Butterfly of the Month - June 2016

Butterfly of the Month - June 2016
The Dark Glassy Tiger (Parantica agleoides agleoides)


A Dark Glassy Tiger feeding on the purple flower of the Golden Dewdrop (Duranta erecta)

Almost half the year has already flown past us in 2016, as we ponder the road ahead. A group of seven ButterflyCircle members made a quick trip to Fraser's Hill in Malaysia for a short break to escape the hustle and bustle of our daily work life. If I recall correctly, our last trip as a group was four years ago back in 2012, and it would be nice to see how Fraser's Hill's butterfly diversity is like this year.

This time around, we stayed at the Shahzan Inn, a decently-priced hotel right smack in the town centre of Fraser's Hill. Our four-day stay was blessed with relatively good weather, other than a short drizzle on one of the mornings. We also met up with a few good old friends from Kuala Lumpur, who made a day-trip to join us on our butterfly-hunting outing.

A male Dark Glassy Tiger showing part of its hair pencil when alarmed

The butterfly activity was relatively ok for most of the trip, and we also managed to add a couple of species here and there to our personal tally of butterfly photos. Compared to the higher Cameron Highlands, I always thought that the temperature at Fraser's Hill was cooler and the environment less damaged by development and farming. Let's hope that the powers that be continue to keep Fraser's Hill this way for many more years to come.

Back home in Singapore, the weather appears to be much wetter on many days in May and June, as the intermonsoon winds brought respite from the hot dry weather in the early months of the year. The local scene also appears to be rather quiet, although the economy continues its lacklustre and gloomy outlook.

The Singapore public sector, however, is abuzz with a lot of debates regarding the government's announcement that public servants will have no internet access on their official workstations from May 2017. Whilst the social media critics will have a field day criticising the apparent knee-jerk reaction by the government, it is always important to keep abreast of the reasons why such an extreme measure has to be taken.

Dark Glassy Tiger feeding on the flowers of the Blood Flower (Asclepias currasavica)

Security risks are always around us as the world continues to develop and become highly dependent on information technology and the internet. As we become more and more connected and many countries are looking at becoming "smart" nations, the risks will continue to increase exponentially as far as cyber-attacks and technology-driven terrorism are concerned. Sci-fi and suspense movies have hypothesised and predicted what could happen when criminals take over IT networks and the chaos that they can cause. Will there be a possibility that such events can happen in the future? Only time will tell.

This month, we feature a relatively common butterfly in our environment, the Dark Glassy Tiger (Parantica agleoides agleoides). This species has a widespread distribution across the island - from urban parks and gardens to mangrove wetlands and the nature reserves. Its lookalike cousin, the Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis vulgaris macrina) which was featured as last month's butterfly of the month, can be differentiated from the Dark Glassy Tiger by the forewing markings.

How to distinguish between the Dark Glassy Tiger and the Blue Glassy Tiger

The Dark Glassy Tiger has narrow black longitudinal streaks in the forewing cell that sets it apart from the Blue Glassy Tiger, which has a thick transverse bar in the cell. The Dark Glassy Tiger also appears "greyer" when in flight, although this is not a reliable way of distinguishing the two lookalike species. Both frequent similar habitats and are often seen together when feeding on flowering plants.

Dark Glassy Tigers feeding on the yellow flowers and seed pods of the Rattleweed (Crotalaria retusa and Crotalaria mucronata)

It has a slow and unhurried flight as it flies from flower to flower to feed on nectar. It is not difficult for a beginner to photograph, whilst it is feeding. The Dark Glassy Tiger is also attracted to the Indian Heliotrope as well as the False Dill, particularly dried parts of these plants. Like many of the related Danainae species, the Dark Glassy Tiger is partial to the Rattleweed (Crotalaria retusa) plant and can usually be observed feeding on the sap on the stems and seed pods of the plant.

The caterpillar of the Dark Glassy Tiger feeds on lactiferous vine Tylophora flexuosa which it shares with its cousin the Blue Glassy Tiger. Its complete life history has been successfully recorded in Singapore and can be found on this blog here.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Sunny Chir, Goh LC, Khew SK, Loke PF, Bobby Mun, Billy Oh, Jonathan Soong and Mark Wong

Ubin Day 2016

Ubin Day 2016
ButterflyCircle at Pesta Ubin 2016


Our traditional group mugshot at Butterfly Hill with our visiting VVIPs

The annual celebration at Pulau Ubin for the fifth time since its inaugural start back in 2002 took place on 4 Jun this year. What is special this year, was that the celebration of all things Ubin expanded to a whole month! Pesta Ubin as it is called, featured many activities by various groups of volunteers from 14 May to 12 Jun. Pesta Ubin (roughly translated from Malay, means Ubin Carnival) showcased many activities from painting, coastal cleanups, night macro sessions, cycling and so on. The Pesta Ubin blogsite details most of the activities over the month.

On the boat ride to Pulau Ubin - ButterflyCircle and Seletar CC friends

The brainchild of long-time Ubin activist Ria Tan and her gang of volunteers, this year's activities on Ubin island had a far greater outreach to members of the public, interest groups and anyone interested to know more about Pulau Ubin.

The Ubin crowd all happy on Ubin Day 2016

Ubin Day 2016 started with a lot of excitement as various volunteer groups set up their booths at the "town square". However, the weather this year wasn't as cooperative as previous Ubin Days, as the skies turned cloudy and it drizzled for most of the morning. However, refusing to be dampened by the wet weather, the participants' enthusiasm ruled the day.

Minister Lawrence Wong sharing stories about Pulau Ubin

The Guest of Honour this year was the Minister for National Development, Mr Lawrence Wong. Accompanied by Minister of State Desmond Lee, who also spearheads the Friends of Ubin Network (or FUN) and the senior management of MND family, the enthusiastic crowd welcomed the MND VVIPs who arrived on time at around 9am. In his speech, Minister announced that NParks will be the central managing agency for Pulau Ubin. Previously, at least 12 government agencies oversaw various parts of Ubin, making it very confusing for the public who wanted to do something, but did not know who to approach.

Authors of the two books with VVIPS and CEO/NParks.  Cover of the book by Dr Chua Ee Kiam

Ubin Day 2016 also saw the launch of two books. The first was Footprints on an Island, by dental surgeon, author and naturalist Dr Chua Ee Kiam, with co-authors Choo Mui Eng and Director Conservation of NParks, Mr Wong Tuan Wah. The other book was a children's book called The Hunt for the Green Boomerang by Neil Humphreys.

The lush greenery of ButterflyHill and casual chatting amongst our members whilst waiting for the VVIPs to arrive

As part of his tour around the island, Minister stopped at Butterfly Hill. This hill was re-planted with butterfly-attracting plants back in 2005 as a conservation strategy to increase the butterfly biodiversity of an impacted site. Butterfly Hill is usually teeming with butterflies on ideal hot sunny days. Unfortunately, the weather this morning was not conducive for butterflies as it was overcast and it drizzled intermittently for most of the day.

Showing Minister the caterpillars of the Plain Tiger at the Crown Flower patch

ButterflyCircle and Seletar CC members were at Butterfly Hill to greet Minister and his entourage. As the weather did not change, the butterfly activity was low, and Minister only got to see some Plain Tiger caterpillars on the host plant and a few butterflies that were still fluttering around in the cool balmy weather.

ButterflyCircle contributers to the signboards - Khew, Jonathan and Bob






Samples of the educational signs on ButterflyHill and how they are installed on site in proximity to the relevant butterfly-attracting plants

This year, ButterflyCircle assisted NParks with the upgrading of the signage at Butterfly Hill with over 12 educational signages that showcases the interrelationship between specific species of butterflies and their related plants. A large signboard featuring about 30 common butterfly species that are often spotted at Butterfly Hill was strategically placed next to the Tahu Hut where visitors can learn more about the butterflies that frequent the place.

Selfies and wefies were also the order of the day

Minister also sportingly took selfies, wefies and the traditional group photo with ButterflyCircle and Seletar CC members who interacted with him. Although there were not many butterflies to photograph this morning, our members enjoyed the outing and the chatter amongst friends and butterfly lovers.

The day ended after a "makan session" at the Volunteers' Hub and as the weather did not look like it was going to change, some of us bade Ubin farewell, until another sunnier day.

Text by Khew SK : Photography by Huang CJ and Robert Teo.

Special thanks to NParks Pulau Ubin staff : Robert Teo, Jacky Soh, Choi Yook Sau and Leroy Alphonso for the collaboration on the ButterflyHill signage.  

And to all ButterflyCircle and Seletar CC members for joining in the fun today.

Butterfly Photography 101

Butterfly Photography 101
Part 1 - Hardware and Equipment


Plain Lacewing - Shot with Nikon D750 and Sigma 180mm macro lens

For a long time after we set up ButterflyCircle's website, forums and blog, we have had quite a number of questions from newbies and nature enthusiasts on how they could take better pictures of butterflies in the field. In terms of photography, questions like "what camera or lens do you guys use?", "Why do you use flash in broad daylight?" or "Which aperture should I use for butterfly photography?" were quite typical of what beginners would like to find out.

Blue Glassy Tiger shot with Panasonic Lumix PNS camera

This mini-series on butterfly photography will hopefully answer some of these questions. The articles will focus on various aspects of butterfly photography, from technical equipment, composition, using flash, exposure and depth of field and a number of other "how-to's" that would be shared with our readers to hopefully benefit their journey into the world of butterflies and butterfly photography.

My first digital camera which I used 16 years ago, the Nikon Coolpix 995

These articles are not meant to be high-level professional advice, but merely sharing ButterflyCircle members' years of experience in the field and learning about butterfly photography through trial-and-error and managing our equipment in the field. Advice given is by no means cast in stone, and the important outcome is that each photographer experiments with his/her own techniques, improves and is happy with his/her own work.

A shot of a Little Mapwing taken with the Nikon Coolpix 995

Readers should also remember that whilst you can read and arm yourselves with a lot of theory, nothing beats grabbing your camera equipment and going out into the field to practise, practise and practise. Review your own work critically, and then ask yourself how you can make the shot better. In butterfly photography, you can rarely control the way your subjects behave. This is nature. Unlike shooting human models where you can tell your subjects to look a certain way or shift to another position, in butterfly photography, you take whatever, however and whenever a butterfly comes your way.

Another shot taken with the Coolpix 995

Part 1 of this mini-series deals with the fundamentals of choosing your hardware - i.e. camera equipment. Suffice to say that if money were not an issue (and it usually is!), then all of us would buy the most expensive and sophisticated equipment that money can buy. However, this is not necessarily the case when you want to start on butterfly photography. Whilst it cannot be denied that good equipment helps, it is the person behind the camera that is the most important part of butterfly photography.

A close up Plain Tiger shot with an iPhone 5s - a photographer has to acknowledge the limitations of the small sensor on a smartphone

So what are the types of cameras that are available for reasonably good butterfly photography? Let us assume that we are talking about digital devices only, as the debate about analog film cameras has long abated, and we do not need to delve into nostalgic discussions on whether film or digital cameras are better. Taking price points as a base for looking at digital cameras, we can start at the lower band of cameras, being the basic point-and-shoot (PNS) digital cameras.

An external macro lens attachment on an iPhone 5s can work as a butterfly shooter in the absence of any other equipment

For a start, even a smartphone with a macro attachment on the built-in camera can take quite decent shots of butterflies. However, you may have to move in so close to the subject that it can be frustrating to even get a simple shot of a butterfly (before it flies away). In the absence of proper equipment, a simple handphone shot can sometimes save the day, especially when you suddenly encounter a species that is rare or not often seen.

My small "backup" PNS camera, the Canon G11 with a swivel LCD screen, which served me well for many years

Moving up the scale, would be the typical compact PNS cameras. There are probably thousands of brands and models out there that a photographer could choose from. The range is mind-boggling, and the capabilities of each camera are so diverse that it would be quite futile to discuss the merits of each PNS camera for butterfly photography. However, I have seen shots from a range of these cameras that would put more expensive and dedicated macro equipment to shame.

A shot of the Postman (Heliconius melpomene) taken with the Canon G11 using the macro-mode on the camera

Firstly, be aware of the limitations of a PNS camera. The sensor is usually much smaller than the professional devices, and the outputs from PNS cameras are best suited to posting your shots on social media or online. The depth-of-field (DOF) of such devices are extremely good, and you can often get sharp shots, but the background and subject are usually all in focus. This may not be what you desire in your shot, if you want to focus on the subject and make the background creamy and out-of-focus.

The very versatile Nikon P900, which has an optical zoom equivalent to a 24mm - 2000mm lens!

The benefits of PNS cameras are that they are usually small, light and easy to carry about. For those with a long zoom, you can shoot anything from macros to landscapes to birds. An all-in-one camera if you can call them that. For beginners with a limited budget, you can consider a compact PNS camera and move up from there after you are convinced that your interest butterfly photography is something that you can sustain and are keen on, for the longer term.

A Common Bluebottle feeding, taken with the Panasonic Lumix

However, the quality of shots from a simple PNS camera cannot be under-estimated. For example, butterfly enthusiast Mei Hwang, wielding a simple "packaged deal" PNS camera, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ60 non-interchangeable lens camera, can deliver quite admirable butterfly photos. Many of her shots deliver the typical quality of higher end equipment - sharp subjects, clean backgrounds and punchy but natural colours.

Shots taken with the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ60 by Mei Hwang.  The butterfly photos are as good as any taken with much more sophisticated equipment

We leave the PNS cameras for now, and move on to the higher end of digital cameras - the Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras. Even within the realm of DSLR cameras, there is a relatively wide spectrum from the entry-level DSLRs to the high-end professional DSLRs that can make a big hole in your wallet! Whilst I am not advocating any particular brand, I will use Canon and Nikon DSLRs as examples of decent camera bodies for butterfly photography as these brands are the more popular brands amongst butterfly photographers.

Some entry-level offerings from Nikon and Canon - the D7200 and EOS700D

Entry-level DSLRs are relatively good, when coupled with proper "magnifying equipment" i.e. proper lenses, close-up filters, teleconverters or extension tubes. For a butterfly photographer who is just starting out using DSLRs, he/she can consider many of the capable entry-level models. As mentioned earlier, it is important to feel comfortable with the system and camera chosen, and then going out in the field to use the camera as much as possible.

Two mid-range DSLRs from Nikon and Canon - the D750 (full frame sensor) and the EOS7D MkII (cropped frame 1.6x sensor)

The advantages of DSLRs camera bodies are :

1. Larger sensors with higher Megapixel count. Although high MP is not the be-all and end-all of digital photography, having more MPs can make a difference whether a cropped shot of a butterfly is usable or not. For the full-frame DSLR bodies (36x24mm format) the amount of detail one can get out of it, is far superior than most cameras, if you plan to enlarge your shot significantly.
2. The focusing and metering accuracy of the higher end models often gives a butterfly photographer an edge when chasing after these skittish subjects. The ability to track and accurately lock on a subject makes a difference between a nice shot, and those destined for the trash folder.
3. Higher frames-per-second (FPS) does tend to help in nailing a sharp shot especially when a butterfly moves constantly when feeding, or flaps its wings unpredictably, even when puddling on the ground.
4. Better noise control is another plus point for the DSLRs. Very often, butterfly photographers have to contend with shooting a butterfly in a dimly lit forest understorey using high ISOs. The ability of the sensor to handle high ISOs also make a difference between a "keeper" (usable shot) and those that would be deleted.

The downsides of DSLRs would of course be the cost, bulkiness, and weight. Not every photographer endears themselves with lugging around 2-3kg of equipment, hand-held, and hiking long distances to shoot butterflies. So make your decision based on the various pros and cons of choosing between a good DSLR system or a preference for simple PNS equipment in your butterfly-shooting forays.

An Orange Emigrant shot with the full-frame Nikon D750 and a Sigma 180mm macro lens

In recent times, the appearance of premium compact PNS cameras, mirrorless interchangeable-lenses cameras and more and better offerings in the market is changing the photography market rapidly, and it is anybody's guess what we will be using to shoot butterflies in the coming years.

A Red Helen shot with the cropped frame (1.5x) Nikon D500 with a Sigma 180mm macro lens

In the next part of this series, we will share our thoughts on the "magnification equipment" and recommend different lenses and equipment to shoot butterflies.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Goh EC, Khew SK and Mei Hwang

Life History of the Linna Palm Dart

Life History of the Linna Palm Dart (Telicota linna )

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Telicota Moore, 1881
Species: linna Evans, 1949
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 32-35mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plants: Bambusa multiplex (Poaceae; common name: Hedge Bamboo, Chinese Dwarf Bamboo).

A female Linna Palm Dart, wing upperside view.

A female Linna Palm Dart, wing underside view.

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:

On the upperside, the wings are black with an orange post-discal band on the forewing running from the dorsum and bent over at vein 6 to continue along the costal margin. The orange-yellow post-discal band on the hindwing runs from vein 1b to space 6. The male has a grey brand on the forewing from about the middle of vein 1b to vein 4. The brand is usually straight and not placed closer to the forewing cell or the inner margin of the post-discal band. Base of space 2 in the forewing of the male is black or largely so. The female has the forewing generally darker, with much of the basal organge darkened. On the underside, the wings are ochreous with post-discal bands outlined with black. The veins crossing the orange-yellow band on the hindwing are not dark-dusted.

A male Linna Palm Dart, wing underside view.

A male Linna Palm Dart, wing upperside view.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:

A recent addition to the Singapore Checklist, the Linna Palm Dart is moderately rare in Singapore. The adults are strong flyers and are typically sighted along the forest edge and grassy undergrowth. The swift flying adults have been observed to visit flowers and sunbath with open wings in sunny weather.

A Linna Palm Dart visiting flowers for its sugary intake.

A male Linna Palm Dart.