The Orange Gull (Cepora iudith malaya)
We're coming to the end of one-third of the year 2026 and the world is still as volatile and turbulent as ever. Looking ahead to the remaining third of the year, will global peace return? Or we'll have some unexpected twists and turns in the world stability? Time will tell. As it is, time seems compressed as changes are the norm of the day and we have come to expect the unexpected as we chug along in our daily lives.
Orange Gulls puddling on sandy and muddy forest paths
Speaking of which, the US-Iran war continues to put a strain on oil prices and this is already hurting the pockets of the man-in-the-street thousands of kilometres away and who have nothing to do with the conflict. Prices of everyday goods and amenities continue to rise as the world economy depends heavily on the cost of fuel. The situation is reminiscent of the Oil Crisis of the 1970's, even as the world watches as the pendulum swings from war to peace and back to war in the Strait of Hormuz almost weekly.
Over in little Singapore, the pinch of our daily cost of living is growing. Prices of commodities and services are inching upwards slowly but surely. For the first time, the price of diesel exceeded the price of premium petrol at the local pumps. Traditionally, diesel was always seen as "inferior" fuel, pollutive and largely reserved for goods and industrial vehicles. Today, the price of diesel is higher than 98 octane petrol! This does not bode well, as diesel is the mainstay fuel for transportation, logistics and construction sectors and the knock-on effects will continue to be felt by the ordinary citizen in terms of cost of living.
Our feature butterfly for the month of April 2026 is the re-discovered Pierid, The Orange Gull (Cepora iudith malaya). Recorded by the early authors, this species was on the Singapore checklist based on past references. However, it has not been sighted reliably since the 1990's. However, in late 2018, the species was spotted on Pulau Ubin. Thereafter, it was regularly sighted on Pulau Ubin where a colony of the Orange Gull appeared to have established themselves. Thus far, it has not been spotted on Singapore island yet, and most sightings have been on Pulau Ubin.
Orange Gulls perched on the tops of leaves in the forest understorey when at rest
The Orange Gull is quite distinct in appearance where the tornal half of the upperside of the hindwing is a bright lemon yellow. The entire underside of the hindwing is yellow with brown veins and margins whilst the tornal area is a deeper orange-yellow. The three apical spots on the underside of the forewing are yellow.
Upperside of Orange Gulls - Top : Male, Bottom : Female
On the upperside, the male Orange Gull features a white forewing with prominent brown veins whilst the hindwing is white with the tornal area lemon yellow. The female is more brown dusted with the veins broader, whilst the hindwing has a brown marginal border and the lemon yellow tornal area is more reduced compared to the male.
Upperside of Orange Gulls - Top : Female, Bottom : Male
The species is described to be abundant in West Malaysia during the months of March and April and males can be observed puddling at sandy spots along forest streams and muddy footpaths. Females are rarer and found in the shaded forest understorey. Here in Singapore, the males are sometimes observed puddling along damp and muddy trails on Pulau Ubin. C&P5 describes the Orange Gull as "considered extirpated from Singapore". However, it is no longer the case, and the description should be updated when the book is revised in future.
The Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica) is a favourite nectaring plant of the Orange Gull on Pulau Ubin
Both sexes are regularly seen feeding on the flowers of the Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica) and sometimes perched on the tops of leaves with their wings folded upright when taking a rest in the shade. At certain hours of the day, both the males and females may be spotted sunbathing with partially opened wings. The butterfly is quick on the wing with an erratic flight, sometimes seen flying in the company of other Pierids like the Striped Albatross, Grass Yellows and Emigrants.
The life history of the Orange Gull has been successfully completed with the local host plants in Singapore recorded as Capparis micracantha (Capparaceae, common name: Thorn Caper, 小刺山柑), Crateva magna (Capparaceae, common name: Large Garlic Pear). The species has clearly established itself on Pulau Ubin as evident from the multiple observations of both adults and early stages at several sites on the island.
Text by Khew SK : Photos by Helen Chee, Choy CW, Ash Foo, David Ho, Khew SK, Low JK, Michael Khor, Michael Soh and Horace Tan
