Life History of the Felder's Royal

Life History of the Felder's Royal (Tajuria mantra mantra)



Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Tajuria Moore, 1881
Species: mantra C. & R. Felder, 1860
Subspecies: mantra C. & R. Felder, 1860
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 35mm
Caterpillar Host Plants: Macrosolen cochinchinensis (Loranthaceae)

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
Above, the male is shining greenish-blue and the female is paler purplish blue. Both sexes have a broad apical black border, hindwing black at costal border with its inner edge evenly curved to below vein 6 in male and to vein 4 in female. The female has additional marginal spots at tornus and in spaces 1b, 2 to 4. Beneath, both sexes are drab greyish-brown and are whitened at dorsum. The forewing post-discal line is much closer to termen than to the cell-end. The large black tornal spots in spaces 1a and 2 on the hindwing are broadly orange-crowned. Each hindwing has a pair of white-tipped tails at ends of veins 1b and 2.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:
This species was recently re-discovered in Singapore in 1999. It is relatively rare locally. Sightings of this species have been more frequent in the Southern Ridges than in the Central Catchment Reserve Area. Around noon, the fast-flying adults have been sighted taking nectar at flowering plants in hill parks. At times several adults could be seen flying at tree-top level in the mid afternoon.

Early Stages:

The host plant, Macrosolen cochinchinensis, is a parasitic shrub with all parts of the plants glabrous (having no hairs, smooth). The leaves are leathery, opposite, ovate or lanceolate. The early stages of the Felder's Royal feed on the young to mid-aged leaves of this parasitic host, with the 1st instar initially skimming the leaf surface and the later instars eating the leaf along the edges.


Host plant : Macroseolen cochinchinensis

Eggs are laid singly on underside of a leaf of the host plant. Each egg is white, circular and covered with rather large hexagonal pits. The size is relatively large for a lycaenid species with a diameter of about 0.8mm.


Two views of an egg of Tajuria mantra mantra


1st instar caterpillar, newly hatched, length:1.3mm

It takes 3 days for the collected egg to hatch. The young caterpillar consumes just enough of the egg shell to emerge. With a length of about 1.3mm, it is mostly white with light brown to yellow lateral bands. Long setae (hairs) run along the length of the body dorsally as well as sub-spiracularly. The caterpillar assumes the typical woodlouse body shape as it grows in this instar which lasts about 3 days and sees the body length increased to about 3mm. On the last day of this instar, raised dorsal tubercles become prominent and reddish brown patches appear laterally.


1st instar caterpillar, length: 2.3mm


1st instar caterpillar, ready to moult to the next stage, length: 3mm

The 2nd instar caterpillar is an enlarged version of the 1st instar caterpillar prior to the moult. It has a diamond-shaped prothoracic shield dark in color. Dorsally, it bears prominently raised dorsal tubercles, one to each of abdominal segments 1 to 6, and two to each of thoracic segments 2 and 3. Reddish brown and pale patches decorate sides of the body. The posterior segments from the 7th abdominal segments onwards are fused together to take on a shield-like appearance with a dark patch sitting on top of it.


2nd instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length:4mm


The 2nd instar lasts for 3 days and reaches a length of about 6mm. As it grows in this instar, the rather distinctive caterpillar appears to consist of three main parts. First, the anterior segments up to the 3rd abdominal segment forms a carapace-like shield, colored beige with reddish brown shading to the front. Second, the posterior segments from the 7th abdominal segment onwards are beige buff and have a shield-like shape. Lastly, the segments in between are dark reddish brown laterally. The dorsal tubercles are colored beige with light brown shading with the exception of those on abdominal segments 2,3, and 6 which are green in color. Even in this early stage, the dorsal nectary organ and tentacular organ are very prominently featured on the shield-like posterior.


2nd instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length:6mm.
The dorsal nectary organ and tentacular organs are visible.

The 3rd instar caterpillar looks similar to the 2nd instar caterpillar in the day prior to the moult with the three-part appearance described above. As the body grows in size to a length of around 10mm, the color of shading on both the anterior and posterior parts also darkens. After 3 days in this stage, it moults again.


3rd instar caterpillar, length: 8mm


3rd instar caterpillar, length: 10mm, resting for the moult to next instar

The 4th (and final) instar caterpillar initially resembles the 3rd instar caterpillar in the day prior to the moult. Over the next 2 days, the color of the body gradually darkens such as the mid segments become dark brown in color, and both the anterior and posterior segments are dominated by brown shadings. The carapace-shield also features a wrinkled surface. Furthermore, the dorsal tubercles on abdominal segments 2, 3 and 6 lose their green coloration and take on the same pale yellowish brown of the other dorsal tubercles.


4th instar caterpillar, length: 19mm

The 4th instar lasts for 4 days and the body reaches a length of about 19-20mm. In the last day of this stage, more dramatic color changes take place. Now, the shield-like anterior segments take on a bright orangy brown coloration where the mid segments assume a contrasting dark green coloration. The carapace shield also becomes lighter brown in coloration. Nearing the end of this instar, the caterpillar ceases feeding, and its body shrinks in length. Soon it comes to rest on the leaf surface and becomes an immobile pre-pupa.


4th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, 18.5mm

The pre-pupatory caterpillar prepares for pupation by spinning a silk pad to which it attaches itself via cremastral hooks. Even during this pre-pupal stage, color changes continue to take place with green becoming the dominant color during the 1-day pre-pupal period (see the next two pictures).


Pre-pupa, early in this stage


Pre-pupa, late in this stage

Finally after 14 days of larval growth, pupation takes place. The pupa is held firmly via its cremaster to the silk pad on the leaf surface. It is 12-13mm in length, mostly green with yellowish green patches, and has two sets of brown to reddish brown dorsal markings. The pupa was observed to react to an external disturbance by jerking up and down.


Two views of a fresh pupa of Felder's Royal

Seven days later, the pupa becomes darkened in color signaling the imminent emergence of the adult. The wing pattern on the forewing upperside becomes visible through the now transparent pupal skin. The next day the adult butterfly emerges from the mature pupa.


A mature pupa of Felder's Royal showing patterns on the forewing upperside


A newly eclosed Felder's Royal resting on a perch


Another Felder's Royal resting on a perch

References:

• The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society.
• The Butterflies of Hong Kong, M. Bascombe, G. Johnston, F. Bascombe, Princeton University Press 1999

Text and Photos by Horace Tan

Butterfly Photography at our Local Parks

Butterfly Photography and Watching at our Local Parks
Featuring : Alexandra Hospital Butterfly Trail



About Alexandra Hospital

Alexandra Hospital is a 400-bed hospital located in the West of Singapore. Nestled on an 11 Hectare site, the hospital is a picture of tranquil setting, lined with mostly colonial style buildings built since the late 1930’s. From its humble start in 1971 when it was handed over to the Government of Singapore, the hospital underwent various transformations and enhancements of its medical services to the public.

The hospital was restructured and became a member of the National Healthcare Group on 1 Oct 2000. Under the stewardship of the CEO Liak Teng Lit, the hospital became well known for its innovation and service excellence. Besides the initiatives on the medical and services fronts, the hospital grounds were also attractively landscaped and the colourful Canna bushes welcomed visitors to the grounds of Alexandra Hospital (or AH, as we all know it)

How It all Started

It started with an article which I wrote in the July 2001 issue of Gardenwise, the newsletter of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, featuring butterflies. CEO Liak, who was then a Board Member of the National Parks Board, read the article, and invited me to give a talk at AH during their Clean and Green Week in 2001. He wondered if it was possible for AH to feature more butterfly species than the Singapore Botanic Gardens!

One of his staff, Mrs Rosalind Tan, was assigned to start the butterfly trail at AH. With a little bit of help from some NSS enthusiasts, the landscaping for an open patch of green in the valley between the main blocks of AH and Alexandra Road began. Butterfly host plants as well as nectaring plants were planted in the valley, and paths created around the lush landscaping. With Rosalind's tireless enthusiasm, and her supportive other half, retired architect Tan Wee Lee, and the AH gardeners, the rest, as they say, is history.

After about 2 years, the landscaping with a myriad of butterfly host and nectaring plants worked wonderfully, and Singapore's first free-ranging butterfly trail was born!

Fast forward to 2008. After seven years, the AH Butterfly Trail is still lush, green and full of life. In April 2007, AH recorded its 100th species - a Chestnut Angle. The checklist for AH stands at 101 at the end of 2007. (Links to ButterflyCircle Forums. Please register an account)

Butterfly Photography at the AH Butterfly Trail

The AH Butterfly Trail is an excellent location for fledgling butterfly photographers. On a typical sunny day, there would often be at least 10 species to shoot. Amongst the more common ones are the Blue and Dark Glassy Tigers, as well as the attendant Common Palmfly and Chocolate Pansy. Often seen are the Emigrants - Lemon, Mottled and Orange, the Common Mormon, Lime Butterfly, and Baron. Over the years, the tally of 101 species includes some of the rare Lycaenids and Hesperiids which visit the trail occasionally.

With the host plant Aristolochia acuminata (formerly referred to as tagala), AH Butterfly Trail often features the two butterflies which feed on this plant - the Common Birdwing, and the Common Rose. A unique subspecies, possibly antiphus also flies at this trail. It is always breathtaking to see the large and spectacular black-and-yellow Common Birdwing fly around the trail, and during a good season, up to six individuals can be seen, gliding high above the trail.

The popular spots for butterfly photography are at the sunlit areas where the Common Snakeweed, Lantana and Indian Heliotrope grow. These flowering plants are the favourites for the Glassy Tigers, Grass Yellows and many Skippers.

In the shadier areas of the trail, one can often encounter Skippers like the Chocolate Demon, Paintbrush Swift and the Grass Demon. The flowers of Pagoda Flower, and many other flowering plants along the trail also attract a variety of butterflies to feed on them.

Besides butterflies, the Trail is also home to a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna, and it is not unusual to observe the Web of Life lessons at this trail, where predators and victims of all shapes and sizes inhabit the trail. An observant enthusiast can often see butterflies mating, laying eggs, and a variety of caterpillars in various instars on the host plants at the Trail.

Other Areas for Photography at AH

Beyond the Butterfly Trail, there are also areas which are good for macro photography. Amongst these are the Medicinal Garden, the Eco Pond and all around the lushly landscaped grounds of the hospital.

What the Future Holds

It has been seven years since the start of the Butterfly Trail, and till today, the Trail has its regular weekend photography visitors, each hoping to nail a better shot of a species of butterfly. Moving on, it is sad to note that AH will be moving north to Yishun where the new 550-bed Khoo Teck Puat Hospital is currently under construction. Expected to be completed and fully operational in early 2010, the KTPH will replace AH.

What will happen to the hospital grounds after AH is vacated? It is likely that the hospital will continue to be operational for a few more years thereafter, and beyond 2014, the premises are likely to be redeveloped for other uses. It would be sad to see the AH Butterfly Trail go, as for many butterfly photographers, the Trail was the start of many years of butterfly watching and shooting, having whetted the appetites and enthusiasm of many an avid butterfly photographer.

On the positive side, many other similar trails are being planned or already in existence. The experience and knowledge gained from the experiment with AH has been shared with the National Parks Board, and many parks, park connectors and gardens have been planted with butterfly-attracting plants to increase the butterfly biodiversity in our parks and gardens. One such successful example is the Butterfly Hill at Pulau Ubin. The new KTPH hospital at Yishun will also feature its own butterfly trail around the Yishun Pond. Work has started, and it will be a matter of time before the lush landscaping and tender loving care from Mrs Rosalind Tan and other enthusiasts will re-create a new butterfly trail at the new location.

How to Get There

Getting to the AH Butterfly Trail is quite easy, as it is just off the main road (Alexandra Road), and it is very accessible. Parking is chargeable if you drive, at the prevailing rates that the hospital charges. There is also a cafeteria at AH where you can stop for refreshments after a good session of shooting butterflies at the Trail.

Map of Alexandra Hospital


Text and Photos by Khew SK

Life History of the Narrow Spark

Life History of the Narrow Spark (Sinthusa nasaka amba)



Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Sinthusa Moore, 1884
Species: nasaka Horsfield, 1829
Subspecies: amba Kirby, 1878
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 25mm
Caterpillar Host Plants: Eurya acuminata (Theaceae)

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
The adults closely resemble adults of Common Tit, a larger and more common species. Above, the male is dark brown on the forewing with deep blue tinge at basal half, and the hindwing is mostly violet blue with a dark brown costal border. The female is dark brown with a white tornal area bearing black spots in the hindwing. Underneath for both sexes, the post-discal line of narrow ochreous brown stripes is mostly continued on the forewing, but broken on the hindwing. A black tornal spot is present in space 2 and another on the lobe of the hindwing, with the tornal area rather sparsely dusted with metallic green scales.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:
This small species is rather uncommon in Singapore. Sightings have been localized to a few area within the Central Catchment Reserve Area. Encounters with the adults typically take place in dim lighting condition under forest canopy.

Early Stages:

The host plant, Eurya acuminata, is a small tree with lanceolate or ovate-oblong leaves of length 4-9cm. The leaf has finely toothed margin and net-like tertiary veins. The twigs are round and glabrous (finely hairy). The flowers are minute (less than 0.5cm across) and arranged in 2-5 flowered inflorescence, axillary or along leafless twigs. Juice extract of tender leaves is drunk in some parts of the world to relieve dysentery and diarrhoea. Locally, this plant can be found in secondary forest alongside trails within the Central Catchment Reserve Area.


The host plant, Eurya acuminata, pictured with one female Narrow Spark trying to oviposit on the leaf underside

Eggs are laid singly on the a flower bud or on the stem/leaf adjacent to the buds. Each egg is green in color, small (about 0.4-0.5mm in diameter) and circular with a slightly depressed micropylar. The surface is finely sculptured with intersecting ridges. The egg is almost identical to eggs of Rapala species described in the literatures.

A female Narrow Spark ovipositing near a flower bud of the host plant

An egg of the Narrow Spark, about 0.5mm in diameter.

Three days later, the egg hatches with the young caterpillar eating away the upper portion of the egg shell to emerge. Measured at a length of about 0.8-0.9mm, it is cylindrical in shape, sporting long setae (hairs), a large dark brown head capsule and overall pale yellow body.

Mature egg (left), empty egg shell (right)

1st instar caterpillar, newly hatched, length: about 0.8mm

The 1st instar caterpillar bores into a flower bud and eats the developing flower parts within it. It feeds with its head in first, keeping its rear end close to the entrance for ejecting frass outside the bud. Usually the presence of caterpillar "hidden" in a particular hole is given away by tuffs of fine hair at the hole entrance and the presence of frass nearby.

Left to right, a 1st instar caterpillar re-entering a flower bud for its feast, length: 1.2mm

After 2 days of growth and reaching a length of about 2mm, the caterpillar moults to the next instar. Some caterpillars actually moult within a flower bud. The second instar caterpillar has numerous tubercles covering its body with short fine hairs protruding from them. There are small dark brown spots set against a light brown base color. As the caterpillar grows larger, more and more of the posterior end of its body will remain outside the flower bud as it feeds on the goodies within.


2nd instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length:4mm

The 2nd instar caterpillar reaches a length of about 4.5mm, and after 3 days in this stage, it moults again. Keeping a similar appearance as in previous instar, the 3rd instar caterpillar has more prominent dorsal markings with a brown dorsal line. Tubercles lining the body segments in the sub-dorsal and sub-spiracular locations have become enlarged with tuffs of protruding setae. The typical lycaenid nectary organs (both the dorsal nectary organ and tentacular organs) are now discernible. The 3rd instar takes 3 days to complete with the body length reaching about 8.5mm.


3rd instar caterpillar checking out a flower bud, length: 8mm

The 4th (and final) instar caterpillar still has the same dorsal markings as in earlier instars, but the white diamond-shaped prothoracic shield now has prominent black spots at its 4 corners. Initially the body base color is pale brown with the 1st thoracic segment and the anal plate yellowish green. As the caterpillar grows, as depicted in the 3 figures below, the base color changes to yellowish brown and finally to yellow in the first three days of this instar. The sub-dorsal and sub-spiracular rows of tubercles become translucent to transparent in appearance, with some of them assuming a bluish coloration. Furthermore, as the body base color changes to yellow, the 5th abdominal segment also becomes darkened from the sub-dorsal to sub-spiracular area.

4th instar caterpillar, day 1 of 5 in this stage, length: 10mm


4th instar caterpillar, day 2 of 5 late in this stage, 12mm

4th instar caterpillar, day 3 of 5 in this stage, 14mm

The dorsal nectary organ and the tentacular organs on the 7th and 8th abdominal segments respectively are rather prominent in the final instar caterpillar. On the last day of the final instar, copious amount of clear fluid was observed to be excreted from the nectary organs of the shortened and decolorized caterpillar. These functioning nectary organs suggest a strong caterpillar-ant association in the wild.

The anterior segments of a 4th instar caterpillar, the nectary organs are annotated.

After five days of growth and reaching a maximum length of around 14mm in the the final instar, the body of the caterpillar becomes shortened and decolorized caterpillar. Soon it chooses a spot on the leaf surface to remain stationary and becomes a pre-pupatary larva. At this site, it prepares for pupation by spinning a silk girdle and a silk pad to which it attaches itself via cremastral hooks.


A pre-pupa of the Narrow Spark, showing a finished silk girdle securing it to
the leaf surface, also visible is clear fluid from a final purge.

Pupation takes place after 1 day of the pre-pupa stage. The hairy pupa has a shape typical of most lycaenid species, and a length of about 7.5mm. It is light brown dotted with small dark brown specks.


Two views of a pupa of the Narrow Spark.

Seven days later, the pupa becomes darkened in color signaling the imminent emergence of the adult. The uppersides of the forewings become visible through the now transparent pupal skin, allowing one to tell the gender of the soon-to-appear adult. The next day the adult butterfly emerges from the mature pupa.


Two views of mature pupa of the Narrow Spark


A newly eclosed female Narrow Spark resting on a perch


A male Narrow Spark resting on a perch in CCA

Acknowledgments:

I would like to express my gratitude to Prof Hugh Tan of NUS DBS and Ali Ibrahim of Nparks for providing confirmation of the host plant species ID.


References:

• The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society.
• The Butterflies of Hong Kong, M. Bascombe, G. Johnston, F. Bascombe, Princeton University Pres 1999

Text and Photos by Horace Tan