Random Gallery - Common Palmfly

Random Butterfly Gallery
The Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra agina)

The Common Palmfly is a common urban butterfly, usually observed in areas where its host plants - various species of Palms are cultivated. The species is widely distributed across Singapore, paricularly in locations where the host plants are found - whether in public parks, gardens or in the nature reserves. The Common Palmfly has bluish-black forewings with a series of light blue submarginal spots on the upperside. The underside is speckled with reddish-brown striae and is very variable.

This shot of the Common Palmfly was taken by ButterflyCircle member Henry Koh, using a 300mm f/4 lens with a 1.4x teleconvertor. Besides dedicated macro lenses, using long lenses (usually associated with bird photography) can sometimes be useful for skittish butterflies like the Common Palmfly.

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Random Gallery - King Crow

Random Butterfly Gallery 
The King Crow (Euploea phaenareta castelnaui)

The King Crow is the largest of the "crow" butterflies from the sub-family Danainae.  Measuring over 100mm in wingspan, this species is relatively common in Singapore, and sometimes several individuals can be observed, particularly when there is a flowering tree or shrub that the species likes. It can usually be found where its caterpillar host plant, the Pong-Pong tree (Cerbera odollam) is cultivated. In Singapore, this species can regularly be observed at the Pasir Ris Park Mangrove Walk where the host plants are common in the mangrove environment.

This shot of the King Crow was taken by ButterflyCircle member Loke PF during his weekend outing.  The predominantly black butterfly has a slow and unhurried gliding flight.  The wings may show a slight purple wash in a side light.

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Butterfly of the Month - December 2012

Butterfly of the Month - December 2012
The Fluffy Tit (Zeltus amasa maximinianus)

This December 2012 is the fifth anniversary of ButterflyCircle's Butterfly of the Month series. We first introduced this monthly series with a Malay Lacewing back in 2007, and with this month's feature butterfly, the Fluffy Tit, we have showcased a total of 62 species (two were featured in Dec 2008) from Singapore's butterfly fauna over a period of 61 months!

 

December has been a very wet month for the region, with the monsoon rains drenching most afternoons here in Singapore. From the Meterological Station data, it was reported that Singapore received an "above average rainfall over almost all of Singapore... with the highest rainfall of 253 mm to 289 mm (110% to 140% above average) in the western parts of Singapore". Indeed, butterfly watchers and photographers have been experiencing relatively low counts of butterflies as the cooler and wetter weather appears to have reduced the numbers in many parts of the island.

Over in Singapore, an industrial strike by some foreign bus workers dominated the local news for a while.  It has been at least 26 years since such an "adversarial and confrontational industrial relations" last happened in Singapore.  The strike made world news as the Singapore authorities moved swiftly to punish the ringleaders of the strike - an event that is new and unfamiliar to many young Singaporeans.  A taste of things to come, if wage disputes and living conditions of foreign workers continue to be issues that remain unresolved?  

In the US, a 26-year old gunman massacred 20 children and six adults at a school in Connecticut. It is always difficult for many countries in this part of the world to understand why firearms are still relatively easily available in the US. When will we see the end of such tragedies where innocent victims, in this case, young children, are slaughtered for no rhyme or reason?



Despite the tragedies, many Americans continue to oppose restrictions on what they consider to be a constitutional right to keep powerful firearms at home. In Singapore, possession of firearms (with the exception of the army and police) is an offence punishable by death. It is my personal hope that this Singapore law continues to be in force for as long as we want to remain a peaceful and safe country.

December always brings memories of Christmas, cold weather and presents!  It always brings back memories of songs and tunes of significance from my childhood days.  An old favourite is this one by Engelbert Humperdinck called Winter World of Love.

The flower of the month in December is the Narcissus, usually represented by the white and orange-yellow cultivar. The flower has a trumpet shaped corona that is surrounded by a ring of petals. They are also poisonous and can be fatal if eaten so no parts of the flower should be ingested. 

For our December butterfly, we feature a pretty white-and-orange long-tailed Lycaenidae, the Fluffy Tit (Zeltus amasa maximinianus). It is a moderately common butterfly that can be found in Singapore's urban parks and gardens, as well as in the forested nature reserves. It prefers open sunlit spots and forages amongst the vegetation.

 

Males of the Fluffy Tit have the basal area of the forewing and a large part of the hindwings a pale azure blue on the uppersides. The rest of the wings are black, shot with a deep purple when viewed at certain angles. The female is dull brown above with a whitish tornal area on the hindwings.

The underside is pale bluish white with orange apical areas on both wings.  There are deeper orange streaks on the wings with large and distinctive black spot in space 7 of the hindwing.  The tornal area has black streaks and black spots. The hindwing features two long tails at vein 1b and 2, of which the longer tail is at vein 1b.

 

The butterfly is quite a sight to behold when it flies with its long white tails trailing elegantly behind. The tails are curly and twisted, often twirling in the breeze and moving, as though independently from the rest of the butterfly. Males of the species are observed to puddle at roadside seepages and sandy banks of forest streams.

The species can sometimes be encountered feeding on flowers in the forests, especially those of the Bandicoot Cherry (Leea indica). Males are also partial to human sweat, and can be observed feeding on sweaty backpacks and sometimes can be attracted to feed on a sweaty finger!

The life history of the Fluffy Tit has been fully recorded on this blog. The caterpillar host plant in Singapore is Clerodendrum laevifolium.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by James Chia, Sunny Chir, Khew SK, Koh CH, Lim WY, Liyana Zolpakar, Loke PF, Jonathan Soong, Horace Tan, Anthony Wong & Benjamin Yam

* This feature article is dedicated to ButterflyCircle member Pung Liphing, who now resides in Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia.  She has, for a long long time, spent a lot of effort to hunt this species down to photograph, but somehow, whenever she turns up, the Fluffy Tit always disappears like magic!  So here's to Liphing and a note of encouragement to keep trying.  Somewhere out there, is a Fluffy Tit waiting for you!

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Random Gallery - Blue Glassy Tiger

Random Butterfly Gallery
The Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis vulgaris macrina)

Last weekend, at Pasir Ris Park, there were a number of Danainae that were attracted to the drying flowers of what looks like a Dill herb (Anethum graveolens) at the Kitchen Garden. A few Blue Glassy Tigers (Ideopsis vulgaris macrina) were so "drunk" on feeding that you could pick them off with your fingers!

There must be some chemical compound in the plant that attracts these Danainaes (which also included a King Crow), that is similar to the drying plant of the Indian Heliotrope (Heliotropium indicum) - a well-known Danainae magnet. Perhaps some botanist may be able to shed some light on what attracts these butterflies to the Dill herb. Here are two shots taken by ButterflyCircle members Jonathan Soong and Loke PF of Blue Glassy Tigers perched and feeding on the flowers of the herb.

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12-12-12

12-12-12

The Final Triplet of the Millennium

As far as numerology goes, we are currently in a period of eleven years all of which have a day with the last two digits of the year repeated as a triplet in mm/dd/yy format (or dd/mm/yy or yy/mm/dd). Starting on 1 Jan 2001 which was 01-01-01, progressing to 2 Feb 2002 (or 02-02-02) and so on, today, Wednesday 12 Dec 2012 will be the last of the triplets until the next millennium or the 22nd Century comes around!

Even ButterflyCIrcle chose an auspicious 10-10-10 to launch its Field Guide to the Butterflies of Singapore two years ago on 10 Oct 2010. So, the final triplet of the century is probably worth some mention, as most of us will probably not be alive to see the next round of these triplets starting in 2101!

It is noteworthy to also mention that today in Singapore, a total of 540 couples have applied to be married - a number that is eight times the daily average in the previous year. Notwithstanding the fact that some geomancers consider 12 Dec 2012 as an "average" day in terms of luck, these couples have chosen the final triplet of the millennium to celebrate their nuptials.

To commemorate this date, we feature a collage of butterfly 'couples' by ButterflyCircle members. So do something worthwhile and memorable on 12-12-12, for you are not likely to enjoy another such date again in your lifetime.  Have a great day!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Chng CK, Koh CH, Khew SK, Bobby Mun, Simon Sng, Tan BJ, Bene Tay & Mark Wong

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A Commanding Work of Art

A Commanding Work of Art
The Commander (Moduza procris milonia)

In an earlier feature article on this blog, I introduced our young ButterflyCircle member, Jonathan Soong. This talented young Singaporean never ceases to amaze with his gift of painting spectacularly life-like renditions of nature subjects. Jonathan spent some of his free time this year to paint this 11" x 14" oil-on-canvas rendition of the Commander as a special Christmas gift for me.

As can be seen, his masterful brush strokes bring both the butterfly and it caterpillar host plant, Timonius wallichiana, to life! The details of the leaves and the butterfly (both upper and underside) are true to life and the colours accurate. Close ups of the butterflies in the painting shown above feature the exquisite details in Jonathan's handiwork.

Many thanks, Jonathan! I will certainly cherish your work of art that is made more meaningful because it is my avatar in cyberspace - the Commander.

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Successful New Year to you and your family!

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Life History of the Orange Tailed Awl

Life History of the Orange Tailed Awl (Bibasis sena  uniformis)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Bibasis Moore, 1881
Species: sena Moore, 1866
Sub-species: uniformis Elwes & Edwards, 1897
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 45-50mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plant: Hiptage benghalensis (Malpighiaceae).

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:

Above, both sexes are dark brown and without any markings. Underneath, both sexes are dark brown with a prominent white discal band in the hindwing, from space 1b to the costa. A large white discal patch sits in the lower half of the forewing. The upper end of this white patch is diffused into a shinning purplish blue smudge. The hindwing, produced at its tornus, is adorned with bright orange cilia along the termen from the tornal area to vein 4. The legs are colored pale yellowish orange.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:

This species is moderately rare in Singapore. Due to its crepuscular habit, the adults are rarely sighted by butterfly watchers. Essentially a forest species, Orange Tailed Awl can be found in the nature reserves as well as the Singapore Botanic Gardens, where its known local host plant H. benghalensis can be found in relative abundance in one area. Similar to the Hasora spp., the adults of Orange Tailed Awl have a swift, strong and darting flight, and have a habit of perching on the underside of a leaf when resting. The males have also been found puddling on wet grounds. 

Early Stages:

The caterpillars of the Orange Tailed Awl feed on leaves of its host plant and live in leaf shelters between feeds for concealment. In constructing its shelter, an early instar caterpillar typically makes a sinuous cut from the leaf edge, and proceeds to fold the leaf fragment onto the leaf upperside where silk threads are used to secure the leaf edge to the leaf surface. The shelters for the much larger caterpillars in late instars are correspondingly larger and sometimes made by simply joining two opposing edges of a leaf.

Host plant: Hiptage benghalensis.

Leaves with leaf shelters for early instar caterpillars of the Orange Tailed Awl.

The eggs are laid singly on young shoots or the upperside of a leaf of the host plant. Each dome-shaped egg has a diameter of about 0.7-0.8mm. It is bright wine red when collected, 2 days prior to the hatching event. A number of vertical ridges run longitudinally from the top micropylar area to the rim of the circular base. As the egg mature, it turns whitish with an orange undertone.

Two views of an egg of the Orange Tailed Awl.

Left: mature egg with polar area already nibbled away; Right: empty egg shell.

The young caterpillar nibbles away the polar portion of the egg shell, just sufficient for its head to get through. The newly hatched has an initial length of about 1.8mm. Its whitish cylindrical body is adorned with four orangy red patches laterally. The body has rather long dorso-lateral and sub-spiracular white setae. The orange-colored head has a number of long setae and a black band straddling its frons and area around the ocelli. The first instar lasts for about 2 days with the body length reaches up to 4.5-5mm.

Two views of a 1st instar caterpillar, length: 2.2mm.

The body of the 2nd instar caterpillar is whitish to pale yellowish with black transverse bands on the body segments, with those on 2nd, 3rd thoracic segments, and 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th abdominal segments particularly broad and prominent. The body setae are now rather short and inconspicous. The head is pale orange, and in addition to the black patches seen in the 1st instar, it nows has a broad transverse black band across the upper portion. This instar lasts about 2 days with the body length reaching about 8-9mm.

2nd instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 5mm

2nd instar caterpillar, dormant prior to its moult, length: 7mm.

The 3nd instar caterpillar resembles the 2nd instar caterpillar closely in body markings. The body base colour is now a bright shade of yellow. The head is darker orange in base colour with the upper black band in the 2nd instar now joined with the lower black band in its middle. This instar lasts a total of 2-3 days with the body length reaching about 13-14mm.

3rd instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 8.8mm.

3rd instar caterpillar, dormant prior to its moult,  length: 13mm.

The 4th instar caterpillar resembles the 3rd instar caterpillar closely but has three additional black and narrow dorsal bands, gaining prominence as the growth progresses in this instar. The black markings in the head now has an upward branch from the middle of the upper transvers band. The dorsum of the 9th abdominal segment stands out as the typically yellowish base colour there takes on a orange tone. This instar lasts 2.5-3 days with the body length reaching up to 27-28mm.

4th instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 13mm.

4th instar caterpillar, dormant prior to its moult, length: 27mm

A 4th instar caterpillar sighted in the midst of cutting a leaf for its new leaf shelter.

The 5th instar caterpillar resembles the 4th instar caterpillar closely but has several black markings larger and broader. The two outer black dorsal bands and the 6 broader transverse bands (in 2nd, 3rd thoracic segments; 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th abdominal segments) are broader and more prominent than those in the 4th instar. The black markings in the head has the side branches narrower and better defined, giving the caterpillar a fearsome appearance. This final instar takes about 5 days to complete with the body length reaching about 40mm.

A newly moulted 5th instar caterpillar.

Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 28mm.

Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 40mm

Towards the end of 5th instar, the body of the caterpillar shortens gradually and its body decolorised to a pale whitish/yellowish coloration between the similarly faded black spots. The caterpillar then stations itself in its leaf shelter to prepare for the pre-pupal stage. Within the shelter, it carries out a series of silk construction work with the main pieces being a silk girdle across the dorsum of its anterior abdominal segments, and a short and thickened transverse silk band on the substrate near its posterior end. Once its anchors itself via its claspers to the silk pad near the transverse band, the pre-pupa becomes dormant for about 0.5 to 1 day before the onset of the pupation event.

A final instar caterpillar of the Orange Tailed Awl found eating away on a leaf during a field observation.

Two views of a pre-pupa of the Orange Tailed Awl.

Pupation takes place within the leaf shelter. The pupa is secured with the silk girdle and the cremastral attachment to the short transverse band on the substrate. It has a short thorax, a rather long abdomen, a short and pointed rostrum. The body is initially whitish with yellowish patches, but in a day or so, the base color becomes a uniform pale milky brown. The body becomes coated in a thin layer of whitish powdery substance. There are small dorso-lateral and lateral black spots on most body segments. Length of pupae: 21-23mm.

Two views of a fresh pupa of the Orange Tailed Awl, 1-2 hours old.

Two views of a pupa of the Orange Tailed Awl.

After 7-8 days, the pupa becomes mostly black in colour in the wing pads and all body segments, signaling the imminent end of the pupal phase. Eclosion typically takes place in the morning next day.

Two views of a mature pupa of the Orange Tailed Awl.

A newly eclosed Orange Tailed Awl.

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 Bobby Mun, Nelson Ong, Sunny Chir, Khew SK and Horace Tan

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