Butterflies in Jan 2021

The monsoon season has continued unabated. Mornings are usually cloudy with some light drizzle or heavy rain. Butterflies usually only comes out when the weather is hot and humid. Here are some of them that I managed to captured on pixel recently.

Common Nawab (Polyura athamas)

                                                                       

Common Nawab puddling on some loose soil

Rustic (Cupha erymanthis lotis)

Malayan Tailed Judy (Abisara savitri savitri)

Salt licking on a shoe print.

Great Egg-fly (Hypolimnas bolina bolina) 

Common Posy (Drupadia ravindra moorei) - female

Common Posy (Female) - spreading its upper wings

Common Posy (female) showing both sides of wings

Chocolate Pansy (Junonia iphita ida)

(note: photo id credit to Monsieur Liew)

Malayan Six Rings (Ypthima fasciata)

(note: photo id credit to Monsieur Liew)

According to Monsieur Liew, this is most likely a Striped Blue Crow (Euploea mulciber)

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021 !

Glorious Butterflies of Northern States - Dec 2020

As the end of year is drawing nearer, another chapter of our adventures are reflected in our life. No one knows when the pandemic will end but life goes on. It is a monsoon season here at the moment. Most butterflies would avoid a wet weather but we do get some when the sun comes out. Here are just a handful to conclude this year's 'collections'.

Pandita sinope sinope (Colonel)

Side View

Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon agamemnon)

It was certainly not easy to take the photo of a Tailed Jay unless it is resting. I think its upper wings pattern is much more vibrant than its under wings.

Junonia iphita iphita (Chocolate Soldier)

The above specimen was photographed at a forest edge near Gombak.

Singing the blues

A tiny lil brownish butterfly. I think it's most likely a "Common Line Blue" (Prosotas nora superdates).

The above 'Blue' is most likely a "Lesser Darkwing" (Allotinus unicolor unicolor) identified from its jagged hindwing). This one was photographed in Gombak forest area.

The above butterfly looks like a Common Three Ring.

Common Snow Flat (Tagiades japetus ravi)

Flats can be easily photographed if you encountered them but they are not as common as you think. 

So long 2020. Hope 2021 will bring more joy to the world.

Julia Heliconian (Dryas iulia modesta)

Like the Leopard Lacewing (Cethosia cyane) and Tawny Coster (Acreae terpsicore), this butterfly named Julia Heliconian (Ssp Dryas iulia modesta) is a non-native butterfly in Malaysia. It is said to have originated from South America (Costa Rica to be exact) and probably an escapee from some butterfly farms in a neighbouring country before moving southwards. In Malaysia, it was first reported at Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi in 2009 by a few Singaporean butterfly spotters. In 2014 it was then reported to have reached Petaling Jaya and four years later the species finally reached Singapore. 

(ref info: https://butterflycircle.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-julia-heliconians-samba-continues.html?m=1)

This butterfly recently visited my garden for the first time.

With its bright orangey color, I believe this should be a male.

It went from one pot to another.

Here is a look at its under wing which is less vibrant. Unfortunately it did not stay long.

WHAT A BUTTERFLY !

Butterflies of Peninsular Malaysia - July 2020

It has been raining cats and dogs in the evenings over here. The only window of opportunity to see wildlife here is in the morning. Here are a few butterflies seen lately.

Psolos fuligo (Brown Bob)

Here is the underside of Brown Bob

Chocolate Albatross

Common Banded Demon

Malayan Jester (Symbrenthia hippoclus selanagorana)

Apparently this butterfly is quite rare in this region

So as this one below

Straight Pierrot (Caleta roxus)

The above butterfly was my lifer butterfly - first time seeing it.

THANK YOU.

Butterflies of Peninsular Malaysia - June 2020 (Part 2)

The Cruiser (Vindula erota erotella)

At 4.3 cm, it's quite a large butterfly.

In most butterflies, their upper wings pattern and colors are more outstanding than their underwings.

Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe)

Very common in neighbourhood gardens.

Stripped Albatross (female)

(Appias libythea)

Another common garden butterfly.

Stripped Albatross (male)

(Appias libythea)

I don't see them pairing like the birds although they are close by.

Eooxylides tharis (Branded Imperial)

Although common, this butterfly seldom venture out in the open.

It will usually stick to the thick bushes along the jungle trails.

Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon)

This butterfly can be quite common in your garden.

The only problem  with this butterfly is that they seldom stay still and they fly quite fast as well

Common Imperial

It's more common in the jungle trails than in the parks

One of its main features is that its upper tail is longer than the lower tail 

Plain Hedge Blue (Celastrina lavendularis)

Another forest butterfly

Puddling on the road

This should be a Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra) - distinguished by the white costal spot at its hindwing.

Here are some quite rare butterflies which i have encountered recently

Scientific name: Amblypodia narada taooana

                           Common name:     "Blue Leaf Blue"                                          

I had to rely on local butterfly expert i.e Monsieur Liew to identify the above butterfly.

Another uncommon butterfly or rather skipper

Darpa striata striata (Striated Angle)

It was seen resting on a wild banana plant leave.

Elbowed Pierrot (Caleta elna elvira)

The above butterfly was identified with the help of friends in the "Butterflies of Peninsular Malaysia" FB group. It is slightly different from 'Straight Pierrot' (Caleta roxus) in that the latter's forewing band is straighter and its black blotches appear darker than the above butterfly.

A Plain Hedge Blue (1.6 cm) puddling together with Elbowed Pierrot (1.7 cm)

The Commander (Moduza procris)

The above photo could have been better if the surface was smoother

Royal Assyrian (Terinos terpander)

Not easy to find a Royal Assyrian with its wings opened like this. Most of the time they are clasped.

Until we meet again - Au Revoir !

Butterflies of Peninsular Malaysia - June 2020 (Part 1)

It appears that the month of June could be the best month to watch butterflies over here. Many were seen during this time and in view of this i shall break up the post into two parts.

In this Part 1 of the post, the butterflies here were seen from early June. Most of them were located at the jungle edge or trails.

There were lots of swallowtails seen lately

Common Rose

These "Common Rose" (Pachliopta aristolochiae) butterflies are slow fliers. Hence one could easily take their photo while they are flying.

Despite their commonality, they are reported as a lowland forest edge dweller. Over in this region, they are represented by the Subspecies "Losaria coon" or commonly known as "Common Clubtail". 

This one (below) is a "Common Mormon" (Papilio polytes) 

The above is a male Common Mormon

This butterfly species are very common in ones' garden. The above is a female Common Mormon.

The next frequently seen butterfly in the month of June is the "Chocolate Albatross"

The above is a male "Chocolate Albatross" (Appias lyncida vasava)

Many of them seem to like this "Lantana Camara" flowers.



Like the Swallowtails, Chocolate Albatross are slow fliers as well.

The above Chocolate Albatross could be from one of those "dry-and-wet" season forms which this butterfly species also features.

I am already feeling the blues.

This could be a Jamides caeruleus (Royal Cerulean) but I will leave this "Blue" confirmation to the experts.

Malayan Viscount (Tanaecia pelea pelea) - female



Last but not least, here is a male "Blue Pansy" (Junonia orithya wallacei)

Apparently "Blue Pansy" are more common in the Northern states of Peninsular Malaysia. It has been recorded from the state of Perak, Penang and Kedah. The above Pansy was seen near a beach in Kedah.  

Stay tune for Part 2 of the series.