Butterfly of the Month - March 2017

Butterfly of the Month - March 2017
The White Banded Awl (Hasora taminatus malayana)

March seemed to have come and (almost) gone in a flash. This is the last Saturday of the month, and I almost forgot to showcase our feature butterfly for this month on the blog! March seemed like a short month, after all the Lunar New Year festivities and holidays in February came to an end, and everyone settled back to work.

For homeowners who still hold outstanding loans, the US Fed hike in March caused a bit of concern for these SIBOR-linked borrowers. With two more impending rate hikes under the Trump administration in the coming quarters, the days of low-interest loans may be numbered. It will be interesting to see how the global economy changes in these turbulent times. A friend recently shared that business is booming back in the US, and she was swamped with work piling up for the months to come.

A White Banded Awl feeding on the flower of Ixora (top) and puddling on damp concrete (bottom)

This month, I tried the GrabCar app for the first time - ironically, back in my hometown in Penang where I was visiting my parents. This transportation platform, like the more ubiquitous Uber, is one of the disruptive technologies that has radically changed the face of public transportation. I must say that my maiden experience with Grab was largely positive and hassle-free. I merely clicked on the app, set my destination, and the designated car details and driver were sent to me.

Other than a small hitch where the driver missed my pickup location (and I could see on my smartphone tracking his car, that he went off to an adjacent road), the car arrived in about 10 minutes flat from the time I clicked 'confirm booking' on my smartphone. The driver was a Malaysian Indian who was in between jobs. He was polite and very knowledgeable about current affairs and recent news in Malaysia and Penang. All in all, the ride was pleasant and I reached my destination in good time. The best thing was that Grab's fixed fare was only 55% of what a normal taxi would have cost!

Back home in Singapore, I took possession of my new "toy" - a DJI Mavic Pro.  This new high-tech drone (or some prefer to call it 'flying camera') is pretty awesome technology. My first impression of this Chinese-designed-and-manufactured drone was that the finish and quality of the product exceeded all expectations. The amount of technology in the hardware and software is mind-boggling and I am still discovering new things about the drone.

Unfortunately, Singapore is a small island and the number of no-fly-zones and regulatory requirements limit the number of places that one can legally fly the drone. Hopefully, some of these regulations can be relaxed a bit so that responsible recreational drone pilots can help to document Singapore in a totally different perspective and for a variety of useful applications from urban planning to building inspections.

This month, we feature a pretty skipper, the White Banded Awl (Hasora taminatus malayana). This species belongs to the subfamily Coeliadinae of the family Hesperiidae. The subfamily features a number of robust, fast-flying, fat-bodied butterflies commonly referred to as the Awls or Awlets. Many of the species are crepuscular, often seen on the wing in the early hours of the morning and late in the evenings just before dusk.

A typical pose of the White Banded Awl, playing hide-and-seek from under the shelter of a leaf

The White Banded Awl is a forest-dependent species, usually found in the nature reserves in well-shaded localities. It has a habit of flying rapidly and is often observed to settle on the underside of a leaf with its wings folded upright. Once disturbed, it takes off at high speed to search for another hiding place to rest on the underside of a leaf again.

A pristine White Banded Awl puddling on damp concrete

The species is also known to puddle on bird droppings and sometimes found puddling on damp building structures (concrete or wood) in the early morning hours. Occasionally, it is also found feeding off sap on damp tree trunks with its long and distinctive proboscis. When certain forest trees flower, e.g. Syzygium spp. the White Banded Awl may be seen zipping rapidly amongst the flowers and stopping to feed on the nectar.

The male White Banded Awl is dark velvety brown above and unmarked, whilst the female has small pale yellow post-discal spots on the forewings. The underside is pale brown with the wing bases strongly suffused with iridescent bluish-green scales. There is a narrow but distinct white post-discal band on the hindwing. In a side light, the bluish sheen makes it an attractive looking skipper and distinctively different from the majority of brown and sombre looking butterflies in the family.

The White Banded Awl's 'baby photo'

The caterpillar of the White Banded Awl feeds on Derris trifoliata (Sea Derris), a host plant that it shares with at least two other species of butterflies in Singapore.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Sunny Chir, Khew SK, Koh CH, Loke PF, Nelson Ong, Jonathan Soong and Horace Tan

Awls of Singapore : Part 2

Awls of Singapore : Part 2
Featuring the Awl skippers in Singapore


A Plain Banded Awl puddles on a terracotta tile floor

In Part 2 of the Awls of Singapore, we take a look at the remaining four species of skippers bearing the name "Awl" in their English Common names. As mentioned in Part 1 last week, the use of an everyday object (at least in the past) for the name of a butterfly is uncommon. The awl is, after all, a tool with a pointed tip used to make holes in leather or thick fabrics.

A White Banded Awl puddling at a concrete table

We now feature the four remaining species of the extant Awls found in Singapore - all of which belong to the genus Hasora. These are robust-bodied skippers that prefer the shaded forested areas and are usually more active in the early morning and late dusk hours of the day. They can also be found feeding on flowering plants or puddling on bird droppings and damp forest logs, footpaths and brick walls of buildings within the forested areas.

4) The Common Banded Awl (Hasora chromus chromus)

The Common Banded Awl is a relatively rare species but is widely distributed across Singapore, from the nature reserves to urban parks and gardens. It is a rapid flyer and more active in the early hours of the morning, where it zips across heavily shaded habitats, sometimes on tree trunks, feeding on the moisture of the morning dew. It can sometimes be found puddling on bird droppings, or feeding on flowers of trees like the Spicate Eugenia (Eugenia zeylanicum).

Typical behaviour of the Awls - hiding under a leaf

The upperside of the Common Banded Awl is dark brown in the male and unmarked, whilst the female has two crescentic spots on the forewings. On the underside, the base colour is a dull purple-brown with the white discal band usually narrow and outwardly diffused. The underside of the basal area of both wings is washed with a dull purple-blue sheen under certain lighting conditions. Forewing typically without an apical spot in space 6 of the forewing in the male, but in the female, there may be apical spots in spaces 6 and 7 on the forewing. The hindwing marginal white line extends indistinctly to the apex. The caterpillars have been successfully bred in Singapore on Pongamia pinnata.

5) The Plain Banded Awl (Hasora vitta vitta)


A Plain Banded Awl perched on a coconut tree trunk

The Plain Banded Awl appears very similar to the Common Banded Awl, and identification is often difficult in the field. It shares the same habits as its other cousins in that, when disturbed, it hides under a leaf with its wings folded upright. She species has been spotted at urban parks as well as in shady forested areas. A swift flyer, the Plain Banded Awl also displays crepuscular habits and regularly observed feeding at flowering trees and puddling.



Plain Banded Awls feeding on flowering plants

The Plain Banded Awl is dark brown above with a single prominent pale yellow sub-apical spot on the forewing of the male, whilst the female has additional large hyaline spots on the forewing. The underside is pale brown with the inner half of the hindwing having a bluish-grey glaze. The white post-discal band is usually broader than the Common Banded Awl. The hindwing marginal white line starts at the tornal area and generally ends at vein 3. The caterpillars have been successfully bred in Singapore on Spatholobus ferrugineus.

6) The White Banded Awl (Hasora taminatus malayana)



Like its other relatives, the White Banded Awl is mainly found in shady forested areas in the nature reserves. It also displays the habit of hiding under a leaf with its wings folded upright. Once disturbed it takes off at high speed to search for another hiding place. It is also found puddling on damp footpaths and walls of buildings in the vicinity of the nature reserves.



The male White Banded Awl is dark brown above and unmarked, whilst the female has small pale yellow post-discal spots on the forewing. The underside is pale brown with the wing bases strongly suffused with a bluish-green sheen. The white post-discal band is always narrow. The caterpillars of the White Banded Awl have been successfully bred on Derris trifoliata.

7) The Yellow Banded Awl (Hasora schoenherr chuza)



Yellow Banded Awl hiding under leaf (top) and puddling at a clay brick wall (bottom)

The Yellow Banded Awl is considered rare and usually encountered singly in the forested nature reserves of Singapore. It has the same habit of the other Hasoras of flying rapidly and then settling on the underside of a leaf to hide. It is often observed to puddle on bird droppings and other animal excretions and also fond of damp walls and tree trunks.



The Yellow Banded Awl is dark brown above with four sub-apical pale yellow spots, together with hyaline spots to form a confluent band. The hindwing has a broad yellow discal band. The underside is similarly marked but with lighter wing bases. In certain side lights, the apical and marginal areas on the underside of the wings may appear deep purple. The caterpillars of this species have been bred on Spatholobus ridleyi and Kunstleria ridleyi.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Loke PF, Nelson Ong and Horace Tan.

Mahua 2020 - Part 2

Travelogue - Mahua 2020 : Part 2
Back to Mahua Waterfall in Sabah


The pretty Kinabalu Lass perching on a leaf.  This species is endemic to Borneo and one of our favourite butterflies of this trip

Day 4 (12 Feb 2020) : Mahua Waterfall


The scenery from the back entrance of our dormitory that greeted us every morning

Everyone was up and about just after 7am. The problem with the dormitory's wooden plank flooring was that whoever wakes up early and walks around the dormitory, the footsteps resonating on the wooden floor is likely to wake everyone, except the deepest sleeper, up! A quick breakfast of coffee, buns, cup noodles and hard-boiled eggs, we were ready to go!

The signature Mahua waterfall view that must have been taken thousands of times by visitors

As David had not had his chance at shooting the Kinabalu Swordtail, we decided to stay at the Mahua Waterfall again, and not explore further afield in the Tambunan area. By this time, we were all very familiar with the routine, and off we went to the area near the Ranger Post, looking for the early morning Swallowtails and Skippers. It was only about 8:15am when Cheng Ai spotted the Silky Owl floating about at the treetops, but it stayed out of reach.

A White Banded Awl that came down to puddle for us

At the dining shed, we spotted a bluish skipper that was puddling on a damp patch on the floor. It was a White Banded Awl (Hasora taminatus malayana) that was cooperative enough to allow us to take multiple shots of it as it fed on the moisture. It was a relatively pristine individual, and the pretty iridescent blue-purple sheen of the wings was a sight to behold.

Two common morning skippers that are found in the garden around the Admin Building

Out in the undergrowth area in the garden surrounding the Admin Building, a Banded Demon and a Bright Red Velvet Bob frolicked amongst the Asystasia flowers, flying rapidly from flower to flower to feed on the early morning nectar, and then stopping to sunbathe in the sunshine. The skies were generally clear, compared to the previous day, but still cloudy. The weather looked more promising than the previous day, and we headed for the Mahua Waterfall in anticipation of more species to shoot today.

The underside of a male Black Prince that was commonly seen around the Mahua Waterfall

The Malayan Oakleaf was regularly seen at the Changing Rooms/Toilets area near the waterfall

As the trail to the waterfall was largely in the shade where the sunshine had not penetrated yet, there was little activity other than the usual species that we encountered the previous days. When we reached the Changing Rooms/Toilets just before the waterfall, the Black Princes, Malayan Oakleaf and Dark Archdukes were up and about.

A Quaker feeding on a wildflower

A number of Quakers were flying around the wildflowers, and presented good photography opportunities as they were still lethargic in the cool early morning air and the flowers provided their source of nectar for the day.

A record shot of the Bornean Birdwing ovipositing and the caterpillar host plant, an Aristolochia sp.

As the sun rose and many areas in the forest understorey began to be illuminated by the warm sunshine, more butterflies stirred. A lone female endemic Troides andromache andromache fluttered across the stream and kept returning to a particular tree. Although it did not stop for a good shot, it fluttered higher up and suddenly adopted the usual ovipositing pose. It was then I realised that I was just standing next to its caterpillar host plant, an Aristolochia vine. It was just awesome to watch this magnificently large Birdwing that can be found only in Borneo.

The Bornean Mormon (top) and Kinabalu Bluebottle (bottom) are endemic to Borneo

As the sun shone brightly overhead, the Mahua Waterfall area became busy with puddling Papilionidae. The endemic Kinabalu Bluebottle (Graphium procles) were the first to appear, and two of them puddled long enough to keep all of us busy. They were joined by yet another endemic, the Bornean Mormon (Papilio acheron), puddling alongside other Papilionidae and Pieridae species.

A group of four Dark Mapwings puddling


The Great Sergeant was seen many times on our trip

The Dark Mapwings (Cyrestis maenalis) that were elusive in the previous days, came out in numbers to puddle at the damp area near the waterfall. After awhile, they were so friendly that they grouped together and puddled for a "family shot". They were joined by another Great Sergeant and the Kinabalu Swordtails.

A Yellow Puffin puddling near the waterfall

A Yellow Puffin (Appias cardena cardena), initially very active and skittish, finally settled down to puddle and allowed us to take shots of it at close range. A couple of other Appias were flying around, but none as cooperative as this Yellow Puffin. A less-than-perfect Kinabalu Swordtail joined in the fun, but by this time, we were more choosy and looked for more pristine butterflies.

Tawny Rajah puddling

Meanwhile along the trail back to the Ranger Post, a lone Tawny Rajah (Charaxes bernardus cybistia) was puddling on the wet ground. There were quite a few on our previous trip, but this time around, there appeared to be fewer.

A Great Mormon and Common Bluebottle puddling at the carpark area

And out at the carpark puddling area, a Great Mormon was helping itself to the liquid nutrients, and a Malayan Crow just scooted off as we approached it. A Common Bluebottle also came down to puddle.

It was late afternoon as the clouds starting coming in again and the environment was cooler, and a couple of Red Helens and a male Wanderer stayed to feed on the Impatiens flowers. We went back to the dormitory and headed back to town for dinner. Interestingly, we could buy fresh vegetables from the 'pasar malam' nearby and then pass it to the cook to prepare our "customised" dinner!

Day 5 (13 Feb 2020) : Exploring Trus Madi Forest Reserve and Molunggung Post Control

The final stretch of road leading to the Trus Madi base camp and to the forest reserve and the mountain peak beyond

We decided to take a break from Mahua on this day, and explore further afield to see if there are other locations where we can find more species of butterflies of Borneo. I recalled that in Tambunan town, there was a sign that pointed to a "forest reserve" somewhere. So after our usual breakfast, we set off and headed towards Tambunan to look for this forest reserve.

At the roundabout at Tambunan Town, look for the TrusMadi Forest Reserve sign

At the roundabout at Pekan Tambunan, we found the signboard that pointed to TrusMadi Forest Reserve, so we headed in that direction. We had never been in this area before, and there were very few vehicles heading in that direction. Perhaps it was a weekday. We followed the road signs until we reached an area where the paved road stopped and the road ahead was covered with gravel. We assumed it was the end of the road but there was no forest reserve to be found.

A Malayan Crow, a species that was common at the Trusmadi access road

Cheng Ai asked a contractor working at the area for directions and we found out that the TrusMadi Forest reserve was indeed in that direction, along about 6km of gravel road. So we decided to see what this place looked like. There were no regrets hiring the Nissan X-Trail, as the SUV was able to move on the loose gravel road with relative ease. Along the way, we spotted some "Crows (Euploea spp) puddling so we stopped to investigate.

Upperside of a Three Ring, a species that was common along the road edges and often ignored by our photographers

We spotted what appeared to be several individuals of the Malayan Crow (Euploea camaralzeman) and took some time to chase and shoot them amongst the roadside shrubbery. A small side trail also yielded a couple of shots of a Three Ring (probably Ypthima pandocus sertorius). We then continued our drive along the gravel road.

A Malayan Crow with open wings as it puddled

It ended at a closed gate indicating that it was the end of the road for us. After parking our car at the roadside, we went to the guard post and spoke to the person. We were told that the park was under "repairs and renovations" and he wasn't sure for how long. However, he told us that there was a waterfall some 3 km from this checkpoint and Trus Madi was popular with nature trekkers and hikers.

A Parantica luzonensis praemacaristus puddling at the concrete and gravel area leading to the Trusmadi base camp

Mount Trusmadi or Trus Madi (Malay: Gunung Trusmadi) is a mountain located at the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It is considered as the second highest mountain in both Sabah and Malaysia at 2,642 metres (8,668 ft), after Mount Kinabalu with Mount Trusmadi offering a tougher climbing challenge than the latter.

As we could not proceed further, we just scouted around the guard post and noticed that the area around the access road that was recently concreted attracted a number of Danainae, which kept us busy for a while. We saw the Malayan Crow, Dark Blue Tiger, Striped Blue Crow, Yellow Glassy Tiger and one of the local Parantica.

The Molunggung Ranger Post and some facilities 

After shooting our fill of the Crows and Tigers, we headed off the mountain trail and went to look for another location which the rangers at Mahua described to David. After about an hour's drive, we found the junction to Jalan Kg Tikolod and took a 10 km drive from the junction to another ranger post called Molunggung Post. It was a series of huts that were quite similar to the ranger post at Mahua. After speaking to the staff there, we were told that this ranger post was the start of a long forest trek called Jalan Garam (or Salt Road) that will take 2-3 days to complete.

David balances on the the rock "bridge" to cross the wide stream


The Salt Road or Jalan Garam map. The entire route will take 2-3 days of trekking according to the staff whom we spoke to

We crossed the stream to the start of the Jalan Garam trail and started walking. It was a narrow trail and heavily shaded - not the best of conditions for butterfly shooting. The trail appeared to be very damp, probably from the rain the previous day, and there was not a single butterfly spotted as we walked in further. The trail has good potential if it was a hot sunny day, especially if there is a good clearing further along. We bookmarked this trail for a future expedition.


At the Jalan Garam, the trail is narrow and sometimes slippery

As it stayed overcast, the potential of encountering butterflies was low along Jalan Garam, and we backtracked to the ranger post after about 30 minutes. As we reached the clearing next to the Ranger Post, the sun broke through for a while and there was some butterfly activity around the area.

Different views of the endemic Kinabalu Lass (or Bornean Sapphire) at the Molunggung Post

We saw some Cruisers, Great Mormons, Red Helens (one of which oviposited on a lime tree), and some common species. But what kept us busy for nearly most of our visit here was a single endemic Kinabalu Lass (Heliophorus kiana). It kept returning time and again to a few favourite perches and posed to allow us to shoot its underside and upperside as it opened its wings to sunbathe.

A group shot before we left the Molunggung Post

A shot of the Restoran Tambunan where we had dinner for 4 consecutive nights

The sky was cloudy and we decided to head back to Mahua. A quick walk into the Mahua forest trail didn't yield anything of interest, and we washed up and headed back into Tambunan for our dinner at our regular kopitiam, having made a special reservation for the dishes the previous night.

Day 6 (14 Feb 2020) - Mahua Waterfall

Glorious blue skies greeted us on our final day at Mahua!

After our adventure yesterday, we decided to spend our final day of this trip at Mahua Waterfall. After our usual breakfast, we suited up and got ready to head out to our very familiar hunting grounds for the past week. The weather gods must have taken pity on us and rewarded us with glorious blue skies and strong sunshine. The Plain Banded Awls were back at the dormitory and flying actively around, and they were our first 'targets' for the day.

A sunbathing tattered female Great Mormon

At the carpark, a tattered female Great Mormon flew past and settled with open wings to catch the sun's warmth before fluttering off. A Malay Baron perched on a high leaf on a nearby tree and took off as soon as I tried to get near. It was a glorious day (finally!) and we looked forward to more activity at the waterfall area.

The sunshine warmed up the trails to the Mahua Waterfall

We quickly made our way into the forest trail and up to the Mahua Waterfall. As the sunshine broke through the thick canopy, butterflies started stirring out of their cool slumber and flutter around to sunbathe on the sunlit spots amongst the leafy foliage in the forest.

A male Rajah Brooke's Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana brookiana) glided past, displaying its resplendent black and iridescent green wings that never fail to impress. This species doesn't appear to puddle in congregations over here in Sabah, unlike its cousin, subspecies albescens over in West Malaysia. A Cruiser puddled along the trail, and the males were relatively common throughout our stay at Mahua.

Upper (top) and underside (bottom) of the Club Beak

I spotted a Club Beak (Libythea myrrha borneensis) foraging amongst some rocks, but it was doing so with half-opened wings. Normally, this species stops with its wings folded upright, and getting a glimpse of its uppersides is only when it flies. This one stopped to puddle with its wings slightly opened, showing a more attractive side to it compared to its striated and rather unattractive undersides.

Shooting the puddling butterflies at the waterfall area! 

A Kinabalu Swordtail pudding on a mossy rock

As the environment in the humid forest became warmer, butterfly activity increased. Our favourite Papilionidae, the Kinabalu Swordtail showed up time and again to tease us, and at times, stopped long enough for everyone to have our fill of shots of this beauty. The Red Helens were so common that they became sort of an irritation when we were trying to isolate our target butterfly species (that didn't include them!)

More photos of the endemic Bornean Mormon and Kinabalu Bluebottles

The Bornean Mormons (Papilio acheron), endemic to Borneo, proved to be as common as our previous trip. Occasionally, 5-6 individuals puddled together. Here, Cheng Ai managed to shoot a trio puddling together. The Kinabalu Bluebottles also joined in the puddling, giving the Papilionidaes the lion's share of the puddling grounds.

Classic shots of the Green Dragontail at Mahua Waterfall

Just past noon, we spotted a familiar dragonfly-like movement zipping around the other larger butterflies. A Green Dragontail (Lamproptera meges meges) appeared. After its initial skittishness, it finally settled down for a good long drink, and as the sun shone strongly above, it opened its wings to show off its upperside and distinctly green band which distinguishes it from its close cousin, the White Dragontail.

The Himalayan Jester puddling

There were several Sergeant species (Athyma spp) around, and this cooperative Colour Sergeant stayed long enough for us to get some shots of it. Several Great Sergeants also came down to puddle, but most of us had enough shots of this species on this trip, and they were very much ignored. A Himalayan Jester (Symbrenthia hypselis balunda) kept our photographers busy trying to get shots of its pretty underside patterns. David also spotted a Yellow Flat (Mooreana trichoneura trichoneura) puddling on a patch of green moss.

The endemic Bornean Sawtooth was spotted on 3 of the 5 days we were at Mahua

Out at the carpark puddling ground, we spotted the Bornean Sawtooth again. As usual, it was skittish and flew strongly around the puddling area, finally stopping long enough for more shots of this endemic species. The afternoon sun sapped our energy, as we took a quick break and lunch. As it was too hot out in the open, we made a final trip into the forested trail and waterfall.

A male Rajah Brooke's Birdwing showing off its black and green wings as it puddles

The same species were still around and we stayed to take more shots of them. A male Rajah Brooke's Birdwing finally stopped long enough to puddle and posed a challenge to us to get this large butterfly all in focus as it flapped its wings almost non-stop.

Our delicious dinner at the Mahua Rainforest Paradise on our final night of our stay at Mahua

The afternoon wore on, and it was time to call it a day. This was our fifth full day on this outing, and hopefully, everyone got their fill of butterflies and enjoyed the trip. After washing up, we stayed at the Mahua Rainforest Paradise for dinner. We decided to have an easy evening as we prepared for our departure the next day.

A group shot at the dinner table at Mahua Rainforest Paradise's dining hall

The food prepared by our hosts was quite good, and for the first time, we had a non-Chinese meal after five evenings at Tambunan town. Dinner was wolfed down in record time, and we went back to the dormitory to start packing for our trip home tomorrow.

Day 7 (15 Feb 2020) - Mahua Waterfall to Kota Kinabalu to Singapore

A final look at the Admin Building of the Mahua Rainforest Paradise and our Nissan X-Trail, all packed and ready to go!

We were up bright and early, and most of us were already packed and ready to go. Reality began to hit again, as we read news of the COVID-19 spread in Singapore, and the number of cases in recent days. We had a quick breakfast, and checked our rooms to ensure that we have not left anything behind.

Our friendly companion dog came out to bid us farewell

Walking around the garden, it was photographs time as we took selfies, wefies and group photos. We bade farewell to the hospitable staff at Mahua and our friendly 'guardian' dog that kept us company through our stay (in exchange for some yummy food scraps, including a can of premium dog food). After piling our luggage into the X-Trail, we set off on the journey back to Kota Kinabalu.

The final group shot at the entrance to the trail to the Mahua Waterfall

Our flight back to Singapore was as uneventful as before, although all of us wore surgical masks at the airport and on the flight (just in case). As the plane took off, I took a glimpse of Mt Kinabalu and the Crocker Range, and fond memories of our week in the forests around Mahua and how we enjoyed Sabah's Flying Jewels. I'm sure that we will be back here again someday not too far in the future.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by David Chan, Khew SK, Lim CA and Loh MY