The Life History of the Little Maplet

Life History of the Little Maplet (Chersonesia peraka peraka)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Chersonesia Distant, 1883
Species: Species: peraka Distant, 1884
Sub-species: peraka Distant, 1884
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 34mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plant: Ficus punctata (Climbing Fig, Family: Moraceae).

A Little Maplet resting on the underside of a leaf in the nature reserve.

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
A rather small and delicate butterfly. Above, the wings are orange brown with a number of dark transverse lines and stripes crossing from costa to dorsum. Compared to the other Chersonesia species, Little Maplet has a double postdiscal band, and the two bands internal to it are wide. The underside is marked similarly but with a yellowish brown color

Field Observations:
In Singapore the Little Maplet is fairly uncommon. The adults are sighted at only a few sites in northern Central Catchment Area, despite the fact the host plant is readily found in the entire catchment area and other parts of Singapore. Adults fly with a feeble but erratic flight, and they typically confined themselves to sheltered and shady habitats. When settling at a perch to feed or rest, their wings are opened outspread. They also have a habit of stopping on the leaf underside when perching.

Early Stages:
The host plant, F. punctata is a root-climber, commonly found creeping on forest floor or up tree trunks in the nature reserves and many roadside trees. At times they can be found creeping up walls (one example is the gravestone walls surrounding Fort Canning Green in Fort Canning Park) or even lamp posts. It has leathery and usually obovate leaves. The ripe figs are bright orange with white spots.

Host plant: F. punctata. Left: creeping up a tree trunk; Right: ripened orange figs.

A female Little Maplet laying egg on a leaf of the host plant growing among leaf debris.

The mother Little Maplet lays its eggs singly on the upperside of a relatively young leaf of the host plant. All four eggs sighted so far had all been laid at or very near the edge of the leaf. Characteristic of species in the Cyrestini tribe, each yellow egg has a flattened top where the micropylar sits. From the rim of this top, vertical ridges reach down the side wall to the base. Diameter of egg: 0.6-0.7mm.

An egg of the Little Maplet at leaf edge of the host plant.

Top: mature egg of the Little Maplet with the brown head capsule discernible. Bottom: empty egg shell showing the "trap door" with which the caterpillar made its exit earlier.

The egg takes 4 days to hatch. Similar to someone opening up a tin can with a can opener, the young caterpillar nibbles away at the egg shell to make an almost complete circular cut just below the flattened top. It then escapes through the resultant "trap-door". The newly hatched, about 1.6-1.8mm long, has a slender, cylindrical and yellowish green body covered with short hairs. The head capsule is black to dark brown with no horn. There is also a small and blunt dorsal tubercles on the 8th abdominal segment.

Newly hatched Little Maplet caterpillar on leaf underside, length: 1.8mm Ahead of the newly hatched, portion of the midrib has been chewed away.

1st instar caterpillar of the Little Maplet caterpillar, length: 3.2mm.

The 1st instar caterpillar starts feeding at the tip of a leaf, and works its way towards the base leaving the midrib projecting. It also makes a feeble attempt at collecting frass pellets with silk threads at the base of the exposed midrib. As a possible camouflage ploy, the first instar caterpillars also decorate themselves with frass pellets, tiny fragments of leaf lamina and even bits of dried sap (exuded from the damaged midrib) over its body and head. The caterpillar has the habit of biting away portion of the midrib at a site further away from the leaf tip, and this behaviour is also observed in all later instars. One other behaviour common to all instars is that frass pellets are catapulted away, a tract more commonly found in early stages of skippers such as the Chestnut Angle and White Spot Palmer. Between feeds, the Little Maplet caterpillar typically rests on the underside midrib. After reaching about 4mm in about 2.5 to 3 days, the caterpillar moults to the 2nd instar.

1st instar caterpillar, late in this stage and about to moult, length: 4mm.

Two obvious changes can be observed in the 2nd instar caterpillar. First, the short and blunt tubercles on the 8th abdominal segment has transformed to a much longer pointed process. which is slightly curved and almost entirely black in color. Second, the head capsule now features two pointed horns. As the caterpillar grows, a tiny orange-colored tubercle also becomes apparent on the 2nd abdominal segment. This instar lasts 2 days with the body length reaching 6.5mm.

2nd instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 4.5mm. The discarded 1st instar head capsule can be seen lying near its body.

2nd instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 6.5mm.

Compared to the earlier instar, the tubercle on the 2nd abdominal segment of the 3rd instar caterpillar has a short and dark pointed end. This instar takes 2 to 2.5 days to complete with body length reaching about 10mm. On the last day of this instar, faint dorso-lateral stripes appear together with a few orange to red lateral patches.

Two views of 3rd instar caterpillars, length: 9mm (top), 7.5mm (bottom).

Two views of 3rd instar caterpillar, very late in this stage, length: 10mm.

The pointed process on the 2nd abdominal segment of the 4th instar caterpillar is now much longer and backward pointing, but unlike the one on the 8th abdominal segment, it does not have a blackened tip. Initally the oblique dorso-lateral markings are pale green which does not contrast well with the yellowish body colour. However as it grows, further the markings becomes mostly orangy brown and thus more prominent. On the head capsule, the two horns are longer in proportion, and the face proper has a pale yellow mid portion flanked by light brown sides. Instead of making a cut on the midrib, both the 4th instar and 5th instar caterpillars make the cut on the petiole. This instar lasts 2.5 to 3 days with body length reaching 14 to16mm.

4th instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 11mm.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 15mm. The cut made by the caterpillar on the petiole is also featured in both views..

The next moult brings the caterpillar to its 5th and final instar. Both the pointed processes are much longer and white to pale yellow in colour, with the one on the 8th abdominal segment having a blackened tip. The dorso-lateral oblique markings are coloured in alternating white/pale-yellow bands and orangy to reddish brown bands in varying shades. With a larger body, the 5th instar caterpillar has a much bigger appetite than the earlier instar, and could finish about two moderately-sized leaves. It is also a disciplined eater, finishing one leaf entirely, minus the midrib, before moving on to the next one.

A newly moulted 5th instar caterpillar of the Little Maplet, length: 16mm.

A newly moulted 5th instar caterpillar finishing off what it could not accomplish in its earlier instar.

Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar of the Little Maplet, length: 20mm.

The 5th instar lasts for 5 days, and the body length reaches up to 23-25mm. On the last day, the caterpillar ceases feeding and stays dormant at the last resting spot for about half aday before it seeks out a pupation site which is either the stem or a spot on the leaf underside. Once it settles on a suitable spot, the caterpillar spins a silk pad, and from which it hangs vertically to take on the pre-pupatory pose.

A pre-pupatory larva of the Little Maplet.

A pupation sequence of the Little Maplet.


Pupation takes place about half a day later. The pupa suspends itself from the silk pad with no supporting silk girdle. It is mostly dull brown with segments and parts outlined in dark brown. The pupa has a pair of short and slightly curved cephalic horns. Overall the pupa has an elongate and angulate shape. Length of pupae: 14.5-16mm.

Three views of a pupa of the Little Maplet.

A pupa of the Little Maplet the day before eclosion: (left) faint markings on wing pad; (right) distinct markings on darkened wing pad.

After 5 to 5.5 days, the green eyes becomes visible through the pupal skin as development within the pupal case comes to an end. The wing pad area gradually darken and the transverse stripes on the forewing becomes discernible beneath the pupal skin. The following morning, the adult butterfly emerges from the pupal case.

A newly eclosed Little Maplet drying its wings on the empty pupal case, giving us a glimpse of its underside.

Another newly eclosed Little Maplet displaying its upperside.

References:

• [C&P5] The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, G. and N. van der Poorten (Eds.), 5th Edition, Malayan Nature Society, 2020.
• The Butterflies of Hong Kong, M. Bascombe, G. Johnston, F. Bascombe, Princeton University Press 1999.

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Ali Ibrahim of NParks for providing the species ID of the host plant.

Text by Horace Tan, Photos by Sunny Chir and Horace Tan

Butterfly of the Month - September 2008

BUTTERFLY OF THE MONTH - SEPTEMBER 2008
The Common BlueBottle (Graphium sarpedon luctatius)

The Common Bluebottle is a relatively common species that can be found in the forested areas of Singapore's nature reserves. It is fond of flying rapidly up and down open tracks in the nature reserves, almost reminescent of fast cars zooming along Singapore's expressways. As its preferred caterpillar host plant, Cinnamomum iners is commonly cultivated as a roadside tree along many of Singapore's streetscapes, the species has also been brought out into urban parks and gardens.

The species has a bluish-green macular band which runs from the apex of the forewing to the inner margin of the hindwing on both the upper and underside of the butterfly's wings. The hindwing has a series of blue submarginal spots on the hindwing on the upperside, and an additional red spotting on the underside of the hindwing. There is a red spot near the base of the hindwing on the underside as well.

The males of this species can often be found feeding on roadside seepages or urine-tainted sand in the company of other Graphiums species. Occasionally, more than eight butterflies can be found congregated on one spot, jostling for the best position to imbibe the dissolved nutrients and minerals from the source of liquid food. In flight, one normally catches a glimpse of its blue wings. Females are rarer, but often encountered when she tries to oviposit in areas where the host plants grow in abundance, or when feeding on flowering plants.

In some countries, this species is referred to as the Blue Triangle. Males and females are similar in appearance, except for the scent fold on the hindwing of the male. The wingspan of the Common Bluebottle is typically between 85-90mm.

An interesting observation of this species is that after a long session of puddling, the butterfly often flies off to a nearby perch and then stretches its wings out, as if to sunbathe.

Text by Khew SK ; Photos by Khew SK & Tan BJ

The Life History of the Commander

Life History of the Commander (Moduza procris milonia)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Moduza Moore 1881
Species: procris Cramer, 1777
Subspecies: milonia, Fruhstorfer, 1906
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 60mm
Local Host Plants: Timonius wallichiana (Rubiaceae), various Uncaria spp. (Rubiaceae)


A Commander puddling on a forest trail


A Commander perching on a leaf in local nature reserves

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
Adults have smooth eyes, and strongly crenulated wing borders. Above, the dark reddish brown wings are traversed by a broad white macular band, starting from a large white spot in the cell on the forewing to near the mid-dorsum on the hindwing. Four subapical white spots are found on the forewing. Each hindwing has two series of black submarginal and postdiscal spots, and features an open cell. The underside is marked as above, but the basal halves of the wings are pale greenish grey in contrast to the orangy brown on the upperside.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:
Locally the sightings of the Commander are restricted to the various local nature reserves where it is not uncommon to find them flying along forest trails, in the neighborhood of streams, or puddling on the ground. Females can occasionally be spotted making oviposition visits to the various species of host plants. The adults are usually found singly, and they fly with a strong and determined flight.

Early Stages:
The first known detailed record of the early stages of the Commander was given by Morrell, R. in his 1948 article in the Malayan Nature Journal, based on his observations made while he was in Singapore. Host plants reported by him included Timonius wallichiana (Common name: Silver Timon) and various species of Uncaria. This is still the case today in our nature reserves where Silver Timon and up to four Uncaria spp. (yet to be properly identified) have been found to be utilized by early stages of the Commander. This current account of life history is based on two caterpillars reared from eggs on one Uncaria sp. (see picture on host plant #2).


Host plant #1: Timonius wallichiana



Host plant #2: an Uncaria sp.

Typically, the mother butterfly lays eggs singly at the leaf tip of the host plant, but on occasions where there are torn or eaten leaf edges, eggs could be laid at the false tip by the "misled" mom. Characteristic of the species in the Limentidini tribe, the eggs are somewhat globular in shape, with surface marked with hexagonal pits and bearing short spines at pit corners, giving them the appearance of minute sea-urchins. Each egg has a diameter of about 1mm, and about 1.1mm in height.


Eggs of the Commander laid at leaf edge (left), and leaf tip (right).


Two views of a mature egg of the Commander

The egg takes 3.5 days to hatch. The young caterpillar eats its way and proceeds to finish up the rest of the egg shell. The newly hatched is about 3mm long and has a cylindrical dark greenish brown body covered with many small tubercles. The head capsule is orange in base color and speckled with dark brown patches. Normally, as the egg is laid at the leaf tip, the newly hatched will start feeding from the tip down the midrib of the leaf and eat its way symmetrically on both sides of the midrib, which is left projecting. At the tip of this exposed midrib, the caterpillar builds a frass chain (frass pellets strung together with silk threads). If hatched from an egg laid at a damaged edge, the newly hatched will simply start feeding from that edge, and builds its frass chain there as well.


Two Commander caterpillars which are only a few hours only,
both are on leaf tips with frass chain already constructed, Length: 3mm (top), 4mm (bottom)


1st instar caterpillar resting on the frass chain, length: 5mm

In addition to the frass chain at the tip of the midrib, the young caterpillar also constructs two rolls, one above and one below the surface of the leaf and at right angles to the the midrib, consisting of its own excrement, bits of leaf lamina and silk. The caterpillar usually rests at the exposed midrib near these two rolls. As the caterpillar grows in length and size, it also grows the rolls in tandem. The rolls have approximately the same length, thickness, colour and apparent texture as the caterpillar itself, making them two unpalatable dummies to discourage any prey. The caterpillar uses its head to push back the rolls as more and more of the leaf lamina is consumed. This system of feeding and building decoys will continue all the way to the penultimate instars.

After 3 days in the first instar and growing to a length of 6-6.5mm, the caterpillar moults to the next star. The 2nd instar caterpillar is brown with darker markings, and the body segments are armed with spiny and tasselled tubercles, of which those on the 2nd and 3rd thoracic segments are the longest. The dark bown head is armed with short and blunt spines. This instar lasts 3 days with the body length reaching 10mm.

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


2nd instar caterpillar resting against its decoy.

Compared to the earlier instar, the 3rd instar caterpillar has proportionally longer and prominently branched spines. The overall appearance of the caterpillar resembles a collection of its frass pellets in shades of brown and black, just like the two decoy dummies it builds in its proximity. Through all instars, as Morrell first described it, the caterpillar appears to be just "a mass of earthy particles held loosely together, and it moves by tumbling and shunting in a slightly shaky way with sudden stops and jerks". The 3rd instar lasts 3 days with the caterpillar reaching a length of 15-16mm.


3rd instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 9mm


3rd instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 14mm

The 4th instar caterpillar again has a similar appearance as in the previous instar except for the much longer and larger spines, particularly the two pairs on the 2nd and 3rd thoracic segments. This instar lasts 4 days with the length reaching 23-24mm prior to the next moult.


4th instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 16mm


4th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 23mm

The next moult brings the caterpillar to its 5th and final instar. The extraordinarily branched and tessalled dorso-lateral spines are now much more projected and prominent on all body segments, the one on the 3rd thoracic semgnet being the longest. The head capsule is pale brown in base colour with black markings, and dotted with numerous dark pits. Fringed with black short spines, the head also has eight short and round orangy brown tubercles. All in, a head has a very fearsome appearance. When disturbed, the caterpillar adopts a characteristic kung-fu posture with the black quarters raised, anterior body arched and the head tucked beneath the thorax.


5th instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 24mm


5th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 40mm


The head of a 5th instar Commander caterpillar.

The 5th instar caterpillar does not bother with the decoy construction process, and in the wild it will roam freely over the host plant. This instar lasts for 5-6 days, and the body length reaches up to 40mm. On the last day, the caterpillar ceases feeding and its body gradually shrinks. It wanders around the plant in seach of a pupation site. Eventually it settles down on a stem or branch where it spins a silk pad from which it hangs vertically to take on the pre-pupatory pose.


A pre-pupatory larva of the Commander

Pupation takes place a day later. The pupa suspends itself from the silk pad with no supporting silk girdle. When disturbed, the abdominal segments flex laterally, and could stay in that position for a period of time. It is almost entirely brown in color with segments and parts outlined in dark brown to black. The pupa has a pair of curved and broad cephalic horns. Overall, the pupa has the appearance of a "tightly rolled withered leaf" as Morrell described it. Length of pupae: 18-19mm.



A pupation sequence of the Commander


Three different views of a pupa of the Commander


Two views of a mature pupa of the Commander.

After 7 days of development, the pupa turns black in the wing pad area as the development within the pupal case comes to an end. The following day, soon after day break, the adult butterfly emerges from the pupal case.



A newly eclosed Commander drying its wings on its pupal case


A newly eclosed Commander showing its uppersides next to its pupal case

References:

• Notes on the larvae of some common Malayan butterflies, Morrell, R., Malayan Nature Journal, vol.3, no.2, 1948, pages 1-6.
  


• The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society.


• Butterflies of Thailand, Pisuth Ek-Amnuay, 1st Edition, 2006

Text and Photos by Horace Tan