Butterflies Galore! : Elbowed Pierrot

Butterflies Galore! 
The Elbowed Pierrot (Caleta elna elvira)

In butterfly photography, one has to look for both the big and small butterflies to fully appreciate their beauty and diversity. Whilst it is easy to spot the larger and more showy and colourful butterflies, many small butterflies often escape the notice of the casual observer. There are a number of butterfly species that have wingspans of 10-30mm. They also fly fast and erratically, and are not easy to spot, much less photograph! In macrophotography, the beauty of a very small butterfly can be brought to larger-than-life details that our eyes do not normally see when in the field.

One such butterfly is the diminutive Elbowed Pierrot. A black-and-white butterfly with thin, thread-like tails, it only has a wingspan no more than 30mm. ButterflyCircle member Anthony Wong shot a close-up of this small butterfly perched at the edge of a leaf at Dairy Farm Nature Park last weekend.  

Butterflies Galore! : Little Maplet

Butterflies Galore!
The Little Maplet (Chersonesia paraka paraka)

This small butterfly is forest dependent and rarely strays outside the sanctuary of the nature reserves in Singapore. It has a habit of flying and then perching under a leaf with its wings spread open. It is usually skittish and is difficult to photograph (due to its behaviour of hiding under leaves). It is the only representative of the genus Chersonesia in Singapore. There have been records of other related species of the genus in Singapore, but none have been reliably seen in recent years.

The life history of the Little Maplet has been successfully recorded on the fig Ficus aurantiaceae (Orange Fig) here. This individual was photographed by ButterflyCircle member Chng CK last weekend in the nature reserves. What is unusual about this shot, is that the Little Maplet was sunbathing on top of a leaf rather than displaying its usual behaviour of hiding under the leaf. The butterfly has also been observed to puddle amongst the leaf litter on the damp forest floor, and occasionally feeding at flowering forest plants.

Life History of the Chequered Lancer

Life History of the Chequered Lancer (Plastingia naga)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Plastingia Butler, 1870
Species: naga de Nicèville, 1884
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 38-45mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plant: Caryota mitis (Arecaceae; common name: Fishtail Palm).

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:

Above, the wings are brown with the forewing adorned with pale yellow hyaline spots in the cell-end and spaces 2, 3, 6 and 7, and a narrow yellow streak in space 1b. A series of interneural yellowish streaks is present in the hindwing. Beneath, the wings bear a striking pattern of black veins and whitish rectangular spots on a black background. The abdomen is black and white banded.

A Chequered Lancer sunbathing with partially open wings.

Another sunbathing Chequered Lancer giving a glimpse of its upperside.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:

The Chequered Lancer is moderately common in Singapore. Sightings are rather frequent in nature reserves and in parks where its host plant, the FishTail Palm, is commonly found. The adults are fast flyers and are skittish when disturbed. They have been observed to visit flowers and sunbath in sunny weather, and to puddle on bird dropping.

Down Memory Lane - Smaller Wood Nymph

Down Memory Lane : Gone Forever?
The Smaller Wood Nymph (Ideopsis gaura perakana)

A long time ago, this black-and-white butterfly was recorded in Singapore. Both the reference books by the early authors listed the Smaller Wood Nymph as extant in Singapore. It resembles the much bigger Tree Nymph (Idea stolli logani) which still flies in Singapore today, but is only about half the size and has more rounded hindwings. The wings are a pale translucent grey with large black spots. It is more often found in the hill stations, but has also been observed as far south in the peninsula, in the nearby lowland forests in Johor, Malaysia.

The typical black and white colour is a display of aposematic colouration where it mimics and is mimicked by the Idea species and also the female of the moth Cyclosia pieridoides consistent with Mullerian mimicry. Its host plant is a species of the forest vine, Hoya, and is likely to have alternative host plants even in Singapore. Will it ever return to fly gently, at the mercy of the breeze, in our forests again ? Or will it remain only in our memories and is gone forever from Singapore?

Butterflies Galore! : Malay Viscount

Butterflies Galore!
The Malay Viscount (Tanaecia pelea pelea)

Of the two species of the genus Tanaecia found in Singapore, the Malay Viscount is by far the commoner. It is a forest dependent species and is usually found in the safety of the forested areas in Singapore's nature reserves. It prefers to forage on the forest floor for overripe fruits and can frequently be observed at the ripened fruits of the Singapore Rhododendron, on which it feeds greedily.

Did you know that Viscount is pronounced as (vaɪkaʊnt), where the "s" is silent? There are still some people whom I've heard pronouncing the name incorrectly. The Malay Viscount may sometimes be confused with the female Malay Baron or the female Horsfield's Baron when in flight. Only a closer look and checking on the diagnostic features of the markings can one ID it correctly. This individual was photographed last weekend by ButterflyCircle member Mark Wong at the Dairy Farm Nature Park.

Butterflies Galore! : Malayan Sunbeam

Butterflies Galore!
The Malayan Sunbeam (Curetis santana malayica)

The majority of the Sunbeam butterflies of the genus Curetis feature orange and black uppersides and silvery grey undersides. When in flight, one can see flashes of bright orange as the little butterfly zips past at its typical high speed flight. The Sunbeams are quick in flight and usually skittish. It tends to return repeatedly to a few preferred perches when it is sunbathing, and at certain hours of the day, it will sunbathe with its wings opened to show the attractive orange and black uppersides.

It has also been observed to puddle where it stays still and is more cooperative for butterfly photography. This shot, taken at Dairy Farm Nature Park last Saturday by ButterflyCircle padawan Nona Ooi, shows the Malayan Sunbeam puddling on the concrete pavement at the Wallace Education Centre.

Butterflies Galore! : Chocolate Pansy

Butterflies Galore!
The Chocolate Pansy (Junonia hedonia ida)

On this first day of July, our weekday mini articles will take on a new series called Butterflies Galore! We will feature the awesome works of ButterflyCircle members who spend their time and effort shooting these winged jewels in Singapore on a regular basis.

Today's feature butterfly is the Chocolate Pansy. A common and widely distributed species, it is often ignored by photographers who prefer to chase after rarer subjects to add to their personal collection. However, although it is a common species that can be found in urban parks and gardens, as well as in nature areas, it is a very skittish butterfly and usually uncooperative. ButterflyCircle member Horace Tan chanced upon this tame individual recently and was able to bring out the beauty of this predominantly brown butterfly (hence its common name), with its reddish brown ocelli and cryptic patterns on the underside of the wings.