Saving the Harlequin - Part 2

Following the eggs harvested from the adult Harlequin butterflies, members of ButterflyCircle carefully bred the caterpillars on the host plants. To avoid having an entire batch of caterpillars wiped out due to viruses or other unknown accidental causes, the caterpillars were divided amongst a few members to ensure a high chance of survival of the caterpillars for the next generation of the Harlequins.

Eggs of the Harlequin on a leaf of the host plant.

Breeding caterpillars is not an easy task, particularly for a species where the caterpillars are very small in size. Daily cleaning of the caterpillars' enclosure is needed to ensure that droppings do not become the source for bacteria or other microscopic pathogens which may kill off the caterpillars due to disease. A fresh supply of leaves of the host plant must also be available so that the caterpillars do not starve to death or end up stunted due to insufficient food.

First instar Harlquin caterpillars just hatched from their eggs. Upon hatching the caterpillars immediately consume their own eggshells as their first source of food.

After about 17-20 days of careful care of the caterpillars by ButterflyCircle members, a batch of over 80 of the caterpillars successfully pupated. In this dormant state, the amazing process of metamorphosis takes place in the pupae.

Two caterpillars of different instars feeding on a leave of the host plant. The lower caterpillar is in its 5th instar and on course for pupation.

As we wait with baited breaths for the eclosion of the adult Harlequins where these individuals will hopefully form the next generation of Harlequins with which we will continue to breed and release into habitats which are similar to the one where the species was first found.

Pupae of the Harlequin. In this dormant stage, metamorphosis occurs, as the transformation from caterpillar to the adult butterfly takes place. This typically takes about 7-10 days depending on the species of butterfly.

Several locations have been selected for the translocation of this species and hopefully, the species will continue to survive and thrive in their new home. Will the Harlequin continue to survive and exist on Singapore? Will these next generation of butterflies bred by ButterflyCircle members survive and spawn the next generation and the next?

There are no guarantees in nature. However, the effort taken in conducting this experiment to save the Harlequin from imminent extinction in Singapore as its habitat is being destroyed, is a laudable attempt by ButterflyCircle members, and we hope that we will have at least done our best to try to save a species of butterfly from extinction in Singapore, instead of sitting down and lamenting the loss of another species of our precious fauna to development.

Text by Khew SK ; Photos by Sunny Chir and Horace Tan

Saving the Harlequin - Part 1

Read about ButterflyCircle's conservation efforts to save the Harlequin (Taxila haquinus haquinus) - a pretty little Riodinid, when its habitat is about to be destroyed for future development.

Top : Male Harlequin Bottom : Female Harlequin

Introduction

After being absent from the main Island of Singapore for almost 20 years , The Harlequin (Taxila haquinus haquinus) was spotted again in Apr 06. It was previously only known from Pulau Tekong, an offshore military-controlled island to the north-east of Singapore island.

This species of the Riodinidae tends to prefer heavily shaded localities where its host plant can be found. The adult butterfly flits from leaf to leaf, generally at low level bushes, often with half-opened wings.

Where it was observed on the main island was in an area which was not a gazetted nature reserve and hence was not protected from future development. After about a year of monitoring the site, a colony of the species was found to be thriving in that locality. However, the butterflies remained within the vicinity of a very small area, rarely venturing out more than 100m away from its main zone of preference.

Due to the small numbers and localised nature of this butterfly, ButterflyCircle prepared a conservation plan to relocate/propagate the butterfly should its habitat be destroyed. Its hostplant was subsequently identified and the life cycle of the species from eggs to adult butterfly was recorded. Since the rediscovery, regular visits were conducted to monitor the colony and study its habitat to understand this species better. Suitable sites with similar hostplants were scouted and surveyed for the relocation plan. An experimental batch of the adults was relocated on June 07, however for some reason they did not produce any offspring at the relocated site.

Photos showing site clearance at the Harlequin habitat. Trees were chopped down and the area cleared of low vegetation. Clearly, the site was being destroyed and the Harlequins were in danger of losing their preferred habitat.

Some time in Oct 07, members of ButterflyCircle discovered the clearance of the Harlequin site by some contractors. With the imminent destruction of their habitat, it prompted us to launch our immediate action plan to save the species. The plan entails conserving the species by breeding and translocating them to suitable sites for their continued survival. Moreover, the species does not appear to be a nectar feeder, and they are often observed feeding on microscopic substances on leaf surfaces. Nevertheless, after close observation and some trials , a formula for feeding the adults was established and that keep them happy and alive. In return they rewarded us with a number of eggs. The first batch of about 80 Harlequin caterpillars were nurtured by ButterflyCircle members . A local environmentally-friendly organisation was also roped in to collaborate with ButterflyCircle in this conservation project and supplied with a batch of eggs as an alternative breeding source.

Photos by Sunny Chir. Story edited by Khew SK

Green Oakblue re-discovered in Singapore

As at end of Oct 2007, the Singapore Butterfly checklist stands at 280 species (with 3 subspecies) - not bad for a tiny little island in the sun of about 700 sq km.

There are species which have not yet been confidently identified, and more information would have to be available before these are added to the checklist.

A recent one re-discovered was the Green Oakblue (Arhopala eumolphus maxwelli) which is a forest denizen. The upperside iridescent green of the male of this species is quite characteristic of a group of Arhopala which is green as opposed to purple or blue on the uppersides. The long white tipped tails also distinguish this species from the other two known 'green' Arhopala found in Singapore - A. aurea and A. trogon.

As luck would have it, our hardworking members of ButterflyCircle also managed to discover the host plant of the Green Oakblue and also found eggs of the species. Dr Horace Tan managed to record the life history of this species from egg to adult.

Several known locations within the nature reserves areas of Singapore are home to this species, and only recently have we managed to record the reliable existence of this species in Singapore, without any wild and dubious claims that the species was first found in Singapore when a specimen "flew up to someone's HDB apartment and died in an NSS butterfly collector's flat!"

Special thanks to Sunny Chir for first photographing this species in the wild.

Photo of Green Oakblue courtesy of Federick Ho

Welcome to the Butterflies of Singapore BLOG

This blog has been set up to feature news and latest discoveries on butterflies found in Singapore, and to a lesser extent, the extended geographical region of Peninsula Malaysia.