prey. The outcome of a beautiful butterfly photo on the sensor of the camera or viewing it on a PC monitor at home often makes it worth the while of tolerating a bit of inconvenience and hard work out in the field.

A butterfly photographer should have no lofty expectations of getting a NatGeo quality shot or a rare species each time he/she sets off on an outing. This is the "fun" of the hobby - that one can never predict for sure, what one will get at the end of a day out in the field. A lot of what ends up on the memory cards of a photographer's camera depends on choosing the right spots to look for butterflies, a little bit of skill in approaching the subject, an aesthetic eye, technical competency in handling the equipment and a large dose of luck!

With a bit of experience in the field, the butterfly photographer will know when to chase a butterfly, and when to leave it alone and find an easier target. A restless fluttering butterfly or a skittish one can often test one's patience to the limit. As the photographer's learning journey continues, he/she will come to be aware of the surroundings and behaviour of different species of butterflies in different habitats that offer the best chance of landing a good shot.

Very often, the challenge of locating, spotting, stalking and ensuring the butterfly stays still for a good shot can be quite tiring (and maybe even demoralising) for the photographer. However, it is also the thrill of the "hunt" that motivates many butterfly photographers to continue going out again and again in their quest for the "perfect" shot of a butterfly.

Hence it is quite important to even the odds by observing the behaviour of butterflies, and learning under which circumstances or situations when the butterfly is distracted or stops longer for a chance to photograph it. One such situation is when a butterfly stops to mud-puddle (or just simply puddling). This is where a butterfly is observed feeding at moist forest paths or sandy streambanks that may be contaminated with animal excretions or decomposing organic matter.

This week's blogpost discusses how some butterfly photographers deal with puddling butterflies. In the majority of cases, the butterfly is at ground level whilst it is puddling - whether along muddy forest paths or the banks of streams. For photographers using DSLRs and use the standard optical viewfinder to frame their shots, it would mean that, to get to the eye level of the butterfly, the camera has to literally sit on the ground.

An example of a puddling butterfly taken from a high angle. Note that although the focus is on the butterfly's eye and it is sharp, the apical area of the forewing is out of focus as there is not enough depth of field to get the eye and the wingtip sharp at the same time.

Also, a puddling butterfly with its wings folded upright presents a two-dimensional object and shooting at it from a higher angle may mean that there will be parts of the butterfly that are out of focus due to the shallow depth of field. Hence to get parallel to plane of the butterfly's wings, the photographer needs to get down to the lowest angle possible, i.e. flat on the ground.

To get a sharp edge-to-edge shot of a puddling butterfly, a photographer has to get down really low at the butterfly's eye level

Some DSLRs with flip-screen backs may solve part of the problem, and the DSLR can sit on the ground whilst the photographer can compose using the preview screen. However, it may not be the most convenient means of photographing the butterfly, especially on a bright sunny day. In trying to get to an angle parallel to the butterfly, many photographers use their own techniques of getting down to the eye-level of the subject.

Various proning techniques used by photographers to get a low angle on a puddling butterfly

Over the years, we have collected many candid shots of our photographers at work, using their favourite pose for proning on the ground to capture their best shots of puddling butterflies. These vary from horizontal 'planking' positions to yoga poses and contortionist postures that defy gravity.

When the best angle to get a puddling butterfly is from the stream, you get INTO the water to get your shot!

At times, when the puddling butterfly is next to a stream and the best position to photograph the butterfly is from the middle of the stream, then a photographer who is tenacious and determined to get his/her shot ends up in the water! At times, watching a butterfly photographer at work can be quite amusing, and to the ordinary observer, a most inadequate cause for suffering such agony just to get a photograph of a butterfly!

When there isn't enough space to prone on the ground to get your shot and another photographer is in the way, then you prone ON the other photographer!

Special humpback posture to get the camera down to the ground level

Proning on damp and muddy forest tracks to shoot butterflies may not be the most hygienic nor the cleanest of ways to get a good shot of a butterfly, but photographers will improvise and make the best out of the situation.

Going down in a flat prone position is the best way to get to the puddling butterfly's eye level

When placing the DSLR on the ground it is good to remember to switch off the vibration reduction function on your lens or camera. This is because the gyroscopic compensation afforded by the OS/VR/IS/etc system sometimes overrides a stable camera and you may end up with an out of focus shot instead.

Getting really low down for a shot

It is not often convenient to find nice flat ground to prone for a low-angled shot. So make do with whatever space you have and go low!

For areas with sharp gravel, broken glass and other injury-causing material, a butterfly photographer should also invest in good elbow and knee-protection gear to minimise any wounds or cuts that he/she may get from proning on such hostile ground conditions.

Proning on a gravel road won't exactly give you baby smooth skin on your elbows!

Once you are able to get in plane with the wings of the butterfly when proning, it is possible to open up the aperture to get a smooth and pleasing out-of-focus background, whilst the subject butterfly is in sharp focus. Apertures of f/5.6 or even bigger are possible if the conditions are right.

And so, with the examples of how ButterflyCircle's photographers "get down on it" when shooting puddling butterflies, you can try out your own techniques and poses to get the best shot of a butterfly at 'ground zero'!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Antonio Giudici, Sunny Chir and Khew SK

Special thanks to all my ButterflyCircle friends who have been shooting puddling butterflies over the years on our numerous outings. Whilst the identities of the photographers are not obvious in these photos, you know you who are!

Butterfly Watch - Seasonality Study
Butterfly Phenology in Singapore

I recently attended a talk by NParks' staff Zhou Boyi (Conservation Division) and Joy Wong (National Biodiversity Centre Division) on an advanced programme for the Butterfly Watch volunteers - Phenology or the study of annual seasonal or cyclical timing that affect butterflies in Singapore. Thus far, NParks' Butterfly Watch surveys, which were spun off from the BioBlitz activities, have received enthusiastic interest from many active members of the public.

Boyi informed me that the talk on butterfly phenological surveys was the next step to document more advanced studies on butterflies and encouraging the public to see and learn more about their observations of butterflies in Singapore. It was also important to collect data and records of various species, their seasonality and correlation with various events (e.g. haze, exceptional rainfall, drought, etc) over the course of the entire year.

The talk was held at the renovated bungalow at Dairy Farm Nature Park. The old bungalow was dilapidated for many years and was believed to be the residence of the staff, chief veterinarian and General Manager of the Cold Storage company that ran the dairy farm back in those days. After renovations, the bungalow is now used by NParks as a research and education centre. The layout of the bungalow was somewhat different from its original living room flanked by bedrooms. Today, the space has been reconfigured as a large lecture room complete with airconditioning.

Joy opened the talk with the background and purpose of the next phase of surveys which are intended to analyse the seasonality of the observations. She shared the various factors that affect phenology such as climate, differences in habitats, temperature, vegetation and a host of other factors.

A graphical analysis of the data that was collected over the many ButterflyWatch surveys by numerous volunteers was presented. It was interesting to see the trends across the various sites and the species distribution and diversity at different sites. Coincidentally, the site that recorded the highest number of species over the surveys was Dairy Farm Nature Park, where the talk was held.

There have not been many studies done on butterfly phenology in Singapore. The purpose of collecting more data would be to study the seasonal variations in the abundance of butterflies and understanding the conditions which cause these variations. Regular monitoring will add to the body of knowledge about the vulnerabilities of butterfly species and populations and devise management strategies to sustain Singapore's butterfly diversity.

Boyi then took over the next series of slides to introduce the various butterfly families found in Singapore. Each family's characteristics were discussed and their morphological attributes and differences highlighted. Lots of colourful pictures were shown to illustrate the features that Boyi was emphasising in his talk.

Boyi ended his talk with some quizzes on identification of butterflies and also featured a number of the more cryptic species that look very similar to each other. He also discussed the anatomical features of the butterflies and the scientific terms that are used to refer to different parts of a butterfly's wings.

Joy then summed up the day's presentation with the details on how the volunteers are expected to record and submit their results to NParks to collate and analyse the datasets.

It would be interesting to learn about some of our seasonal species like the Chocolate Albatross (which makes its appearance during certain months of the year) or why the Common Birdwing can be abundant during certain periods of the year but disappear completely from its favourite locations, only to reappear in numbers again cyclically. Are these seasonal appearances caused by plants, temperature, humidity, predators, parasites/viruses, environmental changes and a host of other factors? This is what longer term butterfly phenology studies can hope to give possible answers to these mysteries.

Text and photos by Khew SK.

Special thanks to NParks for organising the talk and to Joy and Boyi for delivering an interesting lecture on phenology.

Butterfly of the Month - October 2018

The Yellow Glassy Tiger (Parantica aspasia aspasia)

A female Yellow Glassy Tiger feeding on Lantana camara flower

The year 2018 crawls along into its tenth month and October is almost halfway through. It has not been a good year, both at the personal and at the work fronts, and I cannot wait for 2018 to end and to look ahead with greater optimism in 2019. It has been a year of ups and downs (mostly downs) and probably one of the more forgettable years in my life.

The local economy has not been favourable to the industry that I am in, and competition is rife and many companies are facing headwinds and a rather pessimistic outlook in the months to come. Throw in several unfortunate events directly affecting the company's branding and being in the news for the wrong reasons, it has been a year of hard knocks and bruised performances.

Health issues in the family also remind us of our mortality and vulnerability as we age. Time robs us of our youthful exuberance and leaves us a shell of what we used to be. But that's life, isn't it? No one gets younger or healthier as they age. But it is a grim reminder of the fear of losing a loved one, or facing major lifestyle changes due to negative impacts of the body's state of health. No one can say that they are prepared for such setbacks in their lives, because no matter how theoretically prepared we are, in reality, we aren't.

The global outlook is not that rosy either, with the US-China trade wars escalating in a tit-for-tat game of economic battles in the form of trade tariffs resulting in higher costs for some businesses causing overall global uncertainty in the near term. If we take a look back at history, the events preceding the two world wars started with economic crises. So let's hope that history won't repeat itself.

Even Mother Nature seems to be throwing out more extreme weather throughout the year and I don't recall back-to-back severe typhoons whipping Asian countries in recent history, resulting in multiple fatalities where these natural disasters struck. Add a couple of erupting volcanoes, a few earthquakes and tsunamis and hurricanes over in the western continents, it has been a particularly turbulent year for our world in the form of natural disasters too.

A male Yellow Glassy Tiger feeds on the flowers of a roadside White Weed (Ageratum conyzoides)

This month, we feature a seasonal visitor to Singapore, the Yellow Glassy Tiger (Parantica aspasia aspasia). Although recorded in Singapore by the early authors, the Yellow Glassy Tiger is very rare, and has not been seen for many years. Individuals have been irregularly observed from time to time, and these are believed to be strays from southern Malaysia making the occasional visits from across the Straits of Johor.

The Yellow Glassy Tiger's wings are predominantly bluish-grey with narrow black longitudinal streaks across both wings. Each wing has a bright yellow basal patch, with the yellow more extensive on the hindwing. It is this yellow colouration that gives the species its common name and distinguishes it from its all-grey cousins like the more common Blue Glassy Tiger and Dark Glassy Tiger found in Singapore.

The species flies with its characteristic slow and unhurried flight, which is typical of the "Tiger" butterflies of the Danainae subfamily. As the caterpillars of many of the Danainae species feed on lactiferous and toxic host plants, the adult butterflies display aposematic colouration and patterns, and are distasteful to predators.

A male Yellow Glassy Tiger feeding on the flowers of the Golden Dewdrop (Duranta erecta)

A female Yellow Glassy Tiger feeding on the flowers of the Indian Heliotrope (Heliotropium indicum)

The male Yellow Glassy Tiger has narrower and slightly more pointed wings, whilst the female has more rounded wings. The males also possess a conspicuous sex brand at the sub-tornal area of the hindwing. Females may be slightly paler in colour.

A male Yellow Glassy Tiger puddling at a damp streambank

Male Yellow Glassy Tigers have sometimes been observed to puddle at damp sandbanks near forest streams. Both sexes are frequently found feeding at flowering plants and wildflowers along roadsides and jungle trails. Although the species is relatively common in Malaysia but thus far, it is infrequently seen in Singapore.

A female Yellow Glassy Tiger spotted at Gardens by the Bay (Bay East), Singapore in Feb 2014

Locations where the Yellow Glassy Tiger was previously spotted included Hort Park, Alexandra Hospital Butterfly Garden, Pulau Ubin and Gardens by the Bay. Hopefully, this common species in Malaysia may one day make its home permanently in Singapore once again in the near future.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Sebastian Ho, Khew SK, Loke PF, Anthony Wong and Mark Wong

Lancers of Singapore
Featuring the Lancer skippers

The rare Yellow Chequered Lancer (Plastingia pellonia) perches on a leaf

This weekend's blogpost focuses on a group of butterflies in the Hesperiidae family (Skippers) that are collectively given the common English name of "Lancer". As shared in earlier posts on this blog regarding the interesting backgrounds in which the early collectors coined common names for butterflies, we have to sometimes do a bit of "forensic" analysis of some of these names to try to understand how some of these names originated.

The Yellow Vein Lancer (Pyroneura latoia latoia) is often observed at the flowers of the Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica) in the forested nature reserves of Singapore

Doing an online search for the meaning of "Lancer" would turn up primary definitions like "A soldier of a cavalry regiment armed with lances" or "a soldier who belongs to the part of an army that used lances in the past." The keyword in this case focuses on the word "lance" which is usually a long-handled weapon that is in the form of a spear. So the obvious etymology of the word "lancer" centres on a military personnel brandishing a long weapon.

A Chequered Lancer (Plastingia naga) perches in the shaded understory of its favourite habitat

So why would a butterfly have anything to do with a "Lancer"? This is the part that is probably more difficult to establish, and we can only speculate without any guarantees of a definitive conclusion, as there are often multiple viewpoints from which an observer can come to his own inference regarding a name.

Skippers, the collective name given to butterflies of the Hesperiidae family, are usually stout-bodied, moth-like in appearance and fast flyers. The individual species that are referred to as "Lancers" vary across different genera. But like most species of the family, they are skittish and zip around with great speed. Perhaps the early collectors saw in these species, a military-like demeanour in their wing shape and flight reminding them of soldiers brandishing lethal-looking weapons? A bit challenging to try to imagine these beautiful gentle creatures in that light, but to each his own.

The Chequered Lancer (Plastingia naga)

The first species that we feature here is the Chequered Lancer (Plastingia naga). That the Chequered Lancer is referred to by only its species name suggests that the butterfly is consistent throughout its geographical range with almost no perceptible differences in its appearance across the different countries where it occurs.

The underside of the Chequered Lancer has an attractive pattern of black veins and white rectangular spots. The upperside is a medium brown with hyaline spots on the forewings and yellowish streaks on both wings. The abdomen is striped black-and-white whilst the antennaa has a whitish band just after the club.

A Chequered Lancer sunbathes in the late afternoon showing its uppersides

A Chequered Lancer perches on the upperside of a leaf of its caterpillar host plant, Fishtail Palm (Caryota mitis)

The Chequered Lancer prefers well-shaded forest habitats where it perches on the top surfaces of leaves. It flies off rapidly when disturbed but often not too far away from its preferred habitats. The caterpillar of this species has been successfully bred on the Fishtail Palm (Caryota mitis) in Singapore.

The Yellow Chequered Lancer (Plastingia pellonia)

The Yellow Chequered Lancer is closely related to the Chequered Lancer and belongs to the same genus. It can be found in the same heavily-shaded habitats as the Chequered Lancer, but is much rarer, and usually spotted deep in forested areas within the nature reserves of Singapore.

A Yellow Chequered Lancer extends its palpi making it appear strange

The Yellow Chequered Lancer has a similar pattern on the underside of its wings to the Chequered Lancer, but instead of white spots, the overall ground colour of the butterfly is black-and-yellow, instead of black-and-white. The wings above are quite similar to the Chequered Lancer, but the spots are generally larger and more prominent.

The butterfly is considered very rare and its life history has hitherto not been recorded yet. The caterpillar host plant is very likely one of the jungle palms or even rattan, and it is hoped that we can document its full life history one day in the near future.

The Yellow Vein Lancer (Pyroneura latoia latoia)

At a glance, the Yellow Vein Lancer can look quite similar to the Yellow Chequered Lancer. However, upon a closer look, the differences are obvious and the two species can be separated quite easily. The butterfly is another forest-dependent species that is usually found within Singapore's nature reserves. Where found, sometimes several individuals can be spotted in the same locality, especially when the butterflies are feeding on the flowers of the Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica).

A glimpse of the upperside of a Yellow Chequered Lancer as it sunbathes in the warm sunshine

The Yellow Vein Lancer is dark brown on the upperside and the forewing has a series of pale yellow hyaline spots and streaks. The hindwing has a series of hyaline discal spots overlaid by a yellow band. On the underside, the veins are prominently marked in yellow with large spots and streaks between the veins. The antennae are yellowish from the apiculus to just behind the club, and the abdomen is striped black-and-yellow.

The species is moderately common in the nature reserves, and the caterpillars have been successfully bred on the Nibong Palm (Oncosperma horridum) that can be found in forested areas within the Central Catchment Nature Reserves.

The Pugnacious Lancer (Pemara pugnans)

The Pugnacious Lancer is the sole representative of the genus in the Southeast Asian Region. It is very rare in Singapore, and found mainly in forested areas within the nature reserves. Where observed, it is usually perched on the upperside of leaves with its wings folded upright. It is skittish like most skippers and tends to "jump" when it is photographed with a flash.

The upperside of the Pugnacious Lancer, showing the unique arrangement of the forewing spots

The species is dark brown above with a series of pale yellowish hyaline spots on the forewing. The underside is orange-brown and generously overlaid with ochreous scaling on both wings. On the forewing, there is a pair of black sub-apical spots adjacent to a single yellowish hyaline spot. The antennae are blackish brown throughout.

A Pugnacious Lancer perched on the upperside of a leaf with its wings folded upright

The caterpillar host plant of the Pugnacious Lancer is still unknown and given its rarity, it is hoped that a chance encounter of an ovipositing female of the species can fill in the gap in our knowledge of the early stages of this butterfly.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by James Chia, Goh LC, Khew SK, Koh CH, Nelson Ong and Jonathan Soong

Butterfly Anatomy : Part 1
Scientific Names For Different Parts of a Butterfly

Names for the different parts of the forewing of a butterfly

In the appreciation of butterflies, nature's winged jewels, it is also important to be able to appropriately refer to the correct names to the different physical parts of the butterfly. Just like any bird, animal or even an inanimate object, like a car, there are proper names given to each part so that anyone describing or referring to the different aspects or parts of it can be universally understood.

Names for the different parts of the hindwing of a butterfly

This is no different for a butterfly, which has proper terms to describe different parts of its wings or body. In this blog article, we will systematically learn about the different parts of a butterfly from basic terminology to the detailed biological terms used by scientists to describe a butterfly's physical attributes. This article is not meant to be comprehensive or exhaustive, as a complete glossary of the scientific terminology may be too daunting for a hobbyist trying to learn about the proper names given to the different parts of a butterfly.

In many references, both online and in hardcopy books, diagrams and graphics depicting the different parts of a butterfly are often too complicated. This may be due to packing in as much information as possible for efficiency, where a lot of information is crammed into a single picture. I will attempt to introduce the anatomical features of a butterfly and their respective proper names progressively from the commonly used terms to more detailed scientific terminology.

Firstly, when one takes a look at a butterfly, the basic information would be the body and wings of the insect. Fundamentally, the body is divided into three segments - the head, thorax and abdomen. Then we take a look at the wings. All butterflies have four wings - left forewing, right forewing, left hindwing and right hindwing.

At the next level, would be the different parts found on the head, thorax and abdomen. These are important parts of the butterfly and often described or elaborated in references as part of the diagnostic features in butterfly identification. For example, the colour of the shaft of the antenna just after the club is a diagnostic feature for some skippers, whilst the shape of the tip of the abdomen can help to separate between a male and female of a species of butterfly.

Hence on the head, the important parts that should be highlighted are the antennae, eyes, palpi and proboscis. The middle section of the body, the thorax, is best thought of as a muscular anchor to which the head, legs, segmented abdomen, and wings are attached. The abdomen contains the digestive system, breathing apparatus, a long tubular heart, and the sexual organs. The abdominal exoskeleton is multi-segmented. Each of the 10 segments is comprised of a ring of a hard material called chitin. The segments are linked by flexible tissues, allowing the abdomen to bend, a necessity for copulation and egg-laying.

Upperside and underside of the wings of the same butterfly

Moving to the next level of detail, would be the wings and the correct names for different parts of the wings. Firstly, when we refer to the upperside (or dorsal) and underside (or ventral) side of the wings, the photos above indicate the convention for this. And then, considering that a butterfly's wing is triangular-shaped, each margin and angle has a given name.

Names for the external margins of the forewing and hindwing of a butterfly

Hence a butterfly enthusiast should familiarise himself with the names of these parts of a butterfly's wings. This is because when taxonomists describe the features of a butterfly's wings e.g. "the forewing apex is rounded in the female...", one will know exactly where to look at, and which part of the wing the description is referring to.

The terms apex, termen, base, tornus, dorsum and costa should be the next taxonomic terms that an enthusiast should know and remember. These are the general terms applied to the external edges of a butterfly's wings and are quite key to describing the wings.

When the description refers to the forewing dorsum margin (straight or curved) of the Dwarf Crow, an observer will be able to focus straightaway on the correct part to see the differences described.

In subsequent parts of this Butterfly Anatomy series, we will go into the wing surfaces, veins and internal taxonomic names for different parts of a butterfly's wings, and other detailed names of other different parts of a butterfly that is often used as descriptors and diagnostic features to identify different species. A glossary of other commonly used taxonomic terms will also be discussed.

Text by Khew SK ; Photos by Bob Cheong, Khew SK and Loh MY

Butterfly Anatomy : Part 2
Wing Venation on a Butterfly's Wings

The prominently darkened veins on the hindwing of the Common Birdwing illustrates the wing venation and all the veins that originate from the cell

In the next article of our series on butterfly anatomy and scientific terminology, we take a closer look at the wings of the butterfly. The wings constitute one of the important parts of a butterfly in classification and identification work. The ability to understand the terms that are used to reference various parts of a butterfly's wings is critical to butterfly identification. This article focuses on the veins on the butterfly's wings and how they are named.

This backlit shot of a Lemon Emigrant shows the vein structure and arrangement clearly

The wings of a butterfly are membranous with veins running longitudinally from the base (where the wings are attached to the thorax) to the outer margins of the wings. The pattern and arrangement of these veins (wing venation) is an important diagnostic tool in the identification of butterflies. It is therefore important to understand the wing venation as a reference to locating features that are associated with the veins/spaces on a butterfly's wings. In some cases, the arrangements of the veins themselves will give important clues to the genus of the butterflies.

The raised veins are prominent in this Malay Lacewing and show clearly how the veins are arranged

The veins of a butterfly's wings gives the structural strength to the soft membranous wings onto which the scales are attached. These veins are tubular, in which a liquid 'blood', or haemolymph circulates within them.

The Comstock system of butterfly wing vein notation. Whilst the system has a strong scientific basis, the numbering system requires a bit of understanding and is not easy for a hobbyist enthusiast to understand. It is probably for this reason that, for butterflies, it is easier to understand the more intuitive Numerical Notation system.

A butterfly's wing venation has been used extensively in the classification and identification of butterflies and the nomenclature of the veins in insects usually follows the system adopted by JH Comstock (referred to as the Comstock, 1918 system). However, a simplified and more intuitive Numerical Notation system pioneered by Herrich-Schaffer is more commonly used. Basically, this system numbers the veins from 1, which represents the anal veins (1a and 1b) through to number 12 on the forewing, and 1a and 1b to 8 on the hindwing. Note however, that not all butterflies have the full set of veins on both wings, and may vary from species to species.

A typical wing venation of a butterfly based on the Numerical Notation system. Note the naming of the spaces between the veins

In the Numerical Notation system, veins 2 to 11 on the forewing and 2 to 7 on the hindwing originate from the cell. The remaining veins originate from the wing bases. The interspace between two veins is known by the number of the lower vein. E.g. the space between veins 2 and 3 is referred to as "space 2".

In the identification of a Dingy Line Blue, the reference to the ocellus in space 2 being a diagnostic feature is clearer when one is able to find "space 2" on the hindwing by understanding the numerical naming of the wing venation and spaces between the veins.

This is an important convention to understand, as for example, the description of "the ocellus in space 2 of the hindwing is moved inwards" immediately directs the observer to that particular part of the wing to observe this diagnostic feature that distinguishes the Dingy Bush Brown (Mycalesis perseus cepheus) from its other lookalike cousins.

In the examples below, we illustrate how wing venation is used to refer to certain features of a butterfly. We will compare a few photographs of actual butterflies with the numerical system of naming the veins and how these wing veins appear in the actual individuals.

The Common Rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae asteris) - Species of the family Papilionidae tend to have the full complement of veins from 1a to 12 on the forewing and 1a to 8 on the hindwing (with vein 1b missing).

Diagrammatic representation of the wing venation of the Common Rose

For example, when a description of the Common Rose states "there is a spatulate (spoon-shaped) tail at vein 4 of the hindwing", it is now easy to look at the veins and understand where the location of the tail at vein 4 is.

The Striped Blue Crow (Euploea mulciber mulciber) - The Danainae feature species that have almost the complete complement of wing veins on both wings, with the exception of vein 1a on the forewing. In the case of this male Striped Blue Crow, the veins are clearly seen on the brownish base colour of the wings.

Diagrammatic representation of the wing venation of the Striped Blue Crow

Take a close look at the hindwing veins on the butterfly. Can you trace all the veins from vein 2 to vein 7 to the cell on the wing? On the hindwing in all butterflies, veins 2 to 7 always originate from the cell.

The darkened veins of the Painted Jezebel are helpful in locating and understanding the position of the veins on the wings.

The Painted Jezebel (Delias hyparete metarete) - Many species of the Pieridae feature the full complement of veins from 1a to 8 on the hindwing. However, several veins are missing from the forewing, where veins 1a, 8 and 10 are not present.

Diagrammatic representation of the wing venation of the Painted Jezebel

The Painted Jezebel, like several species in the Pieridae family, is also interesting in that the veins on the wings are darkened and it is quite easy to trace most of the veins in the butterfly when looking at its wings.

The Common Posy (Drupadia ravindra moorei) - A example of a Lycaenidae and the wing veins in this species. Many species in the Lycaenidae family have veins 8 and 9 are missing from the forewing.

Diagrammatic representation of the wing venation of the Common Posy

Looking at the hindwing veins, a description such as "the hindwing has three white tails at veins 1b, 2 and 3, of which the longest is the one at vein 2" becomes easier to understand.

In the next article, we will discuss the names of the different parts and zones on the wings of a butterfly and how we can use these references together with the wing venation and external margin names of the wings to find the diagnostic features in the identification of butterflies.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Sunny Chir and Khew SK : Wing venation diagrams taken from Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula by Corbet and Pendlebury, 4th edition

Butterfly Anatomy : Part 3
Interior Regions of Butterfly Wings

In Part 1 and Part 2 of the previous weeks' articles on butterfly anatomy, we learned about the naming of the various parts of a butterfly. In particular, the names of the external margins of the wings and the wing venation naming convention based on the Numerical Notation system. By now, we should be familiar with the terms like termen, costa, tornus and so on, which are descriptors of the external margins and angles of the wings.

In this article, we move into the interior regions of the wings and learn about the terminology that are associated with the different parts of the wings. As a recap to why these terms are important, even to amateur hobbyists, the following reasons come to mind :

An understanding of the naming convention means that the positions of the spots, bands, lines, and various features can be accurately described.
The descriptions of diagnostic features on a butterfly's wings in publications and scientific write-ups can be properly understood and the reader will know where to look and compare these markings if he/she understands the anatomical terminology.
Learning the names of various parts of the wings can also help an observer describe a feature properly so that these can be related to others to help ID a butterfly species. The proper names of these parts is likened to a "GPS" to locate different features on the wings e.g. "there are three sub-apical spots on the forewing", would immediately focus on the forewing, and spots that are just adjacent to the apex of the wing.

The basic internal regions of a butterfly's forewing and their associated anatomical names

Let us now take a look at the forewing of a butterfly, and familiarise ourselves with the names of the various parts of the interior regions of the wings. I will separate the forewing into 3 main regions so that each part is treated in installments to better focus on the areas under discussion. Then an actual butterfly photo is used as an example to illustrate the area concerned. However, it is important to note that these areas are not scientifically precise and is only a rough estimate of the part of the wing.

At this juncture, it is important to take note of the prefixes "sub-" and "post-". When the prefix "sub-" is used, it means the area that is closer or towards the body of the butterfly, and if "post-" is used, the area is further away from the body of the butterfly.

In many butterfly species, the apical area often contains important features that are diagnostic. This is the area that is near the apex of the forewing. Adjacent to the apical area is the sub-apical area where many features are also found which aid in the identification of butterflies.

Some examples illustrating apical and sub-apical features on the forewing of a butterfly

An example of a species with a diagnostic apical area is the Knight (Lebadea martha parkeri) which features "prominent white apical area" that distinguishes it from the female, which does not have its apical area whitened. In the 2nd example, the Common Three Ring has "a large yellow-ringed sub-apical ocellus".

The next region of interest would be the internal margins or "edge" areas of the wings. These are the costal area (at the costa of the forewing), the dorsal area (at the dorsum of the forewing) and the basal area (at the base of the forewing). The area next to the basal area is the post-basal area (further away from the body, hence "post-"). The outer wing edge is called the marginal area and the area next to it is referred to as the sub-marginal area.

Examples illustrating the various terms like marginal, sub-marginal, costal, basal and dorsal parts of the forewing of a butterfly

The examples shown of actual photos of various species showing the diagnostic costal spot of the Forget-Me-Not (Catochrysops strabo strabo), the creamy patch on the dorsal area on the forewing of the female Malay Lacewing (Cethosia hypsea hypsina) and the basal area of the Gram Blue (Euchrysops cnejus cnejus) a pale shining blue. Note the features on the marginal and sub-marginal areas of the Malayan Lascar (Lasippa tiga siaka)

On the interior region of the forewing, are the areas that are associated with the wing cell. The cell (or disc) has been described in Part 2 with the wing venation. The areas around the cell is usually called the discal area. The area that is further away from the butterfly's body is referred to as the post-discal area, whilst the part that is nearer to the body is called the sub-discal area.

Features in the discal and post-discal parts of the butterfly's forewing

In the examples shown, the orange discal patch on the forewing above separates the male of the Dark Posy (Drupadia theda thesmia) from the females and other species of the genus. The Banded Yeoman features a broad orange-yellow post-discal band on the forewing.

The basic internal regions of a butterfly's hindwing and their associated anatomical names

Now let us take a closer look at the hindwing and the terminology of the various parts of the wing. As the wing surface of the hindwings of most butterflies is smaller than the forewing, there is no post-basal area on the hindwing.

Of particular interest is the tornal area of the hindwing. This area carries many diagnostic features like ocelli, tails and a series of markings that help in the identification of Lycaenidae butterflies. The tornal area is near the tornus of the hindwing.

The tornal area of Lycaenids usually have key distinguishing features that are used in the identification of butterflies

An example of the diagnostic feature of the orange-crowned ocellus and long tail at the tornal area of the Silver Forget-Me-Not (Catochrysops panormus exiguus), compared to the twin orange-crowned ocelli and short tail of the Gram Blue (Euchrysops cnejus cnejus).

Next, we look at the margins of the hindwing that are somewhat similar to the forewing, with the marginal, sub-marginal, costal, dorsal, and basal areas.

A few quick examples here are the Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore) with the white spots on a black marginal border, and the Dwarf Crow (Euploea tulliolus ledereri) with a row of white marginal and sub-marginal spots. In the Pointed Ciliate Blue (Anthene lycaenina miya), the large costal spot on the hindwing is a diagnostic feature to separate it from the similar-looking Ciliate Blue.

Finally, the interior region of the hindwing features the discal, sub-discal and post-discal areas of the wing that are associated with the section that encompasses the cell of the hindwing. Like in the forewing, this area often has many spots, stripes, bands and other features that help to identify a butterfly.

Focus on the discal features on the hindwing of these Neptis spp to better understand the differences between them

In the example shown here, the white discal band on the hindwing of the various Neptis spp. is diagnostic and helps to distinguish the various species found in Singapore. The post-discal band on the fore- and hindwing of the Bush Brown (Mycalesis spp) is an important feature that helps to separate the many lookalike species in the genus.

With the knowledge of these basic terminology used in a butterfly's anatomical features, a hobbyist can now combine the key descriptors in terms of wing margin names, venation (and spaces between veins) and interior regions of the wings to better understand how the physical features of a butterfly are described and where to look for specific diagnostic markings to help in the identification of different species of butterflies. These 3 blog articles are by no means exhaustive and an enthusiast who is interested should continue to equip him/herself with a glossary of terms beyond these basic anatomical terminology of butterflies.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Antonio Giudici, Khew SK, Bobby Mun and Jonathan Soong.

Line diagrams of butterfly wings from Butterflies of West Malaysia and Singapore by WA Fleming.

Previous articles in this series :

Butterfly of the Month - November 2018
The Common Awl (Hasora badra badra)

A pristine Common Awl perches on a palm leaf

We are into the second last month of 2018 already! We can feel Christmas round the corner when colourful decorations, twinkling lights and the melodious songs of the season echo through the shopping malls and commercial complexes in Singapore. Websites and media scream of Christmas sales and offers of discounts of the holiday season.

The weather in Singapore has also been rather wet, with particularly extreme heavy rains on some days causing flash floods in various areas. Yet, in spite of the extra effort and engineering interventions by our utilities agency, floods can still happen in Singapore - often emphasising the inevitable outcome of man vs nature, when nature is in no mood to negotiate.

For those of us who travel by air regularly, the recent Lion Air crash with 189 fatalities brings a grim reminder to our over-dependence on technology. The anti-stall function and flight speed indicator had apparently malfunctioned, causing the almost brand new plane to plunge into the sea.

The fantasy world of super-heroes lost its iconic creator, Stan Lee, who passed away at the ripe old age of 95. Those who grew up in the era of comic books, waiting with bated breath for the next issue of Spider Man, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and so on, will appreciate the enjoyment of browsing through the pages of a comic book and fantasising about saving the world with our favourite characters.

A typical pose of the Common Awl, perched upside down beneath a leaf

Coming back to reality, this month's feature butterfly for November 2018 is the Common Awl (Hasora badra badra). This drab, medium-sized skipper can be considered moderately common in Singapore with a distribution across urban parks and nature reserves. It is most often found in mangrove areas where its caterpillar host plant, Derris trifoliata and Derris elliptica grows wild.

The Common Awl flies rapidly amongst heavily-shaded habitats where it is usually found, and is more often seen and photographed perched upside down on the undersides of leaves. When disturbed from its perch, it zips off quickly, and selects another perch under which it will try to conceal itself in its typical upside down position.

A Common Awl feeding at the flowers of a Syzygium tree

The species is known to puddle, particularly on damp organic matter or excretions of birds spattered on the top surfaces of forest vegetation. Other sightings of this species, besides being perched on the undersides of leaves, are when the Syzygiumtrees bloom. The Common Awl is seen feeding at the nectar-rich flowers together with other butterflies.

A newly eclosed female Common Awl showing the upperside hyaline spots on its forewing

The Common Awl is a drab brown on the upperside with the wings usually unmarked in the male. There may be a series of usually 2-3 small subapical spots on the forewing. The female has three large pale yellow hyaline spots in the discal area of the forewing, with the wing bases ochreous.

A Common Awl feeding on the minerals on the damp surface of a brick wall

The underside is brown, with a purplish glazed sub-marginal band that may appear more pronounced depending on the angle of incident light on the wings. A prominent white spot in the cell on the underside of the hindwing is characteristic of this species. There is usually a white streak at the tornal area of the hindwing.

Two female Common Awls, note the large pale yellow hyaline spots visible on the forewing

Sightings of the Common Awl are usually in the early morning hours before 9am and in the late evenings, when the species is more active. Its crepuscular habit makes the species rather elusive during the normal hours when other butterfly species are up and about. However, along mangrove trails and boardwalks, the Common Awl may be often seen at other times of the day if it is disturbed from its slumber.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by David Chan, Foo JL, Khew SK, Loke PF, Jonathan Soong and Horace Tan

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