A Gorgeous Jewel Emerges...

A Gorgeous Jewel Emerges...
Grand Opening of Entopia


A wide angle view of the NatureLand, where butterflies flutter freely in a large volumed space

Mention Penang to your friends in the region, and images of a sunny island with clear blue skies and turquoise seas comes to mind. To many others, it is a city of gastronomic delights, with its myriad local hawker offerings that never fails to please. Penang, often referred to as the Pearl of the Orient, is a thriving tourist destination in Malaysia. In modern history, Penang was "founded" by Captain Francis Light in 1786 when he took possession of the island as a British port and trading post. (This was 33 years before Stamford Raffles founded colonial Singapore)

The green wall envelope of Entopia

Georgetown, the capital of Penang, was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage City in 2008. Its heritage and architecture stood out in that it illustrated 500 years of cultural and trade exchange between East and West. For the past 30 years, amongst Penang's many tourist attractions, was a little butterfly farm tucked in the north-western part of the island. Sitting on a 0.8 Ha site, the Penang Butterfly Farm was founded in 1986 by David Goh to feature a display of live butterflies amongst lush greenery.



In 2006, David's son, Joseph Goh, took over the running of the Penang Butterfly Farm. Driven by his belief and vision that the butterfly farm should not be just a tourist attraction, but an educational and nature conservation centre, he embarked on an ambitious journey of creating a new facility to embody his vision. A process of rebranding and changing the focus from a tourist attraction to an educational centre started. Called "Entopia", from the words entomology and utopia, the metamorphosis progressed steadily over a decade.




Arrival of Guest of Honour, Entopia mascots and staff performance at the Grand Opening ceremony

Ten years later, that dream has been realised. At the Grand Opening of Entopia on 8 Jul 2016, a small crowd of 400 guests was treated to the "Utopia" that Joseph dreamt about all these years. Covering a total of about 9,300 sqm - almost four times the area of the original Penang Butterfly Farm, Phase 1 of Entopia was officially opened to the public.


Book Launch of two books by Japanese author and photographer, Kazuo Unno

Joseph generously invited me to attend the Grand Opening, and I gladly jumped at the opportunity to see for myself, the realisation of his dream project. Graced by State Local Government Committee Chairman YB Chow Kon Yeow, the short opening ceremony featured a performance by the staff of Entopia, the introduction of Entopia's mascots and a book launch by Japanese author and photographer, Mr Kazuo Unno.


CEO of Entopia, Joseph Goh giving an emotional speech at the Grand Opening ceremony

David Goh, the founder of Penang Butterfly Farm, gave a very moving speech as he shared his journey that started 30 years ago. He was obviously proud of how far his brainchild has come and doubly proud that it was his son who carried on his legacy. The Guest of Honour officially declared Entopia open, amidst the fanfare, energy and colour of a lion dance troupe.


CEO of Entopia, Joseph Goh, explaining the concept behind Entopia © Nanda Lakhwani / Penang Monthly

Joseph, who studied architecture in the US, used his training to conceptualise an interactive educational experience from the moment a visitor starts his journey at the entrance of the facility. Moving along a prescribed route, the visitor will be taken past various themed attractions like Mystery Cave, Montane Pass, Tiger Trail, Pandora Forest, Lumino City, Downtown Entopia, Breeding Ground, Underground Mysteries and Understory Tales. Along the route and past different habitats, one is surrounded by an average of 15,000 fluttering butterflies within the outdoor enclosure.



Inside the NatureLand - lush greenery, waterfalls and rock formations

The outdoor flight enclosure, called The NatureLand, features ample signage with snippets of information to educate the visitor about the butterflies that he encounters on his route. The clever use of pathways that wind in and out of "caves" and into the open high-volumed spaces keeps the visitor engaged and entertained. Moving up and down along ramps, the visitor may not realise that the vertical elevation is also utilised to add interest to the experience and create ever-changing vistas.


The high volumed NatureLand.  Larger butterflies such as the Birdwings fly without obstructions

Lush greenery and the sound of falling water add to the tropical forest experience, and the fluttering butterflies - feeding, sunbathing and chasing each other around, heightens the nature experience in an outdoor tropical setting. Besides butterflies, other invertebrates and reptiles are also featured as they are very much a part of the ecological experience, when one is out in the field. The visitor will be amazed at the variety of dragonflies, scorpions, millipedes, stick and leaf insects and many other surprises that are featured along the journey.





Participants at the Butterfly Release in the NatureLand enclosure

The outdoor circulation route in The Natureland is designed based on universal design principles. The route is wheelchair friendly, and seats are thoughtfully placed for the elderly to take short rest stops along the ramps. The ambient temperature is surprisingly cool, probably because of the greenery and water features that help to keep the outdoor temperatures at bay without the use of airconditioning.


Universal design - ramps and pathways, changing vistas

After the visitor is happy with the outdoor experience, the journey is not over yet! The second part of the educational tour begins in the two-storey indoor discovery centre called The Cocoon. Joseph Goh shared that "“The Cocoon is entirely a state-of-the-art facility enhancing visitors’ experiences with technology guided interpretation."







The Cocoon - indoor educational and learning facility. Good signage and interactive displays

Indeed, as your eyes adjust to the dim lighting when you move indoors, you experience a different world where technology takes over the next leg of the educational and learning journey. Large interpretative signage with physical and larger-than-life sculptures welcome you into this indoor world. The cool airconditioned space in the Cocoon is a welcome change to the warm humid conditions outside, as you slow down your pace and read the educational signs that tell you everything you need to know about butterflies.


Touch-screen interactive educational stations for those who are hungry for more information

A special display in the Cocoon features fireflies, spiders and a whole spectrum of other invertebrates. Digital media is also used to augment the learning experience beyond what static signage can do. Touch-screen computer screens offer a whole lot of information from taxonomic classification of butterflies, to behaviour and life histories.




Breeding Ground - display of host plants, early stages and how the pupae are prepared for eclosion - all behind a glass screen : see no touch!

As the visitor exits from the educational and learning journey into the souvenir shop at the end of the facility, he may not be totally aware that he has walked a total of about 1.7km through the Natureland and Cocoon! If a typical visitor takes his time to read all the signs and experience the butterflies in the outdoor area, an estimated visit time of about 4 hours is probably just about right.


The F&B outlet - Tapestree for the hungry and thirsty

There is even an F&B outlet aptly called the Tapestree within Entopia to cater to the thirsty and hungry visitor. Special dining areas for functions and corporate events are also well located with a full vantage view of the Natureland, where diners can enjoy their food in airconditioned comfort whilst watching the colourful butterflies flutter around.


Founder of Penang Butterfly Farm, David Goh standing proudly at his gallery of distinguished visitors

I was also shown the office area where there is a gallery of photos showing all the distinguished visitors to the Butterfly Farm through the years. I also spotted a shot of Singapore's founding Prime Minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, smiling widely with an Atlas Moth perched on his shirt when he visited the Butterfly Farm many years ago.


Staff working area overlooking the NatureLand

It was impressive to note that the staff office area had a nice window view into the NatureLand. So even the "back-of-house" is actually visually well-connected to the outdoors where staff can also enjoy the butterflies!


The souvenir shop at the end of your journey through Entopia

For the standard entrance fee rate of RM49 (or SGD16.50), the visit to Entopia is certainly value for money! Compared to Singapore's Sentosa Butterfly and Insect Kingdom, which has a similarly-priced entrance fee, Entopia offers much better value, a far richer experience and educational journey to the layman nature enthusiast or the expert butterfly researcher alike.  There is also a Friends of Entopia membership which allows members unlimited year-round entry to Entopia and also a members-only lounge.



So, for those who have more than a day to spend in Penang, do pay a visit to Entopia and immerse yourselves in the world of butterflies and more. You will not be disappointed!


CEO of Entopia, Joseph Goh and me

Text and Photos by Khew SK

Disclaimer : The author has no vested interest in Entopia, other than a common love for butterflies with David and Joseph Goh

Acknowledgement : To my friends, David and Joseph Goh for your kind invitation to the Grand Opening of Entopia, and a special congratulations to all Entopians for realising a dream that you can all be very proud of. 

Butterfly of the Month - July 2016

Butterfly of the Month - July 2016
The No Brand Grass Yellow (Eurema brigitta senna)

As we cross the half-year threshold of 2016, unbearably hot and humid weather is upon us. The summer weather in the northern hemisphere warms up the environment quickly, as the mercury climbs past 30degC in cities as far north as Beijing and Tokyo. A friend who just came back from the Middle East reported temperatures hitting 40degC already, and rising!

Singapore's weather is no different, often touching 30degC and it is the humidity that gets to you, if you are out in the field. Fortunately, the rains that we get regularly in Southeast Asia have rejuvenated the environment, and the greenery from Singapore to Thailand have turned lush again. This is obviously good news for the butterflies, and it is the season for our flying jewels to be out in numbers again.

Our human world, on the other hand, appears to be as tumultuous as ever. For a while over the past two weeks, everyone from the taxi driver to the kopi uncle also had something to say about "Brexit". Though I wonder if they really understand what it is all about! The Internet seems to have reached a lot more people today than we would have thought possible, compared to the newspaper era.

Changes to the economic outlook in many countries are painfully unpredictable - mainly leaning on the side of bad news. Already, some countries are already talking about negative interest rates. To the layman, this means that you have to pay the bank to keep your money "safe" for you. I wonder if it would spur people to keep wads of notes in a Milo tin and hide it under the bed like my grandmother used to do!

Terrorist attacks on innocent people continue to strike mercilessly and unpredictably. Just a week ago, more than 40 people perished in a shooting and suicide bomb attack at Istanbul's international airport. This morning, terrorists struck a restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh, leaving 20 innocent victims dead. Both attacks were attributed to ISIS extremists. One wonders when all this madness will ever end?

A female No Brand Grass Yellow ovipositing on its host plant

Ironically, here in Singapore, the news that appears to have dominated mainstream and social media over the past few days, was about the raising of parking charges at public carparks. As usual, cost of living issues take centrestage when it comes to hot topics on our little island in the sun. Somehow, this pales in comparison, when we read of the troubles that our neighbours face, or the fatalities in terrorist attacks around the world. C'est la vie!


A newly-eclosed male No Brand Grass Yellow perching on a leaf

This month, we feature a bright and yellow butterfly to give a little bit of cheer to our world. But alas, even in this bit of optimism, we have a sad tale to tell. Our Butterfly of the Month is the No Brand Grass Yellow (Eurema brigitta senna). Pardon the rather unglamourous name, which originated some some literature from the region. Elsewhere, it is called the Small Grass Yellow, but then again, English Common names are never known to be a reliable source of indentification.


Another female No Brand Grass Yellow ovipositing on its host plant

The No Brand Grass Yellow was originally re-discovered in Singapore back in Oct 2006 at a wasteland on the northeastern part of Singapore. Its caterpillar host plant, Cassia mimosoides, had colonised a patch of cleared land awaiting development. For a short period, the butterfly was almost abundant in that area, due to its short life history.



Top : Female No Brand Grass Yellow (note lighter coloured hindwing) Bottom : Male No Brand Grass Yellow (note brighter lemon yellow). Underside with more extensive brown freckles peppering both wings compared to the other species in the Eurema genus.

It was last photographed from that area in late 2008, just before the excavators descended on the site and the wasteland was no more. Several attempts to translocate the species to other areas failed. The host plant was cultivated and spread to other parts of Singapore, including Hort Park and other urban parks, but the No Brand Grass Yellow has not been seen since, except for an unvalidated sighting from Pulau Ubin in 2010.


Upperside of the No Brand Grass Yellow showing the scalloped black borders on both wings

The No Brand Grass Yellow appears like its other more common cousins when in flight. The upperside forewing black borders are regularly scalloped and not deeply excavated as in the other species of the Eurema genus. In terms of size, it is generally similar to the other species found in Singapore, averaging between 18-20mm on its forewing length.



On the underside, there are no cell spots - a characteristic that is used to identify and distinguish the other species of the Grass Yellow species. The male does not possess a brand on the cubital vein (which is present in the other species). This could have given rise to the common name of this butterfly as having "No Brand".


Note heavily freckled underside of the No Brand Grass Yellow

The underside of both sexes of the No Brand Grass Yellow is heavily freckled. The "peppered" appearance of the underside is distinctive, and readily separates this species from its lookalike cousins. The female of this species is also unique in that the hindwing is of a paler yellow than the forewing, giving it a two-tone appearance.


A newly-eclosed No Brand Grass Yellow holding on to its pupal case

Fortunately, the life history of the No Brand Grass Yellow was recorded on this blog before its disappearance from Singapore. If there are any sightings of this species in recent years, please inform us by posting on this blog article, or on our FaceBook "Butterflies of Singapore" Group. Ideally, you should have a photograph of it for validation.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Sunny Chir, Federick Ho, Khew SK, Bobby Mun, Horace Tan, Tan BJ and Anthony Wong.

Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks - Fusionopolis North

Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks
Featuring : Fusionopolis North @ One North Park

Another Butterfly Garden in Singapore has recently been completed by NParks and opened to the public on the western part of Singapore. A 5,800 sqm Butterfly Garden referred to as Fusionopolis North, it features a rain garden with bioswales, is cultivated with butterfly-attracting host and nectaring plants.




One-north Park is a 16-ha park consisting of 13 land parcels spanning across the entire length of JTC’s masterplan for one-north to create a work-live-play-learn environment. The park, when fully completed, serves as an integrated green corridor to link key developments such as Biopolis, Fusionopolis, Mediapolis and the one-north MRT station.






Last week, two of the parcels were completed - Fusionopolis North (flanked by Central Exchange Green, One North Link and Portsdown Road) and Fusionopolis South (flanked by One North Crescent, Portsdown Road and Central Exchange Green). The two adjacent parcels are rich with local biodiversity like birds, butterflies, dragonflies and even a snake or two.




I visited to the Fusionopolis North's Butterfly Garden during its opening ceremony last Saturday at around 4:00pm on a drizzly evening. Surprisingly, there were still quite a number of butterflies fluttering around, feeding on the flowering plants. In a short 30 minute survey, a total of 11 species of butterflies were spotted. Not bad, considering the time of the day and the weather.




Two more follow-up observation surveys were made over the weekends and the tally is now 26 species and counting! The Butterfly Garden was active with free-ranging butterflies on both the days that I visited. The most common species was the Lemon Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona pomona) and Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore). There were at least 20 individuals of both species fluttering amongst the flowering plants.



Top : Female Blue Pansy ovipositing on the leaves of the variegated Asystasia gangetica

Large numbers of butterfly-attracting plants have been cultivated on the 0.58Ha plot. The main concrete path winds around the patches of host and nectaring plants, with secondary paths of gravel providing alternative routes around the greenery. Look for the Tawny Coster caterpillars on the Yellow Alder (Tunera ulmifolia) plants. The low-lying Asystasia gangetica "Ivory Ribbons" plants attract the Blue Pansy to lay eggs on them, and their caterpillars can be found on these plants, if you look hard enough.


Common Mime feeding on the purple flower of the Golden Dewdrop

The other host plants like the Lime Bush (Citrus sp) and Indian Curry Leaf (Murraya koenigii) around the periphery of the Butterfly Garden are sure attractants to the females of the Common Mormon and Lime Butterfly to lay eggs on their favourite caterpillar host plants. There are also many other host plants like Asystasia, Ixora, Cratoxylum cochinchinense and Caesalpinia pulcherrima to attract their respective butterfly species.



Amongst the nectaring plants are the Yellow Alder (which attracts butterflies to feed on them in the early morning hours when their yellow flowers are open fully), Lantana, Ixora, and the Golden Dewdrop (Duranta erecta). The last-named plant, with its pretty purple flowers, seems to be the all-time favourite with the butterflies at this Butterfly Garden.


Female Blue Pansy feeding on the yellow variety of Lantana camara

The success of this small patch of greenery is dependent on its catchment area surrounding the park. Adjacent to the cultivated patches, large areas of greenery are left in their undisturbed natural state. These green 'backdrops' are functionally critical as buffer areas which also host rich biodiversity in the area. The network of Park Connectors (PCNs) then link up the larger parks like the Southern Ridges, Botanic Gardens, West Coast Park and Bukit Timah to this area.


Overview map of the Fusionopolis North Butterfly Garden

As the Butterfly Garden at Fusionopolis North is newly completed, it appears rather open and hot. When the vegetation is more mature, there may be patches of shadier habitats that may attract other species of butterflies besides those that prefer open and bright sunshine environments. Do take a walk to the adjacent Fusionopolis South, as there are also areas that are attractive to butterflies as well.



Signages and seating at Fusionopolis North Butterfly Garden

There are some interpretative signs to help introduce the types of plants that are cultivated at the Butterfly Garden. On a cloudy day or in the evenings, a visitor may be tempted to just take a seat at several seating areas along the walkways, just to enjoy the breeze and watch the butterflies flutter by.





Whilst nature enthusiasts often lament the loss of our natural urban greenery, the juxtaposition of cultivated plots with existing natural plots like what has been done at One-North Park, often offers a good conservation balance that may be just right for our biodiversity to thrive within our built environment. NParks and other government agencies like the JTC and URA have been making great strides in helping to maximise the potential of our urban greenery to attract and enhance our biodiversity despite the continuous need to develop our scarce land resources.


Fusionopolis North Butterfly Garden with the high-tech industrial buildings in the background

If you are a resident living in the south-western part of Singapore, pay a visit to this new Butterfly Garden at Fusionopolis North on a sunny day, and you will not be disappointed at the variety of butterflies that can be spotted at this small plot of greenery.



How to Get There :
By MRT : Fusionopolis North Butterfly Garden is about a 5-minute walk from the One-North MRT station, or about a 10-minute walk from the Buona Vista MRT station.

By Car : See map for details. Park at the various buildings opposite the park. The basement carpark at One-North Residences is the nearest carpark. Note that prevailing parking charges apply.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK and Huang CJ

Checklist of Butterflies Observed at Fusionopolis North Butterfly Garden :

1. Papilio clytia clytia (Common Mime)
2. Papilio demoleus malayana (Lime Butterfly)
3. Papilio polytes romulus (Common Mormon)
4. Delias hyparete metarete (Painted Jezebel)
5. Appias libythea olferna (Striped Albatross)
6. Catopsilia pomona pomona (Lemon Emigrant)
7. Catopsilia scylla cornelia (Orange Emigrant)
8. Eurema hecabe contubernalis (Common Grass Yellow)
9. Danaus chrysippus chrysippus (Plain Tiger)
10. Ideopsis vulgaris macrina (Blue Glassy Tiger)
11. Elymnias hypermnestra agina (Common Palmfly)
12. Mycalesis mineus macromalayana (Dark Brand Bush Brown)
13. Doleschallia bisaltide bisaltide (Autumn Leaf)
14. Junonia hedonia ida (Chocolate Pansy)
15. Junonia almana javana (Peacock Pansy)
16. Junonia orithya wallacei (Blue Pansy)
17. Acraea terpsicore (Tawny Coster)
18. Phalanta phalantha phalantha (Leopard)
19. Phaedyma columella singa (Short Banded Sailor)
20. Euchrysops cnejus cnejus (Gram Blue)
21. Zizula hylax pygmaea (Pygmy Grass Blue)
22. Zizina otis lampa (Lesser Grass Blue)
23. Hasora chromus chromus (Common Banded Awl)
24. Potanthus omaha omaha (Lesser Dart)
25. Polytremis lubricans lubricans (Small Branded Swift)
26. Suastus gremius gremius (Palm Bob)

Further Reading and References :

TODAY Online : Latest phase of one-north Park to open today

NParks Website : One North Park : Fusionopolis North Butterfly Garden

Life History of the Chestnut Angle v2.0

Life History of the Chestnut Angle (Odontoptilum angulatum angulatum)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Odontoptilum  de Niceville, 1890
Species: angulatum C. Felder, 1862
Sub-species: angulatum C. Felder, 1862
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 35-40mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plants: Commersonia bartramia (Malvaceae, Common name: Brown Kurrajong, 山麻树), Talipariti tiliaceum (Malvaceae, Common name: Sea Hibiscus, 黄槿).

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:

The forewing termen is sinuous, and the hindwing prominently stepped at vein 7. The upperside is chestnut-brown with a complex, cryptic pattern of white striae in the hindwing. The forewing has a dark sub-discal band, a crescentic hyaline spot in space 2, and a smaller spot above it near the base of space 3. In addition, two apical spots can be found in spaces 7 and 8. Hindwing has elongated tornal cilia. The male possesses a tuft of white hairs on the fore coxae, and the female has a thick anal tuft on the abdomen. The underside is predominantly whitish in the hindwing.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:
This species is rather rare in Singapore. The adults are usually found near its larval host plants, or when puddling on wet grounds and bird droppings. In Singapore, it may be found in urban wastelands where Commersonia bartramia grows, or in coastal wetlands where Talipariti tiliaceum (Sea Hibiscus) is common. They fly rapidly in bright sunshine in open spaces within forests or wastelands, and visit flowers for nectar. Other sighting locations include various parts of the nature reserves.