Life History of the Banded Lineblue

Life History of the Banded Lineblue (Prosotas lutea sivoka)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Prosotas H.H.Druce, 1891
Species: lutea Martin, 1895
Sub-species: sivoka Evans, 1910
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 18-22 mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plant: Acacia concinna (Fabaceae, Leguminosae, common name: soap pod).

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:

Upperside, both sexes are brown. Underside, both sexes are pale yellowish orange and  similarly marked in both wings with darker yellowish orange spots arranged the form of post-discal band, cell-end bar and subbasal markings. The forewing has a series of small black marginal spots and a series of faint dark yellowish orange submarginal spots. The hindwing has dark marginal spots in spaces 3-6, of which the one in space 6 is the largest. There are two tiny black tornal spots at the end of vein 1b, and a larger black  subtornal spot in space 2. The hindwing of this species is tailless.

A Banded Lineblue visiting a flower of Mile-a-minute.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:

This tiny species was recently discovered in Singapore (see this BC blog article for details). Sightings of  adults have typically been in the vicinity of its local host plant, either visiting flowers on nearby flowering shrubs/herbs or puddling on wet ground. In flight, they can easily be mistaken as other similarly-sized Lineblues. A definite identification can only be made when the butterfly perches briefly and allows its trademark hindwing marginal spot in space 6 to be observed.

Early Stages:

The only known local host plant for the recently discovered Banded Lineblue is Acacia concinna (soap pod), which itself is also recently re-discovered as a result of the effort to identify the host plant.  The plant had previously  been listed as presumed extinct locally in the flora checklist for Singapore.  The caterpillars of the Banded Lineblue feed on the young and tender leaves of A. concinna. As the cluster of A. concinna is not flowering in the short observation period available up to now, we are not able to tell whether the caterpillars also use the flower buds as a food source.

Host plant: Acacia concinna.

Eggs of Banded Lineblue are laid singly on a leaf bud or young shoot of the host plant. Unlike its cousins, Prosotas nora (Comon Lineblue) and Prosotas dubiosa (Tailless Lineblue), the egg of the Banded Lineble is not encased in a coat of gelatinous material.  Each egg is disc-like (about 0.4mm in diameter) with a depressed micropylar at the centre of the exposed top.The surface is covered with a reticulated pattern of intersecting shallow ridges and  pits. When freshly laid, the egg is pale green. The color turns to white as the egg matures.

A female Banded Lineblue laying an egg on the host plant.

Another ovipositing female Banded Lineblue.

A fresh egg (at the center of the pic) laid on a young shoot of the Banded Lineblue.

A close-up view of an egg of the Banded Lineblue. Diameter: 0.4mm.

Each egg takes 2-2.5 days to hatch. The young caterpillar emerges after nibbling away sufficiently large portion of the egg shell. The remnant of the egg shell is not eaten by the newly hatched. Measured at a length of about 0.7mm to 0.8mm, its pale yellowish body sports two rows of long dorso-lateral setae, and moderately long lateral setae. The head capsule is black in color.

An empty egg shell of the Banded Lineblue.

Two views of a new hatched caterpillar, length: 0.7-0.8mm.

The newly hatched feeds on the leaf lamina of tiny leaflets in the young shoot, making small holes on the leaflet surface as a result. The body takes on a green undertone as a result of the leaf diet. After about 2-2.5 days of growth and reaching about 1.8mm in length, the caterpillar moults to its next instar.

A late 1st instar caterpillar stays dormant on the rachis of the resident leaf prior to its moult to the next instar.

The 2nd instar caterpillar still has distinct dorso-lateral and sub-spiracular setae, but these are much shorter in proportion to its body length. In addition, there are numerous minute setae covering its body surface. The body base colour is yellowish green, and the head capsule has changed to the same coloration. Dorsally, from the 2nd thoracic segment onwards, the body features a hump which is wider at the anterior segments. The bottom rim of the body segments takes on a lighter shade of yellowish green as growth progresses. The dorsal nectary organ is barely distinguishable at this stage. The growth in this stage brings the caterpillar to a length of about 3mm, and after about 2-2.5 days in this stage, it moults again.

Two views of a 2nd instar caterpillar, length: 2.5mm.

Two views of a 2nd instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 2.8mm.

The 3rd instar caterpillar does not have the two rows of distinct dorso-lateral setae as in the previous two instars. The sub-spiracular setae are still present but rather short. There are numerous short setae covering the body, more so than in the 2nd instar. The dorsal hump is now marked with paler yellowish green along its outer edges. Both the dorsal nectary organ and the tentacular organs are discernible in this instar. The 3rd instar takes 2-2.5 days to complete with the body length reaching about 4.5-5mm before the next moult.

Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, length: 3.5mm.

Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, dormant prior to its moult, length: 4.7mm.

A 3rd instar caterpillar sighted in the field on a young shoot of Acacia concinna.

The 4th (and final) instar caterpillar typically has a reddish brown dorsal band caused by the carpet of tiny stellate setae on the dorsum being of this coloration. Laterally, above and below the level where spiracles occur, similar reddish brown bands are also present. However the extent and intensity of these reddish brown bands varies from specimen to specimen, with some might show little or no trace of such bands. The diamond-shaped prothoracic shield is yellowish green in colour. The nectary organs are rather prominent in this instar and the everted tentacular organs can be easily observed.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, showing prominent reddish brown bands, length: 9mm.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, showing moderate presence of reddish brown bands, length: 8.5mm.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, showing almost no trace of reddish brown bands, length: 7.2mm.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar found in the field attended by ants.

In this final instar, the caterpillar eats its way to a body length of up to about 8-9mm within 4-4.5 days. On the last day, the caterpillar ceases eating and its body shrinks somewhat. It wanders around in search for a suitable pupation site. In the breeding environment, the caterpillar typically chooses the tight space in a curled up leaf or the space between two leaves in a pile of leaf litter. At the chosen site, the caterpillar readies itself for pupation by spinning silk threads to form a silk pad and a silk girdle to secure itself.

Two views of an immobile pre-pupa of the Banded Lineblue, Red form.

Pupation takes place after one day of the pre-pupal stage. The pupa has the typical lycaenid shape, pale brown in base colour with darker brown and black spots and blotches. Length of pupae: 5.8-6mm.

Two views of a pupa of the Banded Lineblue, length: 6mm.

Five days later, the pupa becomes darkened in color signaling the imminent emergence of the adult. The next day the adult butterfly emerges from the mature pupa.

Two views of a near mature pupa of the Banded Lineblue, on the night before eclosion.

A newly eclosed Banded Lineblue.

References:

• [C&P4] The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society.
• Butterflies of Thailand, Pisuth Ek-Amnuay, 2nd Edition, 2012

Text by Horace Tan, Photos by Lemon Tea Y K, Nelson Ong, Federick Ho, Sunny Chir, Khew S K and Horace Tan.

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Random Gallery - Scarce Silverstreak

Random Butterfly Gallery
The Scarce Silverstreak (Iraota rochana boswelliana)

This fast-flying Lycaenid, the Scarce Silverstreak, can be found quite often in urban parks and gardens, usually in the vicinity of its caterpillar host plant, Ficus microcarpa.  The male is shining deep greenish-blue with broad black forewing borders, whilst the female is drab brown.  The underside is distinctively marked with brown and white streaks, and is unlikely to be mistaken for any other butterfly species in Singapore. 

This shot of a pristine male of the Scarce Silverstreak was taken by ButterflyCircle member Chng CK last Sunday at a herb garden.  Here it is featured perched on a leaf of Melastoma sp.  The complete life history has been recorded and can be found on ButterflyCircle's blog here.

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Celebrating a Homecoming

Celebrating a Homecoming
The Return of the Fleming Collection

This morning, I attended the Ground Breaking Ceremony of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at the National University of Singapore's Cultural Centre. The new purpose-built museum, which is expected to be ready in 2014, will be home to some 800,000 fauna specimens that is currently housed in the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity (RMBR). The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum will be a 7-storey building of about 7,500 sqm of which about 2,000 sqm is exhibition space.

 

Top : Prof Tommy Koh addressing the group of guests at the Ground Breaking Ceremony
Middle & Bottom : Artist's impression of the new Natural History Museum by W Architects

Amidst all the excitement of the future museum that will feature South East Asian biodiversity, a small group of us were celebrating a homecoming of sorts. About six months ago, Prof Peter Ng, the Director of RMBR met me and Mr TH Tan, a retired Malaysian entrepreuner, to talk about the acquisition of the iconic WA Fleming collection. For butterfly enthusiasts, students and collectors, the late WA Fleming (or Wicky Fleming) was one of the well-known collectors in the 60's and 70's in Malaysia and Singapore. Fleming was the author of "Butterflies of West Malaysia and Singapore" - one of two reference books that is a must for all butterfly enthusiasts in Malaysia and Singapore.

1st Edition of Butterflies of West Malaysia and Singapore (W.A. Fleming) published in 1975 and 2nd Edition of the book published in 1983 by his wife Mrs Alix Mc Cartney

After a series of discussions and negotiations, we were elated to learn that Mrs Alix McCartney, the wife of the late Wicky Fleming, and his son, Angus Fleming, decided that the permanent resting place of the Fleming collection should be at the new Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in Singapore.

The late Wicky Fleming

Wicky Fleming was a Scotsman who arrived in Selangor, Malaysia in December 1937 to join a London-based rubber company. During the war, he was interned at Changi Prison in Singapore and later at the Kuching Prison in Sarawak. After the war, he returned to Selangor as a planter.  He took up butterfly collecting as a hobby in September 1963 till the time of his death in May 1978. During the 15 years that he collected in Malaysia and Singapore, he amassed a collection that is one of the most complete Malaysian butterfly collections by a private individual during that era.

 

Angus Fleming wheeling the Fleming Collection at the arrival hall of Changi Airport T3, and one shot of the historic moment with Prof Peter Ng, Director/Raffles Museum

After Wicky's death in 1978, his wife, Alix returned to the UK in 1979 and his collection moved back to Straffordshire with her.  All these years, she and her sons respected Wicky's last wish that his collection must remain intact in its entirety and not be separated or any specimens sold off individually. On 8 Jan 2013, almost 34 years since the Fleming collection went to the UK, the entire collection reached Changi Airport Terminal 3. At 12:12 pm Angus Fleming, with the excellent facilitation of SIA ground staff, wheeled his late father's collection through the glass doors of the arrival hall.  It was a historic moment for the museum and for everyone involved in bringing the collection to Singapore.

Part of the Pieridae collection - well packed with pristine specimens that date back more than five decades!

In the Fleming collection, was a total of 8,723 butterfly specimens covering some 1,001 species/subspecies of butterflies from Malaysia and Singapore that Wicky Fleming collected over the period 1963 - 1978. A priceless collection and an invaluable reference collection for all butterfly enthusiasts in the region.

A box of the beautiful Lycaenidae butterflies from the Fleming collection

What is particularly important about this collection, is that the specimens are properly organised and accurately identified by Wicky Fleming and validated by other experts such as the late Lt Col John N Eliot. The specimens in the collection correspond very closely to Fleming's book, Butterflies of West Malaysia and Singapore, and also the 2nd edition of the book by his wife. It is an important reference for collectors and future students of butterflies who are keen to learn how to identify their collected specimens.

Angus carefully opens the boxes and checks the condition of the collection after the nearly 11,000 km journey from London

As we excitedly opened each box to check on the contents to ensure that every specimen survived the journey unscathed from Heathrow Airport to Changi Teminal 3, I was amazed at the pristine condition of the butterflies, and many looked as though they were still alive just yesterday! The collection is now in quarantine and put through a disinfection process to eliminate any pests and organisms that may have come with the collection. After that, the boxes will be carefully stored in a humidity and climate controlled environment until the new LKCNHM is ready and operational.

More shots of the well-maintained and preserved collection

As Prof Peter Ng says, Malaysia and Singapore are very different today from the days when Wicky was collecting butterflies. The environment has changed and the political situation has changed. Habitats have been altered by development and cultivation of cash crops, forests denuded and then there is climate change. This is why sustainable conservation strategies and rehabilitation of our green areas to preserve and enhance our remaininng biodiversity will only gain in importance. Even where development occurs, strategies have to be put in place from the outset, to look at how there could be reinstatement of habitats or even creating man-made habitats for our biodiversity to recover.

And so a collection of butterflies that is very important to science, education and research returns to the region from which most of the specimens were collected. Whilst many of our readers may feel uncomfortable at the number of butterflies collected, this scientific collection's value cannot be overstated. Without the knowledge and evidence that is embodied in this collection that was made over 40-50 years ago, we would have been less knowledgeable about butterflies today. This collection is not for sale, nor would any individual be able to put a price to any specimen. Eventually, parts of the collection may be shown to the public after the LKCNHM opens - with historical and scientific narratives about the butterflies and the collector, but that is a subject that will be presented in future blog articles.

Angus and Khew holding up a box of rare Nymphalidae butterflies from the Fleming collection

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK : Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum graphics by W Architects

Special thanks to the people who made the homecoming of the Fleming Collection to the region and to its permanent resting place at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum : Angus Fleming, Mrs Alix Mc Cartney, Mr TH Tan, Prof Peter Ng, Prof Dick Vane-Wright, Dato' Henry Barlow, Dr Tan Swee Hee, staff of Singapore Airlines at Heathrow and Changi, and staff of Raffles Museum of Biodiversity, NUS.

Media Report - Straits Times - 14 Jan 2013 : "Valuable Collection for Museum"

References :

1. The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society. 1991
2. Butterflies of West Malaysia and Singapore, WA Fleming, 2nd Edition, Longmans, 1983

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Life History of the Common Grass Yellow

Life History of the Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe contubernalis)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Eurema Hübner, 1819
Species: hecabe Linnaeus, 1758
Subspecies: contubernalis Moore, 1886
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 35-45mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plants: Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Fabaceae, common name: Peacock Flower ), Cratoxylum cochinchinense  (Hypericaceae, common name: Yellow Cow Wood), Cratoxylum formosum (Hypericaceae, common name: Pink Mempat), Pithecellobium duice (Fabaceae, common name: Madras Thorn), Falcataria moluccana (Fabaceae, common name: Albizia), Senna spp.

A Common Grass Yellow taking nectar from a flower of Leea indica.

A Common Grass Yellow resting at a leaf perch.

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:

Above, the wings are deep lemon-yellow, each with a black border which is regularly scalloped and deeply excavated between veins 2 and 4 in the forewing. Below vein 2 of the forewing, the black border is featured at a right angle to the dorsum or sloping towards the base. Underneath, the wings are also yellow with freckled brown spots. There are typically two cell spots on the forewing - a characteristic that is mainly used to identify the lookalike species in the genus. However, some specimens of the Common Grass Yellow could exhibit variations in which only one or no cell spots are present. Males have a brand lying along the cubital vein on the forewing underside. Females are typically paler yellow with broader black border.

Another resting Common Grass Yellow.

A Common Grass Yellow taking nectar from a flower of Leea rubra.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:

Common Grass Yellow is one of the most common butterflies in Singapore. This is likely due to its many host plants being common in the wild or widely cultivated in parks and other public areas. The adults can be seen fluttering tirelessly in parks, wastelands and even  urbanised areas. They regularly visit flowers for nectar and puddle on wet grounds for minerals.

Early Stages:

The early stages of Common Grass Yellow are polyphagous with most of its host plants belonging to the Fabaceae family. The caterpillars feed on the young and tender leaves of the host plants.

Local host plant #1: Pithecellobium duice (Madras Thorn).

Local host plant #2: Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Peacock Flower).

Local host plant #3: Cratoxylum cochinchinense (Yellow Cow Wood).


Two mating pairs of the Common Grass Yellow.

The eggs of the Common Grass Yellow are laid singly on a leaf/leaflet of the host plant. The spindle shaped egg is laid standing at one end with a length of about 1.2-1.3mm. It is whitish in color and has quite a few shallow vertical ridges and indistinct horizontal striations. The micropylar sits at the tip of the standing egg.

A female Common Grass Yellow ovipositing on a leaf of the Madras Thorn.

An egg laid on a young leaf of the Peacock Flower growing in a hill park.

An egg of the Common Grass Yellow.

The egg takes about 2.5-3 days to hatch. The newly hatched has a length of about 1.8mm and has a pale whitish head capsule. It has a cylindrical and pale whitish green body covered with dorso-lateral and lateral rows of tubercles running lengthwise. Each tubercle has a setae emerging from the middle of it.  A miniscule droplet of fluid can be found at the tip of each setae.  The droplet-bearing setae is a feature seen in all five instars of the larval phase.

The dorsal view of a newly hatched caterpillar of the Common Grass Yellow, length: 1.9mm.

After hatching, the young caterpillar eats the empty egg shell for its first meal, and then moves on to eat the leaf lamina for subsequent meals. The body colour turns yellowish green as growth progresses. The growth in this first instar is moderately paced and the body length reaches about 3.5mm in about 2-3 days before the moult to the 2nd instar.

Two view of a 1st instar caterpillar, length 3mm.

Top: A late 1st Instar caterpillar,dormant before its moult. Bottom: a newly moulted 2nd instar caterpillar, length: 3.5mm.

The 2nd instar caterpillar is yellowish green in body colour. The head capsule is similarly coloured and has the same tiny setae-bearing tubercles as those on the body surface. Compared to those in the previous instar, these setae carpeting the body and head capsule are proportionately shorter and greater in number. A pale white to yellowish band runs laterally along each side of the body. This instar is fast paced and lasts about 1-1.5 days with the body length reaching 6-6.5mm.

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

The body and the head capsule of the 3rd instar caterpillar are yellowish green. Its numerous setae are again proportionately shorter compared to the previous instar. The lateral white/yellowish bands, first appeared in the 2nd instar, has become broader and more distinct. This instar takes about 1-2.5 days to complete with body length reaching about 9mm.

Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, length: 7mm.

Two views of 3rd instar caterpillar, dormant prior to its moult, length: 8mm.

The appearance of the 4th instar caterpillar is little changed from the 3rd instar. The colour of both the body and the head capsule takes on a stronger green tone. This instar lasts about 1.5 days with body length reaching about 14-15mm.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar feeding on a leaflet, lengths: 10mm(top), 9mm(bottom).

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, dormant prior to its moult, length: 13mm.

The 5th and final instar caterpillar resembles the 4th instar caterpillar closely. The 5th instar lasts for 3-3.5 days, and the body length reaches up to 27mm.

Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar, newly moulted, length: 16mm.

Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar, length: 20mm.

On the last day of the 5th instar, the body of the caterpillar shortens and changes to either a dull shade or bright shade of green. It ceases feeding and comes to a halt on the underside of a stem/stalk on the host plant. Here the caterpillar spins a silk pad and a silk girdle. With its posterior end secured to the silk pad via claspers, and the body suspended at the mid-section with the girdle, the caterpillar soon becomes immobile in this pre-pupatory pose.

An animated sequence showing  how the caterpillar takes up the pre-pupatory pose.

A pre-pupatory larva of the Common Grass Yellow.

Pupation takes place about 0.5 day later. The yellowish green pupa secures itself with the same silk girdle as in the pre-pupal stage, but with the cremaster replacing claspers in attaching the posterior end to the silk pad, The pupa has a pointed head and a keeled wing pad, and its  body is  mostly unmarked except for a faint pale brownish and narrow dorsal band. Length of pupae: 18-20mm..

Two views of a pupa of the Common Grass Yellow.

Two views of a mature pupa of the Common Grass Yellow.
The now transparent wing pad shows the yellow forewing upperside with its black border.

After about 4 days of development, the pupal skin turns translucent as the development within the pupal case comes to an end. The yellow coloration and back borders on the forewing upperside are now discernible. The following day, the adult butterfly emerges from the pupal case.

A newly eclosed Common Grass Yellow clinging onto its empty pupal case.

References:

• [C&P4] The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society.
• Butterflies of Thailand, Pisuth Ek-Amnuay, 2nd Edition, 2012
• A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Singapore, Khew S.K., Ink On Paper Communications, 2010.

Text by Horace Tan, Photos by Benjamin Yam, Bobby Mun, Simon Sng, Khew S K and Horace Tan

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Random Gallery - Black Veined Tiger

Random Butterfly Gallery 
The Black Veined Tiger (Danaus melanippus hegesippus)

Of the three Danaus species that occur in Singapore, the Black Veined Tiger is often considered the least common amongst the three. However, where its host plant, a Cynanchum sp. is abundant, the Black Veined Tiger can be found in decent numbers. This species is often confused with the Common Tiger (Danaus genutia genutia), but can easily be separated by its broader submarginal hindwing black border. The hindwing ground colour is also generally whiter in appearance.

This mating pair of Black Veined Tigers was observed on this first day of 2013 at the Pasir Ris Park's Butterfly Garden. It is interesting to observe that in this case, the male did the flying. When approached, the alert male would fly off, carrying the passive female as he looks for a safe place to hide amongst the bushes at the Butterfly Garden.

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