tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21196649132315700882024-03-13T18:38:31.877+08:00ButterflyPalsGan's blog on the lepidoptera of Singapore and the surrounding regions<br>Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-91264266210145295212014-03-10T17:11:00.000+08:002014-03-15T23:47:02.993+08:00Langakwi Butterfly Trip
This is my first overseas butterfly trip for 2014 and my 3rd visit to Lanngkawi Island. Langkawi island is part of the state of Kedah and sits at the northernmost point of Peninsula Malaysia and very closed to Thailand. As such many of the flora and fauna on Langkawi Island are not found on the Malaysian mainland and are closer to those from Thailand.
This is a short 4D3N trip with my butterflyGreen Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-64153066153774663742012-05-06T15:01:00.001+08:002012-05-06T15:04:22.132+08:00Erebus ephesperis returnsSaw this Erebus moth outside my apartment yesterday. Another moth that I see frequently in my garden is Hulodes caranae Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-78104817471972540192012-02-06T21:18:00.001+08:002012-02-06T21:32:39.229+08:00Death-head Hawk MothName : Acherontia lachesis (Fabricius, 1798) Family : SPHINGIDAE Latreille, 1802 Subfamily : Sphinginae Latreille, [1802] Tribe : Acherontiini Boisduval, [1875] Larva host plant :Clerodendrum paniculatum (Labiatae), Stachytarpheta indica (Verbenaceae) Life History Record : - ?? ?? ????: Larva from Fraser’s Hill, feeds on Clerodendrum sp. - 11 Jan 2012 : Larva from LyndiGreen Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-89983979955659833672012-02-05T17:58:00.001+08:002012-02-05T17:58:33.892+08:00Visitors to my gardenHere are some recent visitors to my high rise garden. 2011 Nov : A female Peacock Royal (Tajuria cippus) fluttering around my Sui Mei plant which has Dendrophthoe pentandra growing on it. 2012 Jan : A female Painted Jezebel (Delias hyparate) ovipositing on Dendrophthoe pentandra.   2012 Feb : A Chocolate Pansy (Junonia hedonia) was fluttering around my 5th floor garden for 30 mins.&#Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-40107843748341068762011-12-30T21:53:00.003+08:002011-12-30T22:36:13.228+08:00Butterfly Species #18 in my gardenToday, my Mrs alerted me to a 'large black butterfly' hovering over above me. I looked up and there is a King Crow (Euploea phaenareta castelnaui) circling over my garden ! The crow must have came from West Coast Park where there are many Pong Pong trees (Cerbera odollam), its larva host plant. It must have been attracted by my Dill plant. On 14 Dec, I spotted a Dark Glassy Tiger (Parantica Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-45823039753968774302011-12-20T21:22:00.000+08:002015-09-26T17:50:49.914+08:00Eupanacra elegantulus (Herrich-Schaeffer, [1856])Name : Eupanacra elegantulus (Herrich-Schaeffer, [1856]) Family : SPHINGIDAE Latreille, 1802 Subfamily : MACROGLOSSINAE Harris, 1839 Tribe : Macroglossini Harris, 1839 Larva host plant : Alocasia, Diffenbachia, Anthurium, Philodendron Female : Mar 2008 Singapore Female : Mar Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-41222592198056935422011-11-07T21:47:00.002+08:002015-09-26T18:08:02.501+08:00The Tailed Sulphur, Dercas gobrias herodorus (Fruhstorfer)From a far, this species can be easily mistaken for a large Eurema, Gandaca or Catopsilia, especially when it is puddling with other Pierids. However, its unique angled wing and blackish brown quadrate spot on the apex of the forewing makes it distintive and cannot be mistaken for any other species in Malaysia. The larva host plant for D. gobrias is Dalbergia benthami, a plant that Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-24477835907822595242011-08-25T00:12:00.001+08:002011-12-29T20:42:44.681+08:00Back to Fraser’s Hill - 3rd time lucky – Part IIContinue from Part I We did not have the best of weather this trip as the sky was cloudy most of time. However, we still managed to see many lovely butterflies which sprang into action every time the sun made a brief appearance. 1. Abisara neophron chelina – this species is confined to the highland and is common at Fraser’s Hill. 2. Abisara savitri savitri – This is found at lowland Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-64483966831662672852011-08-07T17:15:00.001+08:002011-12-29T20:43:26.160+08:00Back to Fraser’s Hill - 3rd time lucky – Part IThis is my third trip to Fraser’s Hill and I have 3 lifer ! The first is a small white inconspicuous lycaenid. I was trailing an Abisara savitri when I noticed a tiny white ‘moth’ flew out form under a leaf. It has a weak moth-like flight and is about the size of a Lesser Grass Blue butterfly. I ignored it and continued to photograph the Abisara. The white moth then landed in front of me Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-34425104763051341642011-05-07T16:50:00.001+08:002011-12-29T20:38:54.829+08:00Jewels from Fraser’s Hill, May 2011This is my 2nd trip to Fraser’s Hill this year and one of my all time best ! The best because we had the pleasure to feast on the authentic and BEST ‘Mao Shan Wang’ (Gua Musang) durian in Malaysia and I saw many spectacular and rare butterflies out of which 2 are lifer* for me : Graphium empedovana Chilasa paradoxa aenigma -f. eucyana Lamproptera, most likely L. meges. Ixias Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-35674843212338501522010-08-07T10:53:00.001+08:002010-08-07T10:55:42.738+08:00Larva of MiletiniLast week at Pulau Tinggi,  a Croton plant outside my chalet was infested with mealy bugs.  I noticed some of the mealy bugs were rather big. They were between 5mm to 8mm long. On closer examination, I realised they were not mealy bugs but caterpillars !  In fact I have seem these big ‘mealy bugs’ before and it never occurred to me that they wre butterfly caterpillars. Unlike mostGreen Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-23245546538949485462010-07-13T19:56:00.001+08:002010-07-15T11:54:56.441+08:00More Plain Tigers eclosed7 Plain Tigers eclosed today – 4 male and 3 female.  3 flew off when I open the container to check on them and the other four were released near One North. Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-8250708793321670962010-07-07T23:45:00.001+08:002010-07-08T00:01:52.651+08:00Back to Gopeng – Part IIContinue from Part I .. We saw lots of interesting and rare butterflies.  Below are some butterfly photos from the trip. Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing (Troides brookiana albescens), very common at Gopeng and forest reserves in the state of Perak. They can even be seen at Adeline’s Rest House and Villa. Male Malayan Birdwing (Troides amphrysus), not uncommon in the state of Perak, Female Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-3644353249196076252010-07-04T16:31:00.001+08:002010-07-07T23:59:26.689+08:00Back to Gopeng – Part ILast week, a few of us went back to Gopeng for butterfly watching.  We stayed at Adeline’s Rest House and later move over to her ‘new and improved’ Adeline’s Villa. The Rest House consists of wooden huts on stilts. They are simple, rustic and comfortable. That is me taking a rest under our hut. The villa is catered more for those who want to enjoy nature without compromising urban comfortGreen Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-217329365596663052010-06-27T16:45:00.001+08:002010-06-27T16:45:23.137+08:00The tigers left and returnedThe Plain Tiger butterfly and butterflies from this genus (Danaus) have a very short life cycle. The time it take from egg to adult is anywhere between 16-21 days ! For Plain Tiger the pupa period is between 5 to 7 days. 1. Two pupae the night before eclosion.  The pupa case is now transparent, showing the color of the upperside of the wings. 2. A newly emerged female drying its wings. 3.Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-26206914484251476982010-05-31T23:28:00.001+08:002010-06-15T00:33:02.532+08:00Baby Tigers spotted !This morning I noticed the leaves of my Blood Flower (Asclepias  curassavica ) show signs of being eaten by caterpillar. On closer examination, I found Plain Tiger caterpillars on the plant. I checked the plants and counted at least 10 caterpillars !  I decided to collect all the caterpillars and put them in container so that I can ration the leaves and ensure there is sufficient Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-21579803272951104192010-05-17T21:04:00.001+08:002010-05-19T07:18:52.807+08:00Butterfly in my garden Last week at around 6pm, I saw a small skipper darting around my garden and eventually landed on a leaf.  Turned out it is a Palm Bob (Suastes gramius) looking for a place to roost.  It stayed on the leaf the over night and left early in the morning. Today when I returned home at 6pm, I found a hawk moth on the stairs !  It is a Macroglossum sitiene.  What a pleasant Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-55571663931053772792010-05-02T14:51:00.000+08:002010-05-06T14:42:48.806+08:00Peacock RoyalYesterday, a female Peacock Royal (Tajuria cippus maxentius) came to my garden.   Hopefully I will see Peacock Royal caterpillars on the mistletoe in my garden soon. Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-18733898015607537712010-05-01T19:36:00.003+08:002011-12-30T22:39:22.148+08:00Gan’s Garden Butterfly List – 18 speciesLast update : 30 dec 2011 Butterflies sighted at Gan’s garden on 5th and 6th floor : Papilio demoleus malayanus – Lime Butterfly# : Sep 2008 Zizina otis lampa - Lesser Grass Blue# : Nov 2008 Suastus gremius gremius – Palm Bob : Mar 2009 Delias hyparete metarete - Painted Jezebel# : Mar 2009 Bibasis harisa consobrina - Orange Awlet : Mar 2009 Parantica agleoides agleoides Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-6209235071902156142010-04-30T13:05:00.000+08:002010-05-01T15:10:37.027+08:00Butterfly stampsSingPost launched the Butterflies stamp series on Apr 21 2010. This series of stamps consists of four exquisite local butterfly – The Common Birdwing, The Blue Glassy Tiger, The Common Posy and The Tailed Jay. The stamp collection is the result of collaboration between SingPost and and Nature Society (Singapore) Butterfly Interest Group.  Simon and I started working with SingPost on this Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-72500897826426421332010-04-25T21:34:00.001+08:002010-04-26T19:15:51.051+08:00Comparing Chestnut and Chocolate TigerThe Chestnut Tiger and Chocolate Tiger are common at Fraser’s Hill. The upperside of these 2 species are quite distinct and cannot be mistake for one another. Their underside however, looks very similar in passing and can be mistaken in the field.  The picture below highlights the key differences of the underside of these 2 species. Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-6751205342427022592010-04-24T12:05:00.001+08:002010-04-25T08:08:15.273+08:00April Fraser’s Hill tripA few of us went to Fraser’s Hill in April. The weather at Fraser’s Hill was still cold and misty in the morning. In the evening, the sunset was mesmerizing .. We have a fantastic view of the sunset right from the living room.  Below, Amy is taking photo of the sunset just before dinner was served. We saw lots of butterflies and everyone had a great time taking photo of species Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-12155660633236877842010-03-30T21:55:00.002+08:002011-12-29T20:44:22.658+08:00My 1st Fraser’s Hill trip in 2010It seems like ages since I last step foot on Fraser’s Hill but my last trip there was actually in November, just 4 months ago. Gosh, I missed the place. This time round I brought along the Sony DSC-TX7 to take panoramic shots of my favorite place. The TX7 is a joy to use and takes spectacular photos with its HDR, Sweep Panorama and 25mm wide angle lens. Misty Morning Full view of our Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-84312094228678051312010-03-26T23:25:00.001+08:002010-03-26T23:26:50.520+08:00Chequered Lancer at my gardenOn 9th of March, a Plastingia naga aka Chequered Lancer was spotted inside my trellis. This is butterfly #15 at my garden. Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119664913231570088.post-28347394693123162462010-03-01T23:18:00.000+08:002010-03-26T23:20:32.878+08:00Butterflies inside trellisI just added a trellis to my garden to keep Tillandsia and Hoya and I noticed butterflies are attracted to the trellis. Last week I found a Lemon Emigrant and a Painted Jezebel inside the trellis and a few days ago I saw a Common Palmfly inside. If this continues I am going to have a high rise butterfly enclosure soon I wonder what attracted them ?  Were they seeking shelter from Green Baronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13599868020519011299noreply@blogger.com1