Butterflies of Singapore 2nd Edition

Butterflies of Singapore 2nd Edition
An Update to the Field Guide : 2015


Group photos of ButterflyCircle members with Minister Tan Chuan Jin

It has already been five years since I first launched the book "A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Singapore" back on 10 Oct 2010. With the help from members of ButterflyCircle, we were able to compile a comprehensive field guide for butterfly enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Five years down the road, further reviews of the species in the 1st Edition and additional species spotted in Singapore made it necessary to collate an update to the Field Guide.

Charity beneficiaries of the Butterflies of Singapore 2nd Edition

It couldn't have been a more appropriate year in 2015, Singapore's 50th birthday since Independence, to launch the updated 2nd edition as a gift to Singapore. As with the original book, this sequel was generously sponsored by Ms Ho Ching, Executive Director and CEO of Temasek Holdings. A copy of the book will be donated free-of-charge to all schools in Singapore, polytechnics, universities, public libraries and other government institutions.

Sample pages from the 2nd Edition of Butterflies of Singapore

The intention is to make available a book on Singapore's biodiversity and natural heritage to as many Singaporeans as possible, with the hope that our present and future generations will be motivated to treasure, love and conserve our flora and fauna. Given our very limited land, Singapore has done admirably well in the conservation of our biodiversity.

The 2nd Edition now has an index section for easier search

And so the work started in earnest in early 2015, sorting out photos, re-doing the write ups, correcting errors and typos, changing some of the details like wingspan to forewing length, creating an index to replace the checklist and updating taxonomic information and names where latest information were available. Some of these changes came from feedback from users of the book and reviews by other authors.

Work in progress

Due to my work commitments, much of the effort in the updating of this 2nd edition was done in my free time, late into the nights and on weekends. As the progress speeded up, our layout artist from IOP Communications, Cressindie, had to do overtime work in the evenings and on weekends. The initial progress took quite a bit of time, as there were many changes and amendments upon amendments made to many pages.

The machine that printed the book

I had the fortune of having two very sharp-eyed ladies to help me with the proof-reading this time around. Their amazing ability to pick out the smallest of details helped eliminate quite a number of errors that were not even noticed earlier. So a very big thank you to Mei Hwang and Yun Lim! Another source of help came from Dr Seow TL whose wealth of experience and detailed eye for butterfly identifications also made the book a lot more accurate and complete this time around.

Work in progress, colour vetting and quality control

As the days and weeks flew past, my capable "project manager" Alicia Tan of IOP made sure that every thing was on track. She helped in the QC of the book and advice in the technical details of printing the book. Kudos also to Sherman Chia of NPE Print Communications Pte Ltd (also the same printers for the original book) for delivering everything on time.

My capable colleagues who handled all the artwork, logistics, planning and MC'ing at the launch

Those who attended the launch of the book on 8 Nov may not have realised the organisation of the logistics and planning behind the scenes. My sincere appreciation goes to my two colleagues, CJ and Xueyan who volunteered to help with the launch collaterals, logistics, organising the reception and MC'ing on the day of the book launch.

Registration desk and welcoming the guests

Special thanks also to ButterflyCircle members and Seletar CC members who turned up in force to handle the registration, ushering, photography and keeping the event running smoothly. A word of appreciation to the caterer, Orange Clove Catering, and their service staff for doing a good job of serving the guests at the launch and for their yummy food.

Cheng Khim with her butterfly-themed balloons to add more colour to the launch

The weather on Sunday 8 Nov was just perfect. Our day started early as we headed for the Function Hall at the Singapore Botanic Gardens where the launch was to be held. This was the same venue where the first book was launched, and there were many fond memories of the place. Our helpers were up early too, and everyone was ready to go before the guests arrived.

Minister Tan arriving, and chatting with the VIPs

Our Guest of Honour, Minister Tan Chuan Jin, Minister for Social and Family Development, was his characteristic down-to-earth self when he arrived a lot earlier than expected. Being one of our most approachable Ministers, he chose to mingle with the crowd rather than stay cooped up in the VIP holding room. My sponsor, Ms Ho Ching also arrived early, and chatted with friends and guests.

Minister Tan delivering his speech and the crowd at the launch

The event progressed smoothly and as a small gesture to minimise paper usage, all our speeches were read off digital devices minus any printouts. Minister Tan was his casual self and spoke eloquently from the heart. For this 2nd Edition, special charity hardcover copies were printed and donated to three organisations - ACRES, Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum and Garden City Fund. These special copies will be sold at a charity price of S$200 at a forthcoming charity event to raise funds for these organisations which focus on animal welfare, nature education and research, and the greening of Singapore.

Minister Tan lifts a butterfly net to free the 2nd Edition of the Butterflies of Singapore, receiving the first copy of the book, and charity recipients with sponsor Ms Ho Ching

Minister Tan launched the 2nd Edition of the Butterflies of Singapore by lifting a butterfly net off the books to "release" the butterflies. Ms Ho Ching did the honours to present the token copies of the charity edition to Prof Leo Tan (GCF), Prof Peter Ng (LKCNHM) and our newly-minted Member of Parliament Louis Ng (ACRES).

End of the launch ceremony

The reception after the launch was a good time for networking and catching up with old friends and making new ones. I was also touched by the number of overseas guests who took the trouble to attend the book launch - my bosses and colleagues from Beijing, Dr and Mrs Kirton from KL, Mr and Mrs Joseph Goh from Penang Butterfly Farm (now called Entopia), my friend Dato Chang of Ecoworld, ButterflyCircle members Antonio and his family, and LC Goh who flew in from KL just for a few hours before flying back home!

Celebrity mugshots!

With LC Goh and Dr Laurence G Kirton
With prominent Senior Counsel Tan Chee Meng and family

With CEO/Centre for Livable Cities Khoo Teng Chye and Mrs Khoo

And then my friends from the nature circles, my colleagues and close friends made up the rest of the crowd. A big thank you to all of you for taking your Sunday morning off to be with me. I am indeed humbled by your presence at my book launch.

The new additions to the 2nd Edition of Butterflies of Singapore

The 2nd edition features a number of better photographs to replace the photos of the first addition, as well as 29 totally new species that have been observed over the past 60 months after 2010. Some species are new discoveries and have continued to stay in Singapore, whilst some are seasonal migrants/vagrants. A small number of species, particularly from the Hesperiidae and Lycaenidae may have been extant in Singapore all this while, but their positive IDs were only recently validated through close research via early stages (by Horace Tan) and having voucher specimens to scrutinise.

A major revision of the taxonomic classification was also done, with reference made to Dr Kirton's Butterflies of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand launched last year. Amongst the revisions are :

• Amalgamation of all the species from the Subfamily Morphinae into the Subfamily Satyrinae.
• Featuring a new species found from the Subfamily Biblidinae
• Reorganising the Subfamily Lycaeninae, and raising the tribes that were formerly lumped under the Lycaeninae to full Subfamily status. These reinstated subfamilies are Aphnaeinae, Polyommatinae and Theclinae. There is now no longer any representative of the Subfamily Lycaeninae in Singapore.
• Resulting sequence of genera and species of the various Subfamilies are also reorganised according to Dr Kirton's book.

All species featured have their wing dimension data now recorded as forewing length. This was a suggestion by Dr Albert Orr in his review of the book, and this convention has been taken as the preferred norm in most recent literature on Lepidoptera. An index has now been included at the back of the book. This was a result of many user feedback that an index would be more useful than a checklist when looking for specific species. The index is organised under three sections of Butterfly Common Name, Butterfly Scientific Name and Plant Name.

As with books of this nature, there is always a likelihood of some errors, despite the huge effort made to be as accurate and error-free as possible. In the event that there are any inadvertent errors found, I humbly apologise for these oversights.



And so this new book from our group, ButterflyCircle and friends, is added to our collection, making it our 3rd book since 2010. We now look forward to further projects to help in nature conservation and teaching our future generations to care and nurture our biodiversity and conserve nature on our little red dot of only 720 sq km.

Duatau Bay, the friendly cat who stole the show at the launch

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Ray Chua, Loke PF, Bobby Mun, Tan Ke Yang and  numerous other photographers using their smartphones!

Special Thanks to NParks Board and Singapore Botanic Gardens for the use of the Function Hall and Function Room for the Launch of the 2nd Edition of the Butterflies of Singapore 

Life History of the Tree Yellow

Life History of the Tree Yellow (Gandaca harina distanti)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Gandaca Moore, 1906
Species: harina Horsfield, 1819
Subspecies: distanti Fruhstorfer, 1910
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 30-45mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plants: Ventilago maingayi (Rhamnaceae), Ventilago malaccensis (Rhamnaceae).

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:

Tree Yellow has its vein 7 on the hindwing originating from well before the end of the cell. In contrast, Grass Yellow species has their rises at or just before the cell-end. On the upperside, the wings are pale lemon-yellow with a narrow black apical border on the forewing. In the female, this black border has a dentate projection along vein 4. On the underside, the wings are pale lemon-yellow without any markings.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:

The Tree Yellow is common in Singapore and can be found at multiple locations within the nature reserves. They regularly visit flowers for nectar and puddle on wet grounds for minerals.

Two Skippers Added to the Singapore Checklist

Two Skippers Added to the Singapore Checklist
Featuring the Malayan Swift and Bengal Swift

The identification of some Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae from field shots is often challenging due to the very similar physical features of several species. This is made even more difficult due to the wide variation of these features amongst individuals and between different sexes.

In museum and scientific collections, it is much easier to identify and differentiate between species as comparisons amongst a number of specimens can be done systematically. Where available, male specimens can be dissected and their genitalia compared with a database of figures from reference resources. In recent times, the use of DNA sequencing can help advance the identification of specimens with greater accuracy.

However, positive identification of field photographed individuals is often a tricky business, because either the upperside or underside of an individual may not be available. Furthermore, if the butterfly photographed is a worn or tattered individual, its identification may prove almost impossible.

This is where the early stages of a butterfly can add another dimension to the accurate indentification of the species concerned. Over the years, our early stages expert, Horace Tan, has had many opportunities to breed and document the egg, caterpillar and pupa stages of a butterfly, and the adult morphology compared with reference literature.

After much scrutiny and discussion with our Malaysian expert Dr TL Seow, we have narrowed down the identification of two more species of Hesperiidae. The first is a species from the genus Caltoris. These "Swifts" are largely found in heavily-shaded forests in Singapore, and thus far, the Full Stop Swift (Caltoris cormasa), is the only species that has been identified with certainty. A recent find, is another species, Caltoris malaya (Malayan Swift).

Caterpillar and pupa of the Malayan Swift bred on Bambusae sp

The Malayan Swift is described as being dark brown with the usual spotting on the forewing. A key distinguishing factor is the absence of the cell spots on the forewing. On the underside, the male is ferruginuous (or dark rusty) brown, whilst the female is ochreous (or reddish-orange) brown.

Several individuals were bred, and the specimens were examined and compared. The consistent absence of the forewing cell spots narrowed down the idenfication of the species to Caltoris malaya a species that is documented as extant in Singapore by the early authors. We record this re-discovery of the Malayan Swift (Caltoris malaya) as species #323 in the Singapore Checklist.

The next species, also a re-discovery, is the Bengal Swift (Pelopidas agna agna). This species is very similar to the more common extant species found in Singapore, the Small Branded Swift (Pelopidas mathias mathias). Differentiation between the two via field shots can be a hit-and-miss affair. However, Dr TL Seow has added his other observations to help narrow down the identification between these two species.

A female Bengal Swift perches on a blade of grass

Pelopidas mathias mathias

• Male: FW line through cell spots cut brand variably at lower third.
• FW spots large especially 2 and 3. Spot 2 irregularly rectangular.
• Female: Line through cell spots generally pass close spot 1b but variable and unreliable.
• HW ground colour uneven, marginal areas often paler with dark shading/smudges around the spots.
• Underside is greyish-ochreous

Pelopidas agna agna

• Male: Line through cell spots only touches lower end of brand.
• Forewing spots often very small and spot 2 very narrow.
• Female : Line through cell spots usually far from spot 1b but unreliable.
• Underside ground colour is even and without obvious dark shading/smudges around the spots.
• Underside is ochreous without a grey tinge.

Breeding of several individuals and comparison with the adult males and females strongly suggest the presence of the Bengal Swift (Pelopidas agna agna) in Singapore. However, another related species, Pelopidas lyelli which also bear a strong resemblance to the Bengal Swift, may also create some confusion. This Australian species should be looked for in Singapore where it is not impossible that it reached the shores of Singapore like the Yellow Palm Dart.

Caterpillar of the Bengal Swift

Given the comparisons and specimens from breeding documentation, we record the Bengal Swift (Pelopidas agna agna) as species #324 as a re-discovery for Singapore. Further observations will continue as to whether there are other Pelopidas species exist in Singapore.

It is likely that we will continue to discover other Hesperiidae from the lookalikes via their early stages as and when the opportunities arise. Henceforth from 2015, all bred and collected material will be submitted to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum for DNA sampling and the voucher specimens documented for future comparisons when more material are available.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Horace Tan and Khew SK

Special thanks to Horace Tan for his patience and effort in documenting the early stages of these Skipper species and to Dr TL Seow for his persistence in scrutinising the voucher specimens and coming out with additional consistent ID features for the species concerned .

References :

• The Butterflies of The Plain Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malaysian Nature Society.
• Butterflies of West Malaysia and Singapore, WA Fleming, 2nd Edition, Longmans, 1983
• Butterflies of Thailand, Pisuth Ek-Amnuay, 2nd Edition, 2012

Special Note :
All voucher specimens, host plants and early stages collected within Parks or Nature Reserves under the jurisdiction of the National Parks Board are done with the permission of the National Biodiversity Centre Division of NParks. Specimens will be submitted to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum's Lepidoptera Collection for reference.