March caterpillars

These are some of the caterpillars I am rearing as well as those I spotted during my recent butterfly trips :

1. Rhinopalpa polynice – The Wizard


More information about The Wizard’s life history can be found here

2. Daphnis nerii - Oleander Hawkmoth

 
The caterpillar was feeding on Ceylone Jasmine (Tabernaemontana divaricata) from the Apocynaceae family. Another common larva host plant is Periwinkle (Vinca rosea) from the same family. 

3. Athyma sp
I spotted this caterpillar feeding on Uncaria sp.  
 

4. Hairy caterpillar #1
Early instar of Discophora sp., feeds on bamboo.

5. Hairy caterpillar #2

This one feeds on Palm.

Gopeng - Ulu Geroh Butterfly Checklist

12-14 Mar 2009, Ulu Geroh, Gopeng, Perak, Malaysia
by Simon Chan, Gan CW and Richard Ong
Those in blue are uncommon

1. Trogonoptera brookiana albescens - Raja Brooke's Birdwing
2. Troides amphrysus ruficollis - Malayan Birdwing
3. Troides helena cerberus -Common Birdwing
4. Parides varuna varuna -Common Batwing
5. Pachliopta aristolochiae asteris – Common Rose
6. Papilio helenus helenus - Red Helen
7. Papilio memnon agenor - Great Mormon
8. Papilio nephelus sunatus - Black and White Helen
9. Papilio polytes romulus - Common Mormon
10. Graphium agamemnon agamemnon - Tailed Jay
11. Graphium evemon eventus – Blue Jay
12. Graphium sarpedon luctatius - Common Bluebottle
13. Pathysa agetes iponus - Four Bar Swordtail
14. Pathysa antiphates itamputi - Five Bar Swordtail
15. Pathysa delesertii delesertii - Malayan Zebra
16. Lamproptera meges virescens - Green Dragontail
    

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17. Delias hyparete metarete- Painted Jezebel
18. Leptosia nina malayana - Psyche
19. Prioneris philonome themana - Redspot Sawtooth
20. Prioneris thestylis malaccana - Spotted Sawtooth
21. Phrissura aegis cynis - Forest White
22. Appias libythea olferna - Striped Albatross
23. Appias lyncida vasava - Chocolate Albatross
24. Appias nero figulina - Orange Albatross
25. Saletara liberia distanti - Malaysian Albatross
26. Hebomoia glaucippe aturia - Great Orange Tip
27. Pareronia valeria lutescens – Wanderer
28. Catopsilia pomona pomona - Lemon Emigrant
29. Eurema sp. - Grass Yellows
30. Gandaca harina distanti - Tree Yellow
    

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31. Tirumala septentrionis septentrionis – Dark Blue Tiger
32. Parantica aspasia aspasia - Yellow Glassy Tiger
33. Ideopsis similis persimilis
34. Ideopsis vulgaris macrina - Blue Glassy Tiger
35. Ideopsis gaura perakana – Smaller Wood Nymph
36. Idea lynceus lynceus – Tree Nymph
37. Euploea radamanthus radamanthus - Magpie Crow
38. Euploea eyndhovii gardineri - Striped Black Crow
39. Euploea midamus chloe - Blue Spotted Crow
40. Euploea mulciber mulciber - Striped Blue Crow
    

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41. Melanitis leda leda - Common Evening Brown
42. Melanitis phedima abdullae -Dark Evening Brown
43. Melanitis zitenius auletes -Great Evening Brown
44. Elymnias casiphone saueri ?
45. Elymnias hypermnestra agina - Common Palmfly
46. Xanthotaenia busiris busiris - Yellow Barred
47. Mycalesis patiana
48. Orsotriaena medus cinerea - Nigger
49. Ragadia makuta siponta - Striped Ringlet
50. Ypthima pandocus corticaria - Common Three-ring
51. Ypthima huebneri - Common Four Ring
    

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52. Faunis canens arcesilas - Common Faun
53. Melanocyma faunula faunula - Pallid Faun
54. Amathusia phidippus phidippus - Palm King
55. Zeuxidia amethystus amethystus - Saturn
56. Thaumantis klugius lucipor - Dark Blue Jungle Glory
57. Thaumantis odana pishuna
58. Discophora sondaica despoliata - Common Duffer
    

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59. Ariadne ariadne ariadne - Angled Castor
60. Cethosia hypsea hypsina - Malay Lacewing
61. Chersonesia rahria rahria - Wavy Maplet
62. Cupha erymanthis lotis - Rustic
63. Cyrestis nivea nivalis - Straight Line Map-wing
64. Doleschallia bisaltide pratipa - Autumn Leaf
65. Doleschallia bisaltide continentalis - Autumn Leaf
66. Euthalia monina monina - Malay Baron
67. Euthalia dirtea dirteana - Archduke
68. Tanaecia iapis puseda - Horsfield's Baron
69. Hypolimnas bolina bolina - Great Egg-fly
70. Hypolimnas bolina jacintha - Great Egg-fly
71. Junonia almana javana - Peacock Pansy
72. Junonia atlites atlites - Grey Pansy
73. Junonia iphita horsefiedi - Chocolate Soldier
74. Junonia orithya wallacei - Blue Pansy
75. Moduza procris milonia - Commander
76. Neptis harita harita - Chocolate Sailor
77. Neptis hylas papaja - Common Sailor
78. Neptis leucoporos cresina - Grey Sailor
79. Rhinopalpa polynice polynice - Wizard
80. Terinos terpander robertsia - Royal Assyrian
81. Vindula dejone erotella – Cruiser
82. Lexias pardalis dirteana - Archduke
83. Charaxes bernadus crepax - Tawny Rajah
84. Polyura athamas athamas - Common Nawab
85. Polyura hebe chersonesus - Plain Nawab
    

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86. Zemeros flegyas albipunctata – Punchinello
    

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87. Curetis regula
88. Curetis santana malayica - Malayan Sunbeam
89. Acytolepis puspa lambi - Common Hedge Blue
90. Anthene emolus goberus - Ciliate Blue
91. Anthene lycaenoides miya - Pointed Ciliate
92. Arhopala sp. – Oak Blue
93. Castalius elna elvira - Elbowed Pierrot
94. Castalius rosimon rosimon - Common Pierrot
95. Castalius roxus pothus - Straight Pierrot
96. Drupadia ravindra moorei - Common Posy
97. Drupadia theda thesmia - Dark Posy
98. Catapaecilma major emas - Gray Tinsel
99. Eooxylides tharis distanti - Branded Imperial
100. Hypolycaena erylus teatus - Common Tit
101. Jamides sp.
102. Loxura atymnus fuconius – Yamfly
103. Nacaduba angusta kerriana
104. Prosotas gracilis ni - Dark-based Lineblue
105. Prosotas lutea sivoka
106. Rapala pherentima sequeira - Copper Flash
107. Zizina otis lampa - Lesser Grass Blue
108. Zeltus amasa maximinianus - Fluffy Tit
     

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109. Badamia exclaimationis - Brown Awl
110. Bibasis harisa consobrina - Orange Awlet
111. Hasora badra badra - Common Awl
112. Hasora zoma or H. salanga ?
113. Ampittia dioscorides camertes - Bush Hopper
114. Ancistroides nigrita maura - Chocolate Demon
115. Arnetta verones
116. Erionata thrax thrax - Banana Skipper
117. Halpe ormenes vilasina - Dark Banded Ace
118. Iambrix salsala salsala - Chestnut Bob
119. Koruthaialos sindu sindu - Bright Red Velvet Bob
120. Notocrypta paralysos varians - Banded Demon
121. Pelopidas sp.
122. Pseudocoladenia dan dhyana - Fulvous Pied Flat
123. Tagiades ultra - Ultra Snow Flat

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Wood Shrimp

Fraser’s Hill Part 2

Continue from part 1

My other butterfly lifers for this trip are two forms of Great Blue Mime - Chilasa paradoxa aenigma. This butterfly has at least 7 forms which mimic the distasteful Euploea butterflies.

1. Chilasa paradoxa aenigma -f eucyana


The rare male form eucyana has the forewing upperside shimmering blue and unmarked. It mimics the male Euploea mulciber (Striped Blue Crow).

2. Chilasa paradoxa aenigma -f aegialus


Seeing double ? :-)
Left : Great Blue Mime, Right : Magpie Crow

The form aegialus mimics Euploea radamanthus (Magpie Crow).
I must say this is one of the best mimic I have seen and would fool most people except those who have an eye for details. The giveaway is the white submarginal crescents which is only apparent on closer examination. I only noticed the crescents when I examined the photo for sharpness on my camera !

Moths

As expected we did not get many moths during this time of the year but what we did not get in quantity was made up for with quality. We saw one of the prettiest and rarest Saturniid in Malaysia – Actias selene. In my 10+ trips to Fraser’s, this is only the 2nd time I see A. selene.

Other noteworthy species include the bright yellow Leopa sikkima

and the striking Owl Moth - Brahmaea hearseyi, with a wingspan of 14cm !

We also saw many other colorful and interesting moths …

Birds

Fraser’s Hill is a bird paradise. Pretty birds are everywhere and one can do arm chair birding right from the bungalow balcony. Even a lep person like me can rattle off a list of bird names after a few trips to Fraser’s Hill.

These are shots taken from our bungalow balcony :

Silver-eared Mesia


Pacific Swallow preening in the rain


Sultan Tit on a tree in front of our bungalow

Black-throated Sunbird - The one and only sunbird at Fraser’s Hill.

My favorite bird ! The Verditer Flycatcher. Such a beautiful bird and a regular visitor to our bungalow. Laurence managed to take a full frame shot using his 100mm macro lens during one of our trips last year.

That’s it. What a start for the year !

I just came back from my 2nd butterfly trip to Malaysia - Gopeng, Perak. It is another fabulous trip. We saw 100+ species of butterflies in 2.5 days and we dined with Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing ..

Neptis hylas papaja (Common Sailor)

Name : Netis hylas papaja
Common Name : Common Sailor
Family : Nymphalidae, Nymphalinae

Larva host plant :
Name : Urena lobata (Pink Mallow)
Family : Malvacea (Hibiscus family)
Note : This is also the larva host plant for Rapala iarbus (Common Red Flash)

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Life History Record

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Date : 22 Feb 2009
Location : Bunker Trail, Johor, Malaysia

Larva host plant : Urena lobata

Larva :

Pupa :

Adult :

Rapala iarbus iarbus (Common Red Flash)

Name : Rapala iarbus iarbus
Common Name : Common Red Flash

Larva Host Plant
Name : Urena lobata
Common Name : Pink Mallow
Family : Malvacea (Hibiscus family)

Note : This is also the larva host plant for Neptis hylas papaja (Common Sailor)

Life History Record

Date : 22 Feb 2009
Location : Johor, along highway 3 after Kota Tinggi

Host plant : Urena lobata

Larva :

Pupa :

Adult :

Fraser's here I come ... Part I

The butterfly season starts around March but we are all itching for more butterflies so we took a chance and made a trip to Fraser’s Hill in end Feb. FH has so much to offer - even if we don't get any butterfly or moth, we can still enjoy the cool fresh air, lush greenery and great food.

As it turned out, FH did not disappoint us ! Not only did we have great food and lots of fun, we managed to see and photograph many rare moths and butterflies.

I get my first lifer even before we made it to the summit ! This is what greeted us on our way up :

OK, so we have Malayan Zebra, Pendlebury's Zebra, Blue Jay, Five Bar Swordtail. No big deal ! Look again, what is that butterfly that looks like a faded Five Bar Swordtail ? It is a Four Bar Swordtail (4BS)- Pathysa agetes !

I have been looking for 4BS ever since Laurence Leong showed me a photo of 4BS photos taken at FS. I didn't expect to see any exotic butterfly this trip but there it was sitting there waiting for me ! That sighting alone made the trip worth while, but that is not all...

The next morning I took stroll around our bungalow and low and behold I saw not one but 3 Purple Sapphire (Heliophorus epicles) busking on a shrub.

This must be one of the most beautiful Lycaenid in Malaysia. On closer examination, I realised that bush which they are busking on is Polygonum chinesis, the host plant of Purple Sapphire !


On the 2nd day we spotted a flowering tree with lots of Pieridae. Using a 400mm lens I managed to take a few shots of three of the more common Jezebels at FH.

Malayan Jezebel - Delias ninus Red-spot Jezebel - Delias descombesiYellow Jezebel - Delias baracasa
That's it for now...