The Life History of the Yamfly

Life History of the Yamfly (Loxura atymnus fuconius)



Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Loxura Horsfield, 1829
Species: atymnus Stoll, 1780
Subspecies: fuconius Fruhstorfer, 1912
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 35mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plants: Smilax bracteata (Smilacaceae)

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
The upperside of both sexes is reddish orange, with a neat black apical border on the forewing. The underside is yellowish buff with a somewhat obscure post-discal fascia. The female has its tornal area of the hindwing dark-dusted. The antennae are short and the palpi are unusually long and protruding, a feature easy to pick in close-up pictures. Both sexes have rather long white-tipped hindwing tails.


A female Yamfly sunbathing in mid-day sun, showing us its upperside

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:
Locally, this species is uncommon, and the adult is usually encountered singly. Typical encounters take place in bright sunlit spots with the adult sunbathing or flitting from perch to perch in the vicinity of its local host plant. It has a wide distribution with sightings recorded in many locations such as the Central Catchment Area, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Southern Ridges and even abandoned farmland in the western part of Singapore.

Early Stages:
In the region the recorded host plants of the Yamfly include various Dioscorea (Yam) and Smilax species. Thus far, Smilax bracteata is the only local host plant recorded. This native plant is a woody climber with long, coiling stipular tendrils and long, stout stems which are covered with bristles and stiff prickles. Leaves are ovate with a round base. This plant can be found in open country and forest edges in various parts of Singapore. It has been found to smoother native plants in nature reserves by growing over them and blocking out sunlight. As the name bracteata suggests, it has "shiny" young stems and leaves, and it is on these young stems that a mother Yamfly lays its eggs.


Host plant : Smilax bracteata, stem with mature leaves
climbing a fig tree


Young and fleshy shoot of Smilax bracteata.


A mother Yamfly laying eggs on the young shoot of Smilax bracteata

Eggs are laid on the young shoots of the host plant. It is not uncommon for a number of eggs to be found on the same shoot, however the eggs occur singly rather than in clusters. Each egg is white, circular and has a depressed micropylar area. The surface is covered with many tiny shallow pits which are barely visible to the naked eyes. Each egg has a diameter of about 0.9mm.


Left: fresh egg; right: mature egg showing part of the egg shell already eaten
by the soon-to-emerge caterpillar.


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

It takes 3 days for the egg to hatch. The young caterpillar consumes the upper portion of the egg shell to emerge. With a length of 1.2-1.3mm, it has a black head, a pale yellowish body decorated with long setae (hairs) dorsally and sub-spiracularly. The caterpillar assumes the typical woodlouse body shape as it grows in this instar which lasts about 2 days and sees the body length increased to about 3mm. The body color also changes gradually to darker shades of yellow, together with the presence of orange to red tinge. The caterpillar feeds by eating away the upper layer of the fleshy young shoot in almost all instars.


1st instar caterpillar, length: 2.3mm


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

The 2nd instar caterpillar has a roughly diamond-shaped prothoracic shield in the same color as the rest of its body. The long setae are now gone. The anal plate has a rather prominent depression, roughly oblong in outline. Also discernible are faint yellowish markings on the side of a thin red or reddish brown dorsal band. The 2nd instar lasts for 3 days and reaches a length of about 6m to 7mm.


2nd instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 3.7mm



2nd instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length:6mm.

The 3rd instar caterpillar looks similar to the 2nd instar caterpillar, except for the greater size which has the body length reaching a maximum of around 9-10mm. After 2-3 days in this stage, the next moult takes place.


3rd instar caterpillar, length: 9mm


In the midst of the moult from 3rd to 4th instar

The 4th (and final) instar caterpillar initially resembles the 3rd instar caterpillar in the day prior to the moult. Over the next 2-3 days, the pink to red patches on the body gradually darken such that the dorsal markings are now more prominent with the greater contrast between the yellowish green and the darkish pink patches.


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, the caterpillar ceases feeding, and its body shrinks in length. Soon it comes to rest on a spot on the young shoot, or a leaf or even a tendril and it becomes an immobile pre-pupa. There the pre-pupatory caterpillar prepares for pupation by spinning a silk pad and a silk girdle to secure itself.


Two views of a pre-pupa of the Yamfly

The next day, after 12-13 days of larval growth, pupation finally takes place. The pupa is held via its cremaster and a silk girdle to the silk pad on the leaf surface. It is 13-14mm in length, mostly green with a relatively long abdominal section. Large dorsal markings of cryptic patterns in brown and white are present. The wing pads are whitish and stand out against the green base color of the pupa.


Two views of a fresh pupa of the Yamfly

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


Two views of a mature pupa of the Yamfly showing the orange patch
on the forewing upperside


A newly eclosed Yamfly resting on a perch


A sun-facing Yamfly perching on a Smilax shoot

References:

• The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society.
• Butterflies of Thailand, Pisuth Ek-Amnuay, 1st Edition, 2006

Text and Photos by Horace Tan

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