Down Memory Lane - Small Red Bob

Down Memory Lane
The Small Red Bob (Idmon obliquans obliquans)

This small and rather insignificant skipper was recorded in Singapore by the early authors. It resembles the related species from the genus Iambrix, of which there are two representatives in Singapore - Chestnut Bob and Starry Bob. The Small Red Bob is predominantly dark reddish-brown, with a short orange-red post-discal band on the forewing. It flies mainly along open paths in forested areas and is not uncommon.  It flits from perch to perch and often sunbathes in the usual skipper fashion.

It is likely that the Small Red Bob's caterpillars feed on grasses. It was found in Singapore in the past, but has not been reliably observed over the past 4-5 decades. It may have been overlooked as it is not a particularly spectacular looking butterfly.  But what caused this species to disappear from Singapore? Will it be back here again one day? Or will it remain only in our memories and is gone forever from Singapore?

Butterflies Galore! : Common Palmfly

Butterflies Galore! 
The Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra agina)

The Common Palmfly is quite widespread in Singapore, and is observed in urban parks and gardens, particularly where its caterpillar host plants (various palms) are cultivated. A favourite host plant is the Yellow Cane Palm (Dypsis lutescens) which is often used as an ornamental palm in home gardens. The butterfly has a slow flight, although it is very skittish and not easily approached.

The upperside of the Common Palmfly features dark bluish black forewings with light blue submarginal spots and reddish purple hindwings. The underside is reddish brown with light grey striations. There is usually a white spot at the costa of the hindwing, although in some individuals, this spot can be missing. This shot of the Common Palmfly was taken by young ButterflyCircle member Jerome Chua.

Life History of the Large Snow Flat

Life History of the Large Snow Flat (Tagiades gana gana)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Tagiades Hübner, 1819
Species: gana Moore, 1866
Sub-species: gana Moore, 1866
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 38-45mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plants: Dioscorea pyrifolia (Dioscoreaceae), Dioscorea orbiculata var. tenuifolia (Dioscoreaceae) and other Dioscorea spp.

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:

Above, the wings are brown with obscure post-discal and discal spots in darker brown. On the forewing, there are three white hyaline sub-apical spots in spaces 6,7,8. On the hindwing, the tornal area is whitened and there are black marginal spots at the end of veins 2, 3 and 4, and in some specimens, another spot at the end of vein 1b. Below, the wings are similarly marked as per above but with the whitened area on the hindwing extended to the basal area and almost to the costal margin.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:  
This species is common in Singapore and can be found in the forested areas in the Central Catchment and Bukit Timah nature reserves, and several other sites across the island. The adults are rapid flyers and are more active in the cooler hours of the day. As is the case for the other Tagiades species, the adults have the habit of perching on the underside of a leaf between flights, and with wings opened flat. The adults are often seen visiting flowers for nectar.

Butterflies Galore! : Plain Palm Dart

Butterflies Galore!
The Plain Palm Dart (Cephrenes acalle niasicus)

The Plain Palm Dart is one of two extant species of the genus Cephrenes in Singapore. Males of this species are often confused with the commoner Telicota species which are lookalikes and not easy to identify when in the field. However, the Plain Palm Dart is slightly more unique than the other species in that the females are purple-brown and can be distinguished immediately. The species can be found in urban parks and gardens, and is also quite regularly observed on Pulau Ubin, especially when there are flowering Syzygium trees.

This female Plain Palm Dart was photographed by ButterflyCircle member Loke PF. The butterfly is feeding on the flower of a common "weed", Bidens sp. Females are rarer than males.  The caterpillar of the Plain Palm Dart feeds on the common coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) and one of the "fan" palms (Livistonia sp).  The life history has been recorded here.

Butterflies Galore! : Archduke

Butterflies Galore!
The Archduke (Lexias pardalis dirteana)

The large, robust-bodied butterflies of the genus Lexias are forest-dependent species that seldom stray from the sanctuary of the forested nature reserves of Singapore. They are largely ground feeders, preferring to forage amongst leaf litter and fallen fruits on forest floor. Two of the three extant species of the genus display distinct sexual dimorphism in that the male and female look very different from each other.

This shot, taken by ButterflyCircle member Nelson Ong, shows a male of the Archduke feeding on some liquid nutrients on a tree trunk. The males are velvety black above with a prominent blue marginal border on the hindwing, which continues to the termen of the forewing. The Archduke is a powerful flyer and is usually skittish.

Butterfly of the Month - September 2013

Butterfly of the Month - September 2013
The King Crow (Euploea phaenareta castelnaui)

The first week of September saw another unprecedented flood in Singapore - this time on the western side of the island near the National University of Singapore. For the first time, an entire major expressway was completely shut down to all classes of vehicles for about 40 minutes. The Ayer Rajah Expressway, or the AYE was inundated by the sudden downpour in the early morning hours, and coupled with the high tide, caused the flooding of all four lanes.



This 'rainy season' that is known as the South-West monsoon has seen several wet days in September, including weekends, that caused ButterflyCircle members to be cooped indoors (rather unhappily) instead of going out on their regular outings. The 'Sumatras' as these seasonal monsoon winds are called, are forecasted to taper off in October as the inter-monsoon lull will hopefully bring better weather.



For the nature groups, the concerns over the 50km Cross Island MRT line that will start in Changi and end in Jurong will be given a short reprieve as the Land Transport Authority announced that a two-year Environmental Impact Assessment will be conducted to ascertain the impact on biodiversity and the habitats where the line cuts through MacRitchie Nature Reserve. Some initial thought-provoking questions can be found on this site. The NSS also published a position paper on the concerns regarding the initial soil investigation works, as well as the potential ecological damage that the underground tunnelling work may cause during the construction stage.



Dr Wee YC, the author behind the Bird Ecology Study Group, has also penned a series of articles showcasing the biodiversity that may be lost with the Cross Island Line, if it goes ahead as planned. His latest article is posted here. A site to showcase the biodiversity of MacRitchie forest, and to lobby concerned nature enthusiasts and anyone who shares the common cause has been set up. It's called the Love Our MacRitchie Forest site.



Our feature butterfly for the month is the largest species in the genus Euploea often referred to as the 'Crows'. The genus features large distasteful butterflies, usually black or blue, with white spots or stripes on their wings. The King Crow (Euploea phaenareta castelnaui) is the largest member of the genus, with a wingspan between 90-105mm.



The King Crow is a moderately rare species, although it can be regularly observed in local areas, particularly where its caterpillar host plant grows. It is often spotted in the back-mangrove areas of Pasir Ris Park, Pulau Ubin and even in urban areas in the vicinity of its host plant, the Pong Pong Tree (Cerbera odollam).



On the upperside the predominantly dark brownish-black butterfly features a series of violet-tinged apical spots on the forewings. There is a series of white marginal and submarginal spots on both wings. The spots on the underside are smaller although there are some individuals where some of these spots appear violet in colour.



On the upperside of the hindwings, male King Crows feature a raised scent patch in the cell, and there is a certain obvious discolouration at the tornal area of the hindwing. The forewing dorsum of the female is straight, whilst in the males, the forewing dorsum is strongly bowed. Females are typically larger, with a wider wingspan.



The King Crow flies slowly but can be alert and skittish. It tends to fly at higher levels amongst the treetops, stopping occasionally to rest with its wings folded shut. At times, the butterfly is observed to rest with its wings opened flat, as if to sunbathe. It can also be observed feeding on a variety of nectaring plants, and is particularly attracted to the flowers of the Syzygium trees.



The caterpillar host plants were previously planted as a roadside tree and in some housing estates. But in recent years, the tree has fallen out of favour, as the large apple-like fruits have been known to drop and damage parked cars, prompting the authorities to remove the Pong Pong as a roadside tree. It is now more often seen in backmangrove areas and parks, away from carparks.



The complete life history of the King Crow has been recorded in this blog here.  The photo below shows the eclosion sequence of the King Crow.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Sunny Chir, Khew SK, Loke PF, Bobby Mun, Horace Tan, Tan Ben Jin & Benedict Tay

ButterflyCircle : Embroidered Patch

ButterflyCircle
Embroidered Patch

ButterflyCircle members now have a new embroidered patch or 'badge' that they can wear proudly to display their membership of the group. The patch features the Common Tree Nymph, which is the 'mascot' on the logo of ButterflyCircle, resting on a green leaf. The group's tagline "A Tribute to Nature's Flying Jewels" frames the top of the circular patch above the butterfly. The group's name, ButterflyCircle, sits at the base of the circle, completing the design of the patch. The patch is made possible through the effort of ButterflyCircle member Simon Sng who designed and saw through the production of the patch.