Sentosa Butterfly Park

Sentosa Butterfly Park
A Pale Shadow of its Past Glory?

Back in the 1980's, whenever someone mentions 'Butterfly Park (or Farm)', one would usually be pointed to the Penang Butterfly Farm at Teluk Bahang, Malaysia or the Sentosa Butterfly Park in Singapore. The original Penang Butterfly Farm, the "first tropical butterfly exhibition in the world" was opened in March 1986 by its founder/owner, David Goh. The Butterfly Park at Sentosa followed in Jun 1987. Both attractions were designed by Irish landscape designer, Gordon Ledbetter, who was also involved in butterfly farms in Stratford-Upon-Avon in England and Edinburgh in Scotland in the mid-80s.

A pair of Ornithoptera priamus - a species that is occasionally brought in to Sentosa Butterfly Park

Over the years, I had the pleasure of visiting the Sentosa Butterfly Park quite regularly (as I often do too, for the Penang Butterfly Farm whenever I visited Penang). Whilst the Penang Butterfly Farm featured almost exclusively Malaysian butterfly species, the one at Sentosa featured more exotic species like the spectacular Ornithoptera butterflies from Sulawesi, and other non-native species. It was always an enjoyable experience to visit both butterfly parks and to be surprised by species that I had not encountered before in the wild.

Entopia (formerly Penang Butterfly Farm) as it looks today

In July last year, the Penang Butterfly Farm transformed itself with a major revamp of its premises that quadrupled its original size. Its rebranding to Entopia and leveraging on technology and education, gave it a much-needed boost in visitorship, and the new premises is probably the largest butterfly aviary in the region today.

Some attractive non-native butterfly species shot on my previous trip to Sentosa Butterfly Park in 2013

I had last visited the Sentosa Butterfly Park (named Sentosa Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom in full) some time in 2013. On that visit, I could still see some interesting Indonesian species like the Scarlet Mormon (Papilio rumanzovia), Green Swallowtail (Papilio peranthus) and Ambrax Butterfly (Papilio ambrax) just to name a few. However, the actual butterfly aviary was compartmentalised to only a corner of what the original butterfly enclosure was when it was first opened in 1987.

This week, I made a visit to the Sentosa Butterfly Park again, to see if there had been any changes to the facilities. Sentosa Island itself had undergone an amazing transformation with the Resorts World starting with its soft opening in 2010 and the official opening of the Integrated Resort in 2012. Today, Resorts World, especially Universal Studios, is a must-visit destination for many families out for a day of fun and excitement in Sentosa.

After I paid the S$16 admission fee to the Butterfly Park, I observed that the general condition of the premises had somewhat deteriorated from the last time I visited it four years ago. There were a lot of stacked boxes around the untidy corridors next to the ticketing booth and the Butterfly Park seemed to lack a 'sense of arrival' that many theme parks around the world feature.

As I parted the plastic chain curtains that led into the first part of the Butterfly Park, I was rather disappointed to see that the butterfly aviary portion of the facility had remained the same as it was, four years ago. The size of the area that featured live butterflies had been reduced to about a third of the original size of the facility that opened back in 1987. The other compartments featured showbirds and other animals, which seemed to attract the attention of the tourists that were around on that day I visited.

Pupae and just-eclosed Papilio peranthus in the Pupa House

There seemed to be no more than 10-15 species of butterflies flying around, although there were quite a number of pupae in the Pupa House that awaited eclosion. The physical infrastructure appeared to be very much in need of a major facelift, as the structures looked tired and run-down. The name Butterfly Park seems to be a misnomer now, as a much larger part of the enclosure is dedicated to birds, lizards and other critters.

Whilst I acknowledge that the number of flying butterflies within the enclosure can fluctuate from time to time, depending on the availability of pupae from its supply chain, what a visitor can see on a typical day seems to be a far cry from the touted (probably misrepresented in Wikipedia) 15,000 live butterflies! I counted no more than 150 live butterflies fluttering around.

Wayfinding was generally easy, although there were some strange dead-end corners here and there that probably made sense in the original enclosure before the partitioning. The Pupa House looked very much the same as it did many years ago, with some minor facelifts. At least there was a staff who was stationed there to brief the visitors (and also to stop them from manhandling the newly eclosed and vulnerable butterflies!).

Something unacceptable in the Pupa House.  Signages depict copyrighted work of photographers from whom permission was not sought.  The photos used also cropped off the authors' copyright, indicating a premeditated intention to remove the copyright notice?  

Furthermore, the identification of the butterflies on the two photos on the signage is incorrect.  Did the curators do proper research on the species before putting up these signages? 

I was very disappointed to see the rather amateurish educational posters in the Pupa House. A couple of the posters had the species misidentified! What was worse, was at least two of the photos depicted were plagiarised from my photographer friends without their permission! Come on, the people in charge of Sentosa Butterfly Park; as a profit-making commercial entity, surely you would be aware of using others' intellectual property without their consent? I hope that the people concerned would take note and correct this injustice immediately, and perhaps pen a note of apology to the photographers concerned.

The focus of the "Butterfly Park" appears to be more towards birds and other more exotic attractions to cater to tourist preferences?

I continued on my journey through the enclosure and observed the bird show and a very tame iguana that seemed to be quite happy to let visitors stroke it. There were some tortoises and exotic looking birds along the trail. Tourists and visitors seemed to be more interested and spent more time looking at these animals and birds rather than the butterflies. Perhaps this attraction could be rebranded to Sentosa Butterfly and Bird Park instead?

The signage and interpretative panels appear to be rather outdated and in need of an urgent facelift

The tunnels leading to the framed collections were very much the same as I remembered them from many years ago. I suppose these museum specimens are still relevant and held some educational value for the visitors. With today's low-priced graphics and printing technology, perhaps some of these static displays could be given a quick facelift and refresh some of the exhibits. Hiring a good graphics designer can make a big difference to the signage.

Can you count the number of beetles used in this piece of artwork?

I could never bring myself to accept 'works of art' made with the bodies of numerous dead insects. There was another occasion in 2010 where ButterflyCircle members lodged a protest to the Singapore Art Museum for an art piece which featured dead butterflies. Various emails to the persons in charge eventually ended with a response from Prof Tommy Koh (then Chairman of the National Heritage Board) himself, who acknowledged our emails by saying "You have, however, made an important point, and, going forward, I will request all our museums and curators to keep in mind the ethic that we should treat all animals with respect." Unquote.



Using large numbers of dead insects as artwork?  It is not illegal as such, but you be the judge as to whether it is necessary.

And then I see these framed specimens. It is quite heartbreaking to see dead butterflies and beetles depicted in such a manner. Some observers will see nothing wrong in breeding butterflies and beetles and then killing them to create a collage such as the ones shown here. To each his own. The point made here, is that such pieces of "art" have very little to do with nature education nor conservation.


Some ad hoc renovations?  Note the rusty corrugated zinc roofing on the bottom right of the photo

As a paying visitor, I left the Sentosa Butterfly Park, totally disappointed and saddened at what it had become. The original vision seemed to have been long forgotten. It is indeed a pale shadow of its past glory. Perhaps my observations and comments are premature, and the owners of SBP have something up their sleeves with a new facelift planned. Perhaps they should take a page from Entopia and what Joseph Goh has done for the Penang Butterfly Farm. It is a risky investment, no doubt - but probably a necessary one, if SBP wants to remain competitive.



Feedback and reviews on TripAdvisor on Sentosa Butterfly Park and Entopia

I did a quick check on TripAdvisor and the spontaneous reviews made by visitors and tourists to SBP and Entopia. The results speak for themselves, for what they are worth. It may not be fair to compare a facility that is about 30 years old with one that is just newly-minted. But this is what the competition for the tourist dollar is all about. Can SBP afford to remain stagnant? Its own, and Singapore's eco-tourism's reputation is at stake.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Sunny Chir, Khew SK,  LokePF, Anthony Wong and Mark Wong

References :

Entopia (Penang Butterfly Farm) - Entrance Fee - S$21.00
Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park  - Entrance Fee - S$8.00
Malacca Butterfly and Reptile Sanctuary - Entrance Fee - S$7.00
Cameron Highlands Butterfly Farm - Entrance Fee - S$2.25
Kipandi Butterfly Farm (Sabah) - Entrance Fee - S$6.50
Sentosa Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom - Entrance Fee - S$16.00

Butterfly of the Month - May 2017

Butterfly of the Month - May 2017
The Short Banded Sailor (Phaedyma columella singa)


A Short Banded Sailor feeding at the flowers of the red Javanese Ixora

As the year progresses towards summer, there is a perceptible change in the ambient temperature in the atmosphere around us as the mercury climbs higher. Despite a few days of really heavy thunderstorms that caused some flash floods around our city, the famed Singapore humidity hits the moment the scorching sun returns to a blue cloudless sky. The warmer weather also triggered some trees to start flowering and in a couple of cases, the nectar buffet brought out our butterflies in full force, much to the delight of butterfly watchers and photographers.

The Festival of Biodiversity 2017 returns at the end of this month, and ButterflyCircle will collaborate with the Nature @ Seletar group of enthusiasts led by Mr Foo JL and his team of tireless volunteers to put up a booth to showcase Singapore's butterfly diversity. FOB2017 will be held at the Nex shopping mall on 27-28 May 2017. This will be the 6th instalment of the Festival of Biodiversity, which started back in 2012 at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

So if you have a free weekend on 27-28 May, do visit the FOB 2017 at the Nex shopping mall to learn about Singapore's awesome biodiversity. If you are interested to discover ways that you can contribute to conserving and protecting our nation’s precious natural heritage, head on down to the Festival for an amazing learning experience! You can expect to see exhibits and learn about our biodiversity in both terrestrial and marine environments, and the passionate people behind some of Singapore's nature groups.


A mating pair of Short Banded Sailors

Over the years, various Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and in particular, nature conservation groups have come of age. There have been a lot more dialogues between the government agencies and the nature groups resulting in more well-considered and balanced developments in Singapore. Whilst the outcomes may not always satisfy everyone, it is the compromises amongst the stakeholders that have shown the maturity, and the listening ears on both sides is encouraging.



In land-scarce Singapore, it is always important to establish a balance between our infrastructural development and nature conservation. It is not a zero-sum game where the outcome is totally at the expense of one over the other, but making compromises and coming up with collaborative solutions that are derived from meaningful dialogues. Ideally, we should strive for developments where nature and the built environment can co-exist in harmony. It is still a long way ahead for the NGOs to raise awareness and to educate the general community but also to learn the pressures and challenges from the government's and developers' perspectives.




This month, we feature a relatively common butterfly, the Short Banded Sailor (Phaedyma columella singa). This species is widespread in Singapore, and can be found in multiple habitats all across the island. The caterpillar is polyphagous, feeding on at least five different host plants, of which some are common roadside plants, e.g. the Angsana. It can be found in back-mangrove habitats to urban parks and gardens and even in nature reserves.




The Short Banded Sailor displays the typical black and white 'sailor' colour scheme, like many species across several genera in the sub-family Limenitidinae. It is the only representative of its genus, Phaedyma, in the region. It has a graceful gliding flight, sailing through the air with occasional flap of its wings.



The upperside of the butterfly features horizontal black and white stripes across the fore- and hindwings. The underside is a rich orangey brown with white stripes arranged as on the upperside. The white triangular discal patch is often more rounded than the similar looking Common Sailor and Burmese Sailor. The species also lacks the white spots in space 2 and space 10 of the forewing when compared to many of the other Neptis species, but this can sometimes be variable.


The distinctive caterpillar of the Short Banded Sailor

The caterpillar of the Short Banded Sailor is quite distinctive and cannot be confused with any of the other related species. Amongst the caterpillar host plants, the Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus) is a common roadside tree, whilst the Sea Hibiscus (Talipariti tiliaceum) occurs in coastal and back-mangrove habitats.




Short Banded Sailor puddling (top), feeding on the ripened fruit of the Singapore Rhododendron (middle) and perched with its wings to sunbathe (bottom)

The Short Banded Sailor is quite common in Singapore. The sun-loving adults are often observed gracefully gliding at treetop level, often settling on sun-lit spots with wings fully open. The adults visit flowers and ripening fruits for their daily intake of nectar and the males have been observed to puddle for mineral intakes on damp patches.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Bob Cheong, Federick Ho, Huang CJ, Khew SK, Tan BJ, Horace Tan and Mark Wong.

Favourite Nectaring Plants #10

Butterflies' Favourite Nectaring Plants #10

The Mile-a-Minute (Mikania micrantha)


A Long Banded Silverline takes nectar from the flower of the Mile-A-Minute Weed

In this 10th instalment of Butterflies' Nectaring Plants series, we feature a rather invasive 'weed', the Mile-A-Minute Weed (Mikania micrantha). This plant is a native to Central and South America, and is a fast-growing vine that was intentionally introduced to a number of countries. In recent years, it has become an unwanted invasive plant that has been a target of biological control in some countries.



The Mile-A-Minute Weed is a member of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family that is native to tropical Central and South America with a climate and humidity that is similar to Singapore and Southeast Asia. It is able to grow vigourously via its climbing vines and can spread rapidly, if unchecked, often smothering other plants in its way. Young shoots of this plant have been reported to grow at an average of 25mm to 80mm per day!


The Mile-A-Minute Weed climbs on other plants and often smothers them completely!

If supported, the plant can climb up trees to as high as 25m, completely covering the supporting plant and eventually depriving the host of sunlight and nutrients, and even eventually killing it. The plant can grow in a variety of habitats but usually prefers damp, lowland clearings or open areas, where there is adequate temperate, light and rainfall. It also grows along streams and roadsides, along edges of forests and forest plantations, along fence-lines, in pastures and wastelands and on and among trees and shrubs. It may be common in areas affected by slash and burn agriculture.

A female Colour Sergeant feeds on the flowers of the Mile-A-Minute Weed

In Singapore, it can be found in open wastelands, recently-cleared sites, coastal reclaimed sand-filled sites and even at the fringes of our nature reserves. Aesthetically, the Mile-A-Minute is not a particularly pretty plant and is not usually used intentionally as part of any landscaping designers' palette of plants. However, some landscape contractors are experimenting with this plant as part of their vertical greenery walls, exploiting the Mile-A-Minute's propensity for climbing large distances vertically.

Plant Biodata :
Family : Asteraceae (Compositae)
Genus : Mikania
Species : Micrantha
Synonyms : Acanthospermum micrantha, Willoughbya micrantha
Country/Region of Origin : Central and South America
English Common Names : Bitter Vine, Mile-A-Minute, American Rope; Chinese Creeper; Climbing Hempvine; Mikania vine;
Other Local Names : Ulam Tikas, Sembang Rambat, 薇甘菊, 小花蔓澤蘭




The heart-shaped leaves of the Mile-A-Minute Weed

The slender stem of the Mile-A-Minute Weed bears opposite leaves at about 5-20cm intervals. The dark green leaves are ovate with a cordate base. The leaves have pointed tips and a heart-shaped base, and generally triangular in shape. The foliar margins are curvy, undulate and irregular. Mature leaves are thicker than the younger leaves and smooth to the touch. The foliar venation is net/pinnate.

The white flowers on branched inflorescence of the Mile-A-Minute Weed

Flowers are in compact heads of 4-6 mm long, small and white to greenish and usually hanging on much branched inflorescence. Fruits are 2 mm long achenes, black with a head of white pappus hairs 2-3 mm long. The featherlike seeds are dispersed by wind. A single stalk can produce between 20 and 40 thousand seeds a season.




A Blue Spotted Crow (middle photo) and a Magpie Crow (bottom photo) on the Mile-A-Minute Weed's flowers

The small white flowers of the Mile-A-Minute Weed are attractive to butterflies. It is interesting to see that small and large butterflies feeding on the flowers. Although we can only speculate at this point in time, that the quantity of nectar is sufficient to satiate the appetites of both the large and small butterflies alike. Although I have not come across any photos of the Papilionidae feeding on the flowers of this plant, I have observed a Common Mormon fluttering around the flowers before.





Various Nymphalidae butterflies feeding on the flowers of the Mile-A-Minute Weed

The larger Danainae - the Crows of the genus Euploea in particular, have been seen to feed on the flowers of the Mile-A-Minute Weed. Amongst the other Nymphalidae, the larger species like the Cruiser, Malay Lacewing, Autumn Leaf, Great Eggfly, Tawny Coster and various Sergeants (Athyma spp) have been observed feeding on the flowers of this plant - usually within the forested areas of our nature reserves, where the plant can be found climbing on other plants.



Examples of Pieridae on the Mile-A-Minute flowers

The Pieridae, in particular the Grass Yellows of the genus Eurema and even the Tree Yellow have been seen on the flowers of the Mile-A-Minute Weed. It is highly likely that other species of the Pieridae will also take to the flowers of this plant.






A variety of Hairstreaks and Blues on the Mile-A-Minute Weed's flowers

The Lycaenidae has also been often seen on the flowers of this plant, often feeding on the flowers and moving from flower to flower for long periods of time. Various Theclinae have been photographed at the flowers of the Mile-A-Minute Weed in urban parks and gardens where the weed grows wild on fences and other shrubs/trees. Amongst butterfly species that are seen are the Copper Flash, Long Banded Silverline, Club Silverline and various Blues from the Nacaduba genus.



The Hesperiidae are also often seen to feed at the flowers of the Mile-A-Minute Weed throughout the day. Thus far, we have not seen the larger Skippers on the flower of this plant, although many smaller species like the Lesser Dart and other species of the Potanthus, Oriens and Ampittia genera have been regularly observed at the flowers of this plant.



Although this weed is a bane to landscape managers and contractors, where they have to often physically remove the plants before they smother and kill off other more valuable plants, the Mile-A-Minute's flowers are a good source of nectar for our butterflies. Hence even an unwanted invasive is still useful to our butterflies and should be judiciously managed and not totally be eradicated from our botanical biodiversity in Singapore.



The next time you are out on a walk in our parks or forests, do look out for flowering bushes of the Mile-A-Minute Weed and search for the hungry butterflies feeding on their flowers.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Federick Ho, Nelson Ong, Tea Yi Kai and Horace Tan.

Other References :
Medicinal Uses of Mikania micrantha

Butterflies' Favourite Nectaring Plants #9 : Chinese Violet