A "Politically Incorrect" Butterfly

The Nigger (Orsotriaena medus cinerea)

A "Politically Incorrect" Butterfly

Amongst amateurs, hobbyists and even serious enthusiasts, it has always been easier to identify and refer to butterflies by their English common names rather than struggle with tongue-twisting Latin scientific names. Hence for many species, various English names have been coined by collectors and researchers for the butterflies - the names given are often associated with the physical appearance of the butterfly, although the names for the same species may vary from country to country.

Over the years, the English common names have been used by collectors, amateur hobbyists, nature photographers and butterfly watchers. We often wonder how the species got their names, as some can be amusing whilst others sport rather curious names.

Of all the species, there is one that is noteworthy of caution whenever a butterfly watcher may inadvertently shout out its name in the wrong company! This species is the Nigger (Orsotriaena medus cinerea). I did a bit of research into early references and was rather surprised to find the 1st Edition of the Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula by A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, on page 132 referring to this species as the Nigger. This edition was first published in January 1934!

A mating pair of the Nigger

In today's politically complex and racially sensitive environment, the use of an undesirable word in the wrong part of the world may cause a person to be faced with a lawsuit, bodily harm, or encounter other more serious consequences. The name of this poor butterfly is today deemed derogatory, offensive, racially prejudiced and deeply disparaging!

It is interesting that, in the course of evolution of the English language, words used in the late 19th century, and the early 20th century, that are seemingly innocent and simple, are now bestowed totally new meanings and connotations that are politically incorrect or just undesirable. How complicated our world has become!

It is rather unfortunate that any reference to the common English name of Orsotrieana medus cinerea has to now be tempered with caution and care. I am quite sure that our two late Englishmen authors, Mr Corbet and Mr Pendlebury, bless their souls, did not foresee that their naming of such a common and insignificant butterfly, may in today's world, cause unnecessary controversy.

A Crab Spider makes a meal of a Nigger

So why is the Nigger named so? It may be difficult to reason why, without venturing into a speculative adventure of the association of the physical attributes of this butterfly, and the metaphors that they carry. Just because the butterfly is dark and plain doesn't necessarily mean that it had to be prejudicially associated with a particular dark complexioned race of people!

The Nigger is dark brown above, and unmarked. The undersides feature a prominent clear white stripe that extends from the costa of the forewing to the tornus of the hindwing. There are two submarginal ocelli on the forewing beneath, and three on the hindwing.

The species is relatively common in grassy areas, but usually lurking in the shade. It is a weak flyer, remaining close to the ground as it flutters skittishly from perch to perch. Its caterpillars feed on grasses.

A cute "baby photo" of the Nigger

To most observers, the Nigger is rather unattractive and as it is common, it usually tends to attract very little attention amongst butterfly watchers. However, this unassuming butterfly has its own beauty, when one takes a closer look at the wings and the ocelli.

And so this humble species of butterfly continues its rather low profile existence, totally oblivious to the debatable controversy that its unmentionable common name may cause in today's complex and politically sensitive world.

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

References :

• Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula 1st Edition January 1934 : Published by Kyle, Palmer & Co Ltd, Kuala Lumpur
• The Global Language Monitor : The Global Language Monitor documents, analyzes, and tracks the latest trends in word usage and word choices, and their impact on the various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.

Disclaimer : It is not the intention of the Author of this Blog to cause any distress nor controversy to any person or organisation with the use of politically sensitive words. This article merely highlights and calls to the attention of butterfly enthusiasts that the use of English common names of butterflies that may have undesirable impact should be dispensed with due consideration and care.

Butterfly of the Month - May 2009

Butterfly of the Month - May 2009
The Colour Sergeant (Athyma nefte subrata)

The month of May is often the peak of the butterfly season, and many species that are seldom seen are out and about. We have always wondered where these butterflies go when they are 'off season'. It's one of the mysteries that Mother Nature keeps close to her chest, no doubt, and we'll continue to spend year after year wondering...

This month, we feature a species of the Nymphalidae, the Colour Sergeant. The species, belonging to the genus Athyma, are robust fliers, with their strong rapid wing flaps, and gliding flight, and very often perched on the tops of leaves, just frustratingly out of reach of the photographers' lenses. The English common name Sergeant was probably coined for the striped appearance of most of the species in the genus, albeit some have the appearance of three stripes, whilst others don't.

The male Colour Sergeant is a rich velvety black, with the white stripes tinged with blue. At certain angles, the blue tint appear to be more extensive when viewed with a side light. In Singapore, individuals with orange subapical spots have been observed with regularity, and it poses a question as to whether the males have two different 'forms' as well. Males with the typical white subapical spots are also seen in the company of those with orange subapical spots.

The female Colour Sergeant occurs in two distinct forms and both are quite different in appearance from the male. In the female form-neftina, the wings are marked with broad orange-brown stripes arranged in the usual horizontal striped manner, consistent with the species. Form-neftina is by far the commoner of the two female forms and is as often encountered as the males of the species. A favourite food source of the species is the sugary ripened fruits of the Singapore Rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum).

The female form-subrata is a dark dull chocolate brown with narrower and diffuse brown markings. This female form is rare, and from our rough field sighting statistics, the orange female form probably outnumber the brown form by at least 20:1. It would be interesting to find out from breeding experiments what the ratios actually are. The flight and general behaviour of both female forms are not indifferent from each other, and the butterflies are usually alert and skittish, taking off in rapid fashion the moment they sense danger approaching.

The Colour Sergeant is moderately common, and is found with regularity in urban parks and gardens as well as in the fringe forested areas of Singapore's nature reserves. The caterpillars of this species have been bred on two species of Glochidion in Singapore - G. borneensis and G. brunneum. Another host plant with large hairy leaves, hitherto unidentified, has also been observed as a host plant.

A newly eclosed female Colour Sergeant looking towards the blue sky before taking off on its maiden flight

The Colour Sergeant is the commonest of the four species of the genus Athyma found in Singapore, and the only species that has 'coloured' females, as all the other species are typically black and white.

Text by Khew SK ; Photos by Anthony Wong, Federick Ho, Khew SK & Tan Ben Jin

Life History of the Tailed Jay

Life History of the Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon agamemnon)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Graphium Scopoli, 1777
Species: agamemnon Linnaeus, 1758
Subspecies: agamemnon Linnaeus, 1758
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 70mm
Local Caterpillar Host Plants: Annona muricata (Annonaceae, common name: Soursop), Michelia alba (Magnoliaceae, common name: White Champaca), Annona cherimola (Annonaceae), Polyathia longifolia var. pendula (Annonaceae, common name: Ashoka Tree), and two plants (to be identified) found in Central Catchment Reserve.

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
As with most Graphium species, the wings are produced at the forewing apex and hindwing tornus and the inner margin of the hindwing bends inwards. Above, the Tailed Jay has apple-green spots of various sizes on a black background. Underneath, the same green spotting can be found against a purple-brown background, and additional red spots are featured on the hindwing. Each hindwing has a short tail at vein 4, longer in the female than in the male.


The upperside view of a Tailed Jay perching on a flower.


A female Tailed Jay visiting flowers at the fringe of the nature reserve.


A male Tailed Jay puddling on a wet ground in the nature reserve.


A male Tailed Jay perching on a branch in the cool morning air.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:
The swift-flying adults are not uncommon, and can be observed regularly in both nature reserves and urban parks. The adults are often sighted visiting flowers such as ixora or lantana blossom. The males of this species can be found feeding on roadside seepages or urine-tainted sand.

Early Stages:
The early stages of the Tailed Jay feed on young leaves of several plants in the Annonaceae family. One recently recorded local plant is Polyathia longifolia var. pendula (Ashoka Tree). There are also two other yet-to-be-identified host plants in the nature reserves. Eggs and early stages of the Tailed Jay are typically found on saplings of the host plants at low heights.


Host plant : Ashoka Tree. Left: far view of one tall tree (growing in a housing estate);
right: close-up on young leaves.


Un-identified local host plant #1, commonly found in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.


Un-identified local host plant #2, leaves are covered with hair.

The eggs of the Tailed Jay are laid on young leaves of a sapling. The spherical egg is creamy white with a diameter of about 1.1mm.


Left: fresh egg; right: mature egg. Diameter: 1.1mm

A time-lapse hatching sequence of a Tailed Jay caterpillar

The egg takes 3 days to hatch, and the newly hatched has a body length of about 2.7mm. Typically, the entire egg shell is consumed by the newly hatched as its first meal. The body is initially pale yellowish brown but turning dark brown hours later. There are rather broad and white dorsal patches on thoracic segments and the posterior abdominal segments. A pair of yellowish brown lateral spines can be found on each of the three thoracic segments, and another pair at the anal segment. The body also features rows of short dorsal-lateral tubercles with long setae. Between feeds, the Tailed Jay caterpillar of all instars rests on the upper leaf surface, usually alongside the midrib.


Two views of a newly hatched Tailed Jay caterpillar.
Almost done with the egg shell in top view. Length: 2.7mm


Two views of a 1st instar caterpillar, several hours old, length: 3mm

After about three days of feeding on young and tender leaves, the 1st instar caterpillar grows to a length of about 6mm. Now the body looks pumped up, and assumes a yellowish brown coloration. The white dorsal patches on thoracic segments have faded away by this time. The moult to the 2nd instar takes place after a period of inactivity.


1st instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 6mm.

In the 2nd instar caterpillar, the thoracic segments are much enlarged from the 2nd to 3rd segment. The thoracic spines and the anal spines are pale yellowish brown. As the body grows to a length of 10mm in 3-4 days for this instar, the yellowish brown body color darkens to purplish brown.


Two views of a 2nd instar caterpillar, newly moulted, length: 6mm.


Two views of a 2nd instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 10mm


Field shots of a Tailed Jay caterpillar on the same leaf over the course of 2 days.
Left: 1st instar; right: early 2nd instar.

There is no drastic change in appearance in the newly moulted 3rd instar caterpillar. Noticeable are the color change of the thoracic splines to black, and the change to completely white anal spines. This instar takes another 3 days to complete with body grown to about 10mm in length.


Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 10mm

As growth proceeds in the 3rd instar, the white dorsal patch on the posterior abdominal segments gradually changes to yellow. This instar takes another 3-4 days to complete with the body grown to about 21mm in length. Numerous small markings, dark in color, appear on the body surface towards the end of this instar. At the same time, the thoracic and anal spines become black with a bluish sheen at the distal end.


Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, midway in this stage, length: 15mm


Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 21mm

The body of the 4th instar caterpillar is mainly yellowish green and speckled with small dark green markings. The yellow dorsal patches on posterior abdominal segments have become less well defined in its boundary. Each thoracic spine on the 3rd thoracic segment now has an orange circular base. This instar lasts a further 3-4 days with body length reaching about 26mm.


Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, length: 25mm

The 5th instar caterpillar resembles the late 4th instar caterpillar, but without the dorsal patch and with the body color in a more uniform colour of yellowish green to orchre-yellow. The 5th instar lasts for 5-6 days, and the body length reaches 40-43mm.


Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 26mm


Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 39mm


Field shots of Tailed Jay caterpillars. Top: 3rd instar; bottom: 5th instar

Toward the end of the 5th instar, the body gradually shortens in length. At the same time, the body turns completely yellow with all markings faded away. After doing some wandering around for a pupation site, the caterpillar eventually comes to rest on the surface of a leaf in an upright position and becomes a pre-pupatory larva. Here the caterpillar prepares a silk pad, and a silk girdle, both of which are critical for the success of the pupation event later on.


Two views of a pre-pupatory larva of the Tailed Jay.

Pupation takes place a day later. The pupa suspends itself with a silk girdle from the leaf surface, further secured with and a firm anchor at the posterior end. The pupa is yellowish green, about 33mm in length and has a slender and obtusely pointed thoracic process. The abdomen has two dorsal carinae. Reddish brown ridges run laterally to the tip of the mesothoracic horn which is directed forwards.

A time-lapse pupation sequence of a Tailed Jay caterpillar

Two views of a fresh pupa.

The pupal period lasts for 12-13 days, and the pupa turns black in the wing pads the night before eclosion. The apple-green spots on the forewings also become visible through the pupal skin at this stage. The adult butterfly emerges the next morning to commence the ``high-flying'' phase of its life cycle.


Two views of a mature Tailed Jay pupa.

A time-lapse eclosion sequence (partial) of a Tailed Jay adult

A newly eclosed Tailed Jay resting on the pupal case.

References:

• The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society.
• The Butterflies of Hong Kong, M. Bascombe, G. Johnston, F. Bascombe, Princeton University Press 1999

Text by Horace Tan, Photos by Anthony Wong, Mark Wong, Henry Koh, Tan Ben Jin, Sunny Chir and Horace Tan

The Grass Yellows of Singapore (Part 2)

The Grass Yellows of Singapore (Part 2)

Part 2 of this article on the Grass Yellows of Singapore features the remaining three species of the genus Eurema, all of which have either two or three cell spots on the underside of their forewings. (Refer to the ID Key in Part 1 of the article).

The Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe contubernalis)

The Common Grass Yellow is described as the "commonest butterfly in the eastern tropics" and has a range that extends from Sri Lanka to Australia. This species, and the Three Spot Grass Yellow, has been observed to have seasonal 'breakouts' where large numbers of the same species can be found flying at many locations across Singapore. There was a year when the species was observed flying across one of the expressways, and a large number of roadkills was recorded as the butterflies were smashed by the speeding oncoming traffic.

The Common Grass Yellow is as frequently observed in urban parks, gardens and wherever there is a patch of greenery, as well as in the forested areas. It is widespread, and the caterpillars feed on a variety of Leguminosae plants.

The butterfly, with its bright lemon yellow wings with black bordering on the upperside and dark brown markings on the underside, is often very variable, particularly in the underside markings. The female is larger and a paler yellow, with broader black but diffused markings on the uppersides of both wings, particularly on the black marginal border on the hindwings.

(Eurema simulatrix tecmessa)

This species, which can be considered the rarest of the Grass Yellows, is also the largest amongst the 6 species in the genus found in Singapore. The characteristic cleft subapical reddish-brown marking on the underside of the forewing distinguishes it from the other species.

Whenever encountered, they are usually observed singly, either feeding at flowering plants, or puddling on sandy mudbanks. It is never abundant, and rarely, if ever, seen in large numbers unlike the Common Grass Yellow or the Three Spot Grass Yellow.

A rare threesome puddling shot of E. simulatrix

The Three Spot Grass Yellow (Eurema blanda snelleni)

This species probably rivals the Common Grass Yellow for the title as the most common Grass Yellow. As widespread as its cousin, the Three Spot Grass Yellow is unique in having three cell spots on the underside of the forewing. Males tend to have reduced upperside black marginal borders, although the females bear the typically broader and diffused borders.

Found in urban locations as well as in the nature reserves, the Three Spot Grass Yellow is also known to puddle in numbers along forest trails and sandy banks of streams which have been contaminated by decomposing organic material.

Females of the Three Spot Grass Yellow have been observed to lay large clutches of eggs on the host plant Falcataria moluccana (Albizia). In a single sitting, a female was seen to have laid at least 103 eggs on a leaf of the host plant!

How many E. blanda eggs can you count on the leaf?

Besides the six species which have been reliably identified in the Singapore Checklist, it is very likely that several other species, primarily those that occur in the Malay Peninsula, may appear in Singapore one day. Two of the species have not been observed since the early records of their presence is Singapore, and may eventually appear again. Thus far, our records have shown that these two species, Eurema ada iona and Eurema lacteola lacteola have not been reliably sighted (or may have been missed), and effort should be made to establish their status in the Singapore checklist.

Text by Khew SK ; Photos by Khew SK & Federick Ho