Butterflies Galore! : Common Red Flash

Butterflies Galore!
The Common Red Flash (Rapala iarbus iarbus)

This little red speedster is rather local in distribution and is present in preferred habitats in the vicinity of its caterpillar host plants. The male is a bright scarlet red with black apical area above, whilst the female is a drab brown. The underside is grey with the usual Rapala striations on both wings. The hindwing features a white-tipped filamentous tail at vein 2.

The flower of the Singapore Rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum) does not appear to be very attractive to butterflies, perhaps due to the structure of the flower or the quality of the nectar. In the field, butterflies do not appear to prefer feeding on the nectar from its flowers, compared to other favourites like the Lantana, Ixora or Leea flowers. This is one instance where a butterfly, in this case a female Common Red Flash, probes its proboscis into the flower of the Melastoma to feed. The primary feeders/pollinators of the Melastoma appear to be predominantly bees and wasps, rather than butterflies.

Butterflies Galore! : Spotted Judy

Butterflies Galore!
The Spotted Judy (Abisara geza niya)

We feature another shot of the Spotted Judy, this time shot by ButterflyCircle member Huang CJ, at a forested patch in the western part of Singapore. Such remnant forested patches of high biodiversity are always threatened by development, and indeed, this location appears to be slated for development in the not-too-distant future. Last weekend, as the ButterflyCircle team made its way to an area where the Spotted and Malay Tailed Judys are regularly encountered, we met a group of men who were carrying land survey equipment.

Sadly, it will only be a matter of time when the area will be cleared and residential and other developments spring up in its place. For some of our forest-dependent species, once their habitats are destroyed, it is virtually impossible to re-create the same habitat artificially. This is one of the reasons why it is important to preserve our nature reserves, such as the MacRitchie Forest, as permanent sanctuaries for our biodiversity - for once these areas are gone, our rich biodiversity will be permanently lost.

Yellow Glassy Tiger Spotted at GB

Yellow Glassy Tiger (Parantica aspasia aspasia)
Spotted at Gardens by the Bay

The biodiversity at Gardens by the Bay is increasing by the day! Some time in late November last year, Sebastian Ho, a staff of Gardens by the Bay, spotted a Yellow Glassy Tiger feeding on the flower of Bidens pilosa growing at the gardens. This shot was taken with Sebastian's iPhone 5s. Although this "tiger" is a common species in Malaysia, it is seldom seen in Singapore, except for the occasional migrant. Though recorded in the early checklists, this species has been seen only a handful of times in Singapore in recent years.

The Yellow Glassy Tiger resembles its close cousins, the Blue and Dark Glassy Tigers. However each wing has a yellow basal patch with the yellow more extensive on the hindwing. It has been recorded mainly in urban parks and gardens like Alexandra Hospital Butterfly Trail and Hort Park. With this sighting, we add an additional species to Gardens by the Bay's butterfly checklist.

Butterflies Galore! : Starry Bob

Butterflies Galore!
The Starry Bob (Iambrix stellifer)

The Starry Bob (Iambrix stellifer) is a forest butterfly and is rarely seen in urban areas, unlike its close cousin and lookalike, the Chestnut Bob (Iambrix salsala salsala), which is more common and widely distributed. It can be distinguished from its more common relative by the spot on space 5 of the hindwing, which is placed midway between the cell end and the termen of the hindwing. The underside of the forewing apical area is also distinctly orange tinged in most individuals of the Starry Bob.

This shot of a newly eclosed Starry Bob taking a drink at a pool of water and its reflection makes an interesting composition. The orange background adds to the shot that ButterflyCircle member Nona Ooi managed to take on an outing in the nature reserves of Singapore.

Life History of the Common Five Ring

Life History of Common Five Ring (Ypthima baldus newboldi)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Ypthima Hübner, 1818
Species: baldus Fabricius, 1775
Subspecies: newboldi Distant, 1882
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 30-40mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plant: Axonopus compressus (Poaceae, common names: Wide-leaved Carpet Grass, Cow Grass).

The upperside view of a female Common Five Ring.

The upperside view of a male Common Five Ring.

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
On the upperside, the wings are dull brown with the female being paler in the ground colour in the distal halves of both wings. Both sexes have a large yellow-ringed ocellus in space 2 of the forewing, and two smaller and adjoined yellow-ringed ocelli in spaces 2 and 3 of the hindwing (with another ocellus in space 5 in some specimens). The male has a broad strip of greyish black brand in the forewing. On the underside, both wings are pale greyish to bluff brown against a whitish background, and are traversed by numerous fine dark brown striae. The forewing has a large, bi-pupilled, yellow-ringed subapical ocellus. The hindwing has five yellow-ringed ocelli in spaces 1b, 2, 3, 5 and 6. Some specimens might bear another small ocellus in space 4. The pair of ocelli in spaces 2 and 3 are large and adjoined, and the one in space 1b consists of two conjoined spots. The pair of ocelli in spaces 5 and 6 are typically adjoined, with the one in space 5 larger than the one in space 6.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:
The Common Five Ring is moderately common in Singapore,and are more commonly observed in the Southern Ridges. Adults are typically sighted flying low among vegetation in and around grassy patches. As with other Satyrinae members, the adults fly in an erratic and jerky manner. The adults visits flowers for nectar and sun-bathe with fully opened wings in sunny conditions.

Butterflies Galore! : Ancyra Blue

Butterflies Galore!
The Ancyra Blue (Catopyrops ancyra)

The Ancyra Blue was a new discovery for Singapore when it was first encountered on Pulau Ubin some time ago in June 2005. Since then, this species has been quite widespread in Singapore, from urban parks to the nature reserves. Like many of the Lycaenidae, it is a rapid flyer, often flying erratically amongst shrubbery, and resting with its wings folded upright on the tops of leaves.

The shot was taken by ButterflyCircle member Nelson Ong at a wasteland site in the western part of Singapore. The species has characteristic thick striations on the undersides of the wings and if observed at rest, is quite easily to distinguish from the similar-looking species in the family. Its caterpillars feed on two local host plants and the life history has been recorded here.

Butterflies Galore! : Yellow Chequered Lancer

Butterflies Galore!
The Yellow Chequered Lancer (Plastingia pellonia)

At a glance, this skipper looks very much like its more frequently-encountered cousin, the Chequered Lancer (Plastingia naga). However, a closer look at the colour of the spots will separate it easily. All the markings on the underside of the wings and its body are yellow instead of white.

The Yellow Chequered Lancer prefers shady forested areas in the nature reserves of Singapore. It is usually found perched on the top surface of a leaf, as was photographed here by ButterflyCircle member Loke PF. However, it can be skittish if disturbed and flies off rapidly. It tends to be affected by the camera's flash at times, jumping and flapping its wings whenever the flash goes off.