A Rare Young Talent

A Rare Young Talent 
Featuring ButterflyCircle's Jonathan Soong

Butterfly watching has been catching on in Singapore and many countries in the region.  In particular, countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and India stand out, especially where the number of enthusiasts and books written on their butterfly fauna are concerned.  There are several groups in social media and formal societies dedicated to butterfly watching, education and conservation that have sprung up in these countries, and making their presence felt in the scientific and amateur hobbyist communities.  

In Singapore, the groups dedicated to butterfly watching are slowly growing, but generally with not as many members as compared to those in our neighbouring Asian countries.  However, there is a number of young and enthusiastic members who show great potential for the future of butterfly conservation and education in Singapore.  

An example of such a young and talented member of the butterfly watching community in Singapore is ButterflyCircle's own Jonathan Soong. Starting at the very young age of only 11 when he first came on to the butterfly watching scene, Jonathan has learnt fast and has accumulated a good knowledge of local butterfly species.

Taking a look at some of the photos that Jonathan has taken in recent months, one would be amazed to discover that this is the work of a 13-year old Secondary 1 student in a premier school in Singapore! His eye for detail and aesthetics gives him an edge when it comes to butterfly photography, and his work is very much on par with many of the more experienced and older photographers in the group.

But Jonathan's talent and determination to improve both his knowledge of butterflies and photography cannot have been realised without the outstanding support from his family.  There have been many outings that ButterflyCircle members have had, where Jonathan's mom, dad and sister have accompanied the group on long walks in the scorching sun and humid weather in Singapore.

Jonathan's unbridled enthusiasm for butterflies would have all been in vain without parental support. Especially in Singapore where 'kiasu' (overseas readers please google this colloqial Singapore term) parents are more concerned with good academic grades and going for extra curricular activities like music, swimming and so on, which would be more relevant to giving their children a leg up in the adult world's rat race. So kudos to Jonathan's mom and dad for the support that they have given to him to further his interest in this hobby.

A sample of his works are featured throughout this blog article, and one can be forgiven if one assumes that all these excellent photographs of butterflies are of the work of someone much older, using more sophisticated equipment. But no, these are Jonathan's personal efforts, using his humble entry-level Canon DSLR coupled with a Tamron 180mm macro lens.

Jonathan is also game to "rough it out" in the field, often in wild places where young urbanised kids would scream in terror at a cockroach or a lizard. But not this young talented boy. Given his age and size, there are times when I know that Jonathan wished that he were taller and sturdier when holding his heavy photographic equipment in the forests of Singapore whilst chasing after an elusive rarity! But his determination and tenacious focus often make up for these temporary physical disadvantages.

Beyond his above-average intellect, Jonathan is also a well-mannered boy with respect for those older than him.  But his other talent in art, particularly in nature paintings done in oils, stand out. When he has the time away from his books, Jonathan does amazing oil paintings of birds and butterflies that would put many of us to shame!  His remarkable skill in portraying nature subjects, particularly birds, in his oil paintings is something that not many can match.  I am quite certain that his works would have a decent commercial value amongst nature art collectors!

Given his young tender age and exceptional talent, there is definitely a bright future for this teenager. Besides his academic achievements, there is certainly hope for the future of butterfly conservation in Singapore and beyond, if there are more of our younger generation kids like Jonathan who are willing to take up the hobby of butterfly watching and conservation, and becoming a future leader in the protection of our nature and environmental heritage in Singapore.

Young Jonathan (right) at the launch of ButterflyCircle's Caterpillar book, with another young member, Brian Goh

Text by Khew SK  : Artwork pieces by Jonathan Soong ; Photos by Jonathan Soong, Sunny Chir, Anthony Wong & Khew SK

Random Gallery - Yellow Flash

Random Butterfly Gallery
The Yellow Flash (Rapala domitia domitia)

The genus Rapala comprises of several small, stout-bodied and powerful flyers. These big-eyed species can zip around at tremendous speeds, earning them their English common name of "Flash". Of the many "Flashes" found in Singapore, the Yellow Flash (Rapala domitia domitia) stands out in that the undersides of the butterfly are a distinctive bright yellow with jet-black markings. The largest member of the genus in Singapore, the Yellow Flash is considered rare but can be observed with regularity at certain locations within the nature reserves.

This Yellow Flash was shot a couple of weeks ago by ButterflyCircle member Nelson Ong, who has been patiently tracking this species for a long time.  Having spotted the species many times, this was a satisfying success for Nelson, who finally managed to nail a well-composed shot of this skittish Lycaenid after a long period of hunting this elusive beauty.

Life History of the Darky Plushblue

Life History of the Darky Plushblue (Flos anniella anniella)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Flos Doherty, 1889
Species: anniella Hewitson, 1862
Subspecies:  anniella Hewitson, 1862
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 34-38mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plants: Lithocarpus elegans (Fagaceae, common name: Spike Oak), Lithocarpus conocarpus (Fagaceae), Lithocarpus ewyckii (Fagaceae).

A female Darky Plushblue sunbathing on a leaf.

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
Above, the male is shining violet blue with a very thin dark border; the female is pale purplish blue with broad brown to dark brown borders. Below, the markings are pale purplish brown with whitish outlines and overlaid with whitish scales in some of them. Compared to the other local Flos spp., these markings  do not contrast strongly with the  brownish ground colour. The hindwing has  a black tornal spot and a black marginal spot in space 2, both of which are surrounded  by brassy scales. Unlike the other local Flos spp., the hindwing of the Darky Plushblue is not tailed. Instead the end of vein 2 on the hindwing has a short tooth.

A male Darky Plushblue giving us a glimpse of its shining blue upperside.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:
The Darky Plushblue is moderately rare in Singapore and sightings of adults have been restricted to several shady forested locations or in the vicinity of its host plants within the central catchment reserve. The adults are strong flyers and they typically perch with their wings closed, but in sunny weather the females have been observed to open their wings fully to sunbathe in between ovipositing runs. In rare occasions, individual adults have been  seen visiting flowers and ripened fruits of the Singapore Rhodendron.

Early Stages:
The Darky Plushblue (as well as Flos fulgida and Flos diardi) was found in Singapore to be utilizing  Lithocarpus ewyckii as its larval host  about a half century ago by Morrell (Morrell, 1956). Recent field studies have added  Lithocarpus elegans and Lithocarpus conocarpus to the list of  larval host plants.  As in the case of all Flos spp. observed, caterpillars of the Darky Plushblue feed on young and immature leaves of the host plant, and have the habit of building shelters on a leaf for security and concealment. The caterpillars are often found to be in the company of ants on the resident leaves and in their shelters.

Leaf shelters used by Darky Plushblue caterpllars on Lithocarpus conocarpus (right); and  Lithocarpus elegans  (left).

Host plant #1: Lithocarpus elegans.

Host plant #2: Lithocarpus conocarpus.

Two mother Darky Plushbue laying eggs on  two different Lithocarpus spp..

Eggs are laid singly or in small groups of 2-3 on the petiole, stem or a leaf underside of a branchlet of the host plant. Each egg is about 0.8-0.9mm in diameter, white with a slight pale  green tinge. It is shaped like a pressed bun with a slightly depressed micropylar area atop. The surface has a finely reticulated pattern of intersecting ridges with short spikes raising from points of intersection.

Two views of an egg of the Darky Plushblue.

Left: mature egg with the young caterpillar nibbing away the egg shell. Right: empty egg shell after the emergence of the caterpillar.

It takes about 3 days for an egg of the Darky Plushblue to hatch. The caterpillar emerges after nibbling away sufficiently large polar part of the egg shell. The newly hatched shows no interest in devouring the remaining egg shell. The body  is   pale yellowish brown   and has a length of about 1.8mm. It has a rather flattened woodlouse appearance with a large   prothorax,   a yellowish brown head, moderately long dorso-lateral setae and rather long lateral setae. There are also a fair number of very short setae on the body surface.

A newly hatched caterpillar emerging from its egg shell.

Two views of a newly hatched caterpillar, length: 1.8mm.

The 1st instar caterpillar feeds on surface of a young leaf leaving small holes on the leaf lamina. A  few caterpillars have been observed in the field sharing a feeding site with no animosity towards each other. Towards the end of 1st instar, pinky red patches appear on the front portion of the prothorax and the posterior abdominal segments. After 2 days of growth and reaching a length of about 2.2-2.5mm, the caterpillar moults to the next instar.

Two views of a 1st instar caterpillar, length: 2.1mm.

The 2nd instar caterpillar features long lateral setae and a black head. Long dorso-lateral setae are no longer present, but many short setae appear on the entire body surface. The prothorax is marked by a large black patch with a leading edge in pinky red. The dorsal nectary organ (DNO), ringed in dark reddish brown,  is already visible on the 7th abdominal segment.  It is flanked on its upper edge by a  small dark reddish patch, and on its lower edge, a much larger one which covers the dorsum of the 8th abdominal segment. The pair of tentacular organs on the 8th abdominal segments are also present. A large black anal plate dominates the remaining posterior segments. This instar lasts for 3-4 days with the body length reaching about 4mm before the moult to the 3rd instar.

A newly moulted 2nd instar caterpillar of the Darky Plushblue.

Two views of a 2nd instar caterpillar,  length: 3.3mm.

The 3rd instar caterpillar resembles the 2nd instar caterpillar closely with a few changes.  The DNO is now prominently marked with a  dark brown oval ring. The red dorsal patch on the 8th abdominal segment has two lateral arms, though faint in appearance, reaching up to the tentacular organs. The 3rd instar takes about 3-4 days to complete with the body length reaching about 7-7.5mm.

Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 4mm.

Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 7.5mm.

Ants attending to a pair of Darky Plushblue caterpillars on L. elegans.

Ants attending to a  Darky Plushblue caterpillar on L. conocarpus.

The 4th instar caterpillar has similar markings as the 3rd instar caterpillar. One notable change is in the prothoracic dark patch which now has two small and diffuse white markings embedded near its posterior edge. Another change is in the red side arms on the 8th abdominal segment, being broader and more prominent. The dorsal band becomes darker and prominent in this instar too. The 4th instar takes about 5-6 days to complete with the body length reaching about 12-12.5mm.

A 4th instar caterpillar of the Darky Plushblue, newly moulted, length: 7mm.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 10mm.

Two views of a  4th intar catepillar, dormant prior to the moult to the next instar, length: 12mm.

Ants attending to Darky Plushblue caterpillars.

Compared to the 4th instar, the 5th instar caterpillar has similar but more striking markings. Visible changes are  0) The two embedded white patches in the prothoracic patch are now distinctly marked; 1) The  dark prothorax patch is  flanked in white  on both  sides giving it a hour-glass shape; 2) The black anal plate is also flanked in white on both sides; 3) The two tentacular organs are ringed in black. Towards the last 1-2 days of this instar, the base colour of body turns  from yellowish green to milky white.

Two views of a 5th intar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 14.5mm.

Two views of a  5th intar caterpillar, late in this stage, legnth: 20.5mm.

After 6-8 days of feeding and reaching a length of about 19mm, the caterpillar stops feeding during the final day of the 5th instar. During this time, its body gradually shortens and the longitudinal bands on its body disappear. Soon the caterpillar becomes an immobile pre-pupa confined to  its leaf shelter. The pre-pupal caterpillar prepares for pupation by spinning a silk girdle and a silk pad to which it attaches via claspers at its posterior segment.

Two views of a pre-pupa of the Darky Plushblue.

Pupation takes place after a 1-day pre-pupal period. The pupa, with a length of 12-14mm, has a shape typical of a Lycaenid species. Its body is whitish with a yellow tinge,  and with  spiracles marked in a contrasting orange coloration.

Two views of a pupa of the Darky Plushblue, length:12mm.

7 days later, the pupa turns dark in its wing pads, the thorax and the dorsum of its abdomen.  Shining blue patches on the forewing upperside can now be seen in the wing pads with the extent of its coverage revealing the gender of the pupa. The next morning, the pupal stage comes to an end with the emergence of the adult butterfly.

Two  mature pupae of the Darky Plushblue. Top: female; Bottom: male.

A newly eclosed Darky Plushblue waiting for its wings to be fully firmed up before taking its maiden flight.

References:

• The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, The Malayan Nature Society.
• A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Singapore, Khew S K, Ink on Paper Comm. Pte. Ltd., 2010.
• Butterflies of Thailand, Pisuth Ek-Amnuay, 1st Edition, 2006.
• Notes on the life histories of a number of butterflies of the subfamily Theclinae (Lycaenidae), Morrell R.,  Malay. Nat. J. 10: 104-108, 1956.

Text by Horace Tan, Photos by Benjamin Yam, Nelson Ong, Loke PF, Federick Ho  and Horace Tan.

Butterfly of the Month - September 2012

Butterfly of the Month - September 2012
The Acacia Blue (Surendra vivarna amisena)

The month of September blows past, bringing in the colder winds of autumn in the northern hemisphere as the year 2012 move towards its final three months. As the 9-11 (Sep 11) anniversary came and went without much incidents, the month of September 2012 featured unrest again in the Islamic world, as Muslims protested rather violently against an ill-conceived film produced by an amateurish zealot in the US who definitely wasn't using his brain (if he had one).

Elsewhere nearer in Asia, disputes erupted between China and Japan over a few little uninhabited rocks in the sea - the Senkaku Islands (to the Japanese, or Diaoyu Islands, to the Chinese). The Senkaku Islands are located in the East China Sea between Japan, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan. The archipelago contains five uninhabited islands and three barren rocks, ranging in size from 800m² to 4.32km².



In various cities in China, protesters damaged Japanese-owned establishments and objects of Japanese origin.  Again, a senseless display of violence and destructive nature of human beings, stirred up by nationalistic fervour and challenge to a nation's sovereignity.  One can only hope that diplomacy and common sense will prevail to end such unrest, in a turbulent world that is already unstable in the face of economic crisis.

Back in Singapore, concerns of a recession looms, as indicators show some evidence of a softening economy across many sectors.  Will Singapore be able to take another storm so quickly?  Or will it be another short-lived downturn that will pass quickly? On another pressing issue, that sparked active national "conversations" it has been estimated that Singapore's population has increased to 5.31 million, and growing. That's 7,257 persons per sq km! From the Department of Statistics' site, only 61.8% of the population are Singapore citizens, with the other 38.2% non-citizens. What should Singapore's 714 sq km carrying capacity be? The jury is still out on that.

September's Flower is usually associated with the Aster. There are roughly 180 species within the genus, all but one being confined to Eurasia. The name Aster comes from the Ancient Greek word ἀστήρ (astér), meaning "star", referring to the shape of the flower head. The Aster is unique for its delicate purple colour.  Legend has it that burning the Aster leaves will keep away snakes. In French tradition it is said that placing the flowers on the grave of a dead soldier is a tribute to his bravery.

Our feature butterfly for September is the Acacia Blue (Surendra vivarna amisena).  This small Lycaenid (wingspan about 28-32mm) is not rare. It is more often encountered in the forested areas than urban Singapore, although it is quite widespread in distribution, and occurs in parks and gardens as well.  It has a rapid flight and can be quite skittish.  Females are often encountered in the vicinity of its favourite host plant, the Albizia.  

The English common name "Acacia" suggests that the butterfly has some sort of association with the Wattles (Acacia spp.).  Indeed, upon checking up on the genus Surendra, there are related species like S. quercetorum (a species that does not occur in Singapore) does feed on species of Acacia like Acacia pennata. This could have been the rationale for the origin of the name Acacia Blue, although here in Singapore, the species has thus far not been known to be associated with any Acacia plants.

Sunbathing Acacia Blues showing off their uppersides - top female; bottom male

The male Acacia Blue is deep purple-blue above, with a thick jet-black apical border on the forewing.  The female is steely blue, and generally unmarked on both wings above.  The underside is a hair brown with small and obscure dark spots and striae on both wings.  The tornal area of the hindwing has silvery-green markings.  There is a short stubby tail at vein 2 of the hindwing and another short tooth at vein 3.

This green-eyed species' caterpillars are usually found on the host plants co-existing with a species of ants.  The well camouflaged caterpillar has been successfully bred on at least three different species of Leguminosae in Singapore.  Both sexes are observed to open their wings to sunbathe at certain hours of the day, showing off their blue uppersides.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Sunny Chir, Chng CK, Federick Ho, Khew SK, Henry Koh, Koh CH, Loke PF, Nelson Ong, Jonathan Soong & Horace Tan