Death-head Hawk Moth

Name : 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)

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Life History Record :
- ?? ?? ????: Larva from Fraser’s Hill, feeds on Clerodendrum sp.
- 11 Jan 2012 : Larva from Lyndi Whye, feeds on variegated Stachytarpheta indica

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Date : Jan 2011
Location : Namly Avenue, Bukit Timah, Singapore.
Host Plant : Stachytarpheta indica (Verbenaceae)

5th instar:

Pre-pupa:

Just pupated:

Pupa:

Pupation period : 18 days.

Adult:

Visitors to my garden

Here 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.  I am surprised to find Chocolate Pansy up on a high rise garden because Chocolate pansy usually flies closed to the ground. I hope it laid some eggs on its hostplant which I have growing in my garden.

 

2012 Feb ; I found this Cleora sp. moth, measuring 40mm across on the wall outside my apartment.  It stayed there for 3 days before disappearing !

Butterfly Species #18 in my garden

Today, 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 agleoides agleoides) circling my dill plant and it stayed for 2 days before disappearing.

Eupanacra 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 2008 Singapore 


Jan 2009 Singapore

 
Male : Mar 2008 Singapore

 
Male : Dec 2011 Singapore

Reference : The Sphingidae of Southeast-Asia

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Life History Record :
- Dec 2011– Diffenbachia
- May 2009– Colocosia Black Magic
- Apr 2009 – Anthurium
- Jan 2009 - Philodendron selloum
- Mar 2008 – Alocacsia and Diffenbachia

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Date : 3 Dec 2011 source : Gan Location : MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore Host plant : Diffenbachia

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Date : 25 May 2009 source : GCS member “wolfman” Location : Along Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore Host plant : Colocasia Black Magic

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Date : 28 Mar 2008 Source : Ling Chai Joo, ZMPS Parent volunteer Location : Zhong Hua Primary School (ZMPS), Singapore Host Plant : Alocasia and Diffenbachia amoena (Dumbcane) Ovum ~ 1.3mm  2nd Instar larva ~ 14.5mm Larvae T-B : Prepupa, 5th, 3rd instar Final instar pre-pupa larva  : Pupa :   Imago (male) :

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Date : 9 Jan 2009 Source : Mubaraka, GCS member. Location : Along Holland Road, Singapore. Host Plant : Araceae - Philodendron selloum Larva : 5th instar Pre-Pupa : The caterpillar build a ‘cocoon’   That is how the caterpillar looks like before it change into Pupa.  it is now about 0.6 of its original size Pupa : ~ 39mm Adult (male):

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Date : April 2009 Source : Navin Brian, Location : Yio Chu Kang-Seletar area, Singapore. Host Plant : Anthurium (Araceae)

The 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 looks a bit like the Rattlebox pea plant (Crotalaria sp).

Note: The species that is found in West Malaysia has been reclassified as Dercas gobrias herodorus.The reason for the change is because D. verhuelli is a continental species and can only be found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and southern China while D. gobrias is found in found Peninsula Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and Java.

Back to Fraser’s Hill - 3rd time lucky – Part II

Continue 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 and is the species we have in Singapore. This one was photographed at 600m.

3. Dichorragia nesimachus deiokes (The Constable) – this lovely Nymphalid only stayed for less than a minute before disappearing back into the forest.

4. Papilio demolion demolion (Banded Swallowtail) – A common swallowtail at the foothill of Fraser’s hill.

5. Troides brookiana albescens (Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing)
This is the national butterfly of Malaysia and is also the most beautiful butterfly in Malaysia. I have seen this butterfly countless time and yet every time it make its appearance I will instinctively pause to admire its graceful flight and its lovely electric-green over velvety black wings.

Back to Fraser’s Hill - 3rd time lucky – Part I

This 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 and I noticed it has clubbed antenna. It is not a moth ! I quickly snap a few shots and it turned out to be an uncommon lycaenid – Takara mahanetra.

Takara mahanetra

My 2nd lifer was observed in the most unlikely place, inside Puncak Inn. It was in the evening and we were at Puncak Inn having our lemon tea when I noticed 2 butterflies trapped under the glass roof. Both were Arhopala but one looks interesting.

I borrowed Jee Kin’s camera which has the Tamron 180 on it, and took a few shots. It turned out to be another lifer for me ! It is Arhopala paraganesa mendava. According to book ‘Butterfly of Malay Peninsula’, this species is rare and confined to montane. This individual was recorded at 1000m.

Arhopala paraganesa mendava

I encountered my 3rd lifer while we were checking out a road leading to an Orang Asli settlement. We saw a few small lycaenids fluttering under a cluster of bamboo leaves.

On closer examination, we recognized the lycaenid as Miletus sp. The female were laying eggs where there were cluster of ants.

Miletus gallus gallus

The lycaenid was later identified as Miletus gallus gallus.