Soft Launch of the Butterfly Lodge @ Oh' Farms

Butterfly Lodge @ Oh' Farms



Singapore's 43rd National Day also saw the Soft Launch of the new Butterfly Lodge at a private farm in Sembawang. Over the past 6 months, this project to create an educational and butterfly appreciation facility was in progress. Oh' Farms at Sembawang conducts educational tours of its facilities on hydroponic farming, horticulture and medicinal and herb gardens for primary school children. As part of its mission of sharing and educating Singapore's younger generation, it decided to invest in creating a small butterfly aviary to spread the message of butterfly appreciation and conservation.

The project started with the planning of a simple flight cage, and with the advice from the experienced members of ButterflyCircle, the construction and landscaping of the Butterfly Lodge took shape. The simple flight cage took the form of a barrel-vaulted roof form, as it had been observed at various such similar facilities where a standard rectilinear shaped cage created corners into which butterflies flew and got themselves stuck and damaged their wings.

Appropriate butterfly nectaring and host plants were sought from various sources, and planted into the flight cage. With Oh' Farms' horticultural expertise, the plants were well-tended and grew lush and healthy in a very short time. Other "filler" plants were included to create a humid and lush landscaped area, conducive for the butterflies' survival and well-being. A pond, as well as water-misters were also added to ensure that the plants are well-watered and kept healthy, and to create as natural an environment as possible for the butterflies.

Plans were then put in place on how school children visitors would be actively engaged as well as learn about ecology, nature conservation and the sustainability of butterflies as part of the fauna of Singapore. Information boards were designed and put up as an educational backdrop for the school children before they are shown into the Butterfly Lodge so that as little damage as possible would be done to the environment as well as the butterflies. Information worksheets were also designed to keep the children interactively engaged and to take away important information about butterflies. As the target audience would be primary school children, colourful graphics were also added to lend a touch of fun and cheer to the facility.

On 9 Aug 2008, a group of school teachers and principals from various schools in Singapore were invited to a showround of the Butterfly Lodge. Most of these teachers, already strong champions of environmental and ecological conservation in their respective schools came to see and learn about how they can create more awareness about butterfly conservation in their schools.

Yeok Keong, the boss


A quick lecture to the invited guests before visiting the flight cage


Ai Ling showing the guests around

The session started with a short introduction of the facilities by Yeok Keong, the owner of the facility. ButterflyCircle members did an introduction of how the butterflies and plants can be sustained in a controlled environment, and how to take care of the butterflies. The project also featured an opportunity to observe and learn about butterflies and their conservation in Singapore. Members also showed the invited guests in the flight cage, and how to gently handle the butterflies which had just eclosed.

A thrilled young visitor

The project has started successfully, and the sustainability of the breeding of common urban species has been encouraging. Due to the need to maintain the host plant-caterpillar balance, adult butterflies are also released to the external natural environment so as to ensure that the host plant supplies do not run out due to the high population of caterpillars of certain species. In a controlled environment where predators are absent, the survival rates of the caterpillars are much higher than in a natural environment, hence the need to find a good balance as well as allowing some proportion of the bred stock to fly free back into their natural environment as a conservation initiative.

Sunny showing the visitors how to ensure that a recently-eclosed butterfly is able to hang its wings out to dry properly before the butterfly can take flight

Whilst a flight cage is not always the ideal "home" for butterflies, a well-managed facility will serve a critical function in the education and research into butterflies. In the case of Butterfly Lodge, all the species are locally found, and none are imported from beyond Singapore's shores. This is unlike many butterfly parks/farms around, where stock is imported from neighbouring countries or further afield.

Ai Ling having a spirited discussion with two teachers

The lessons learnt and experience gained from observing and nurturing local species of butterflies will go a long way in accumulating further knowledge for the creation of more free-ranging trails like the one at Alexandra Hospital and Butterfly Hill at Pulau Ubin where landscaping and horticulture are designed together with ecological conservation of butterflies in mind.

As the Butterfly Lodge is located on private premises, the educational tours for school children are upon special arrangement with the respective schools, in the form of organised outdoor classroom sessions. The information is packaged for primary school children at an appropriate level and the children will take away lessons and mementoes of their visit to the Butterfly Lodge - with better appreciation and respect for our Flying Jewels in Singapore.

A pretty butterfly (I was referring to the six-legged one!)

As for ButterflyCircle members, the satisfaction of being able to share our knowledge, photos and spread the conservation message is the acknowledgment that we are thankful for. As part of the voluntary community service, we are proud to be involved in the education of young Singaporeans in the field of environmental sustainability, and butterfly appreciation in particular.

A selection of the Butterflies that can be found at the Butterfly Lodge

1. Common Mormon (Papilio polytes romulus)
2. Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus malayanus)
3. Cabbage White (Pieris canidia canidia)
4. Psyche (Leptosia nina malayana)
5. Striped Albatross (Appias libythea olferna)
6. Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe contubernalis)
7. Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya wallacei)
8. Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana javana)
9. Chocolate Pansy (Junonia hedonia ida)
10. Tawny Coster (Acraea violae)
11. Leopard Lacewing (Cethosia cyane)
12. Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus chrysippus)

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Sunny Chir, Anthony Wong and Mark Wong ; Event photography by Bobby Mun

Special Thanks to Yeok Keong and Ai Ling of Oh' Farms ; ButterflyCircle Members

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