Butterflies of Bukit Tinggi - Jan 2025

I have been to this hill many times, both as a tourist as well as a nature explorer. This hill is actually not as high as Fraser's Hill (FH). Its just about 800 meters asl as compared to FH which is about 1400 meters asl. In terms of butterfly species count and like other hill stations, it would depend on the weather as well as the flowering season. In this trip, I have been quite lucky to see many species at one go ! Some of them are quite rare and a few lifers too naturally. Like many people would say: "been at the right place and at the right time". The 'right time' here not only means at the right day/date but it also means at right moment when the flowers are blooming at their peak.

I will start this post with my first lifer.

Red Lacewing 

Cethosia biblis perakana 

Female

She was seen fluttering casually amongst the lantana flowers. Sampling one petal at a time.

Red Lacewing 

Cethosia biblis perakana 

She was seen near to a tourist spot. 

Red Lacewing 

Cethosia biblis perakana 

Like I have mentioned before, Cethosia species seems to just love the Lantana flowers.

Red Lacewing 

Cethosia biblis perakana 

I watch her for a couple more minutes before she moved further down the ravine searching for more flowering nectar to fill her belly.

Common Castor 

Ariadne merione ginosa

The day was cloudy and it did rained for awhile in the morning. After the rain stops, out came this uncommon Castor. 

Common Castor 

Ariadne merione ginosa

It was seen on the ground instead.

This Blue was actually the first butterfly I saw. It was seen just by the roadside.

Blue Pansy 

Junonia orithya wallacei

Male 

At that time, the flowers of Siam Weed (Chromolaena odorata), were blooming everywhere at this place. This Blue Pansy species which is more common in the lowlands / coastal regions is the first I have seen so high up on a hill.

Blue Pansy 

Junonia orithya wallacei

This female Blue Pansy was however, seen nearer to the earlier Red Lacewing.

Blue Pansy 

Junonia orithya wallacei

This is the second male seen nearby. There were enough flowers for both of them.

Here is a species which has long disappeared from my local patch but this one looks quite different. It has a more darkish upperside and not bluish.

It looks like a Banded Dandy (Laringa horsfieldii) I honestly believe.

A few Aces were also seen nearby.

Dark Banded Ace

Halpe ormenes vilasina

Narrow-banded Ace

Halpe elena 

This Halpe is my new lifer.

As I make my way to the second location, I saw this Lemon trying to squeeze herself into some thick bushes.

Lemon Emigrant

Catopsilia pomona pomona f. pomona

Lemon Emigrant

Catopsilia pomona pomona f. pomona

 She has also became my new lifer :-) 

This second location was slightly lower than the first one and it has a different set of species. 

Great Egg-fly (Hypolimnas bolina)

A magnifique photo of this great one.

Bifid Plushblue

Flos diardi capeta

Darky Plushblue

Flos anniella anniella

Both the above Flos were seen nearby to each other.

Acacia Blue

Surendra virvarna amisena 

Acacia Blue

Surendra virvarna amisena 

Looks like we have a male here.

Unlike Taylor Swift, this is quite an uncommon swift.

Malayan Swift

Caltoris malaya

Lesser Posy

Drupadia rufotenia ryfotenia

The last location was a jackpot ! This was where I saw many more species. Luckily the sun came out at the right moment too. There were many skippers at this place.

Narrow-branded Palm Dart

Telicota ohara jix

Oblique-branded Dart

Potanthus rectifasciatus 

I believe this is an uncommon Skipper/Dart.

Oblique-branded Dart

Potanthus rectifasciatus 

It is quite large too.

Detached Dart

Potanthus trachala tytleri 

This skipper can be found in lowlands too.

This one below here is my lifer skipper.

Dark-branded Ace

Caltoris brunnea caera

Not everyday you see a skipper takes on Lantana flowers.

Dark-branded Ace

Caltoris brunnea caera

Quite a large size skipper.

Dark-branded Ace

Caltoris brunnea caera

As you can see, there are basically only two types of flowers available at that time i.e Lantana and Siam Weed. Not many choices to choose from but they (the butterflies) don't mind cause they are probably very hungry up there.

Dark-branded Ace

Caltoris brunnea caera

Couple Yellow Ace

Halpe flava

another lifer for me.

Couple Yellow Ace

Halpe flava

When photographing a skipper, try your best to get all angles so that identification of the species can be made easier.

Couple Yellow Ace

Halpe flava

The closer and sharper the photo, the better will be the identification.

White-tipped Palmer

Lotongo calathus calathus

Amongst all the skippers here, this fella is the friendliest. It allows me to get very close to it.

Magpie Crow 

Euploea radamanthus

A very common species near the forest edges and hill sides.

Another great one.

Greater Wavy Maplet

Chersonesia rahria rahria

There were a few Brownies seen and this one is my lifer.

Common Brownie 

Miletus chinensis learchus

Like the case of most Brownies, it flies non stop.

                                                                      
                           Common Brownie                       

                                   Miletus chinensis learchus                                 

So I took a couple of in-flight shots hoping that one day it might just come down to rest.

Surprisingly it did.

Common Brownie 

Miletus chinensis learchus

Apparently, according to the literature, this Miletus are usually found at the higher elevations. So this location seems to fit its description.

Lingering not too far away was its slightly larger cousin.

Giant Brownwing 

Miletus gigantes

Dark Hedge Blue

Plautella cossaea pambui

At this location, I saw three variations of Autumn Leaf at one sitting.

Autumn Leaf

Doleschallia bisaltide 

 

                                                                                     
                                 Autumn Leaf                                       

                                 Doleschallia bisaltide                                        

They all look different all right.      

Here's a not so common Nacaduba.

White Four-line Blue

Nacaduba agusta keriana

Common Rose

Pachliopta aristolochiae asteris

Competing nearby for the flowers was this Birdwing.

Common Birdwing

Troides helena

Common Birdwing

Troides helena

They were really territorial when it comes to food. It flew away and took a rest after 'jostling' with the above Common Rose.

When the above two left, this 'Crow' came.

Dwarf Crow

Euploea tulliolus ledereri

Dwarf Crow

Euploea tulliolus ledereri

This is probably the only place where you will have a higher chance to see this lil crow.

This one looks like a Yellow Flash (Rapala domitia domitia)

It was quite skittish and it didn't stay long. After the above shot, it left the place for good.

Burmese Lascar

Lasippa heliodore dorelia

Here is another lifer

Cambodian Lascar

Lasippa tiga cambodia

This is a rare Lascar I believe.

I will wrap up this post with another two new lil lifers.

Apefly

Spalgis epius epius

It's quite a small butterfly at 1.0cm and believe me, it's not common.

Lastly, another small lifer at just 1.1cm.

Pale Mottle 

Logaria marmorata damis

Surely this is also an uncommon species.

Nice flowers but no takers from the 'butts'.

This was how it looks like in the morning.

All in all I believe I saw at least 20 species and 7 - 8 new species of butterflies. I have even omitted some Yellow Grass, Ypthima and Nacaduba from my list. If I have stayed longer for another day who knows I might add a few more but I guess I will save it for the next trips. Plan your trips well and go for the jackpot.

Butterflies in January 2025

Its new year again. January came and gone very fast. In the early parts of the month it was raining quite a lot. However, I still managed to score many lifers up on a hill than the lowlands. Here are a few interesting ones which I saw in the lowlands.

Fulvous Dawnfly

Capila phanaeus ferra

From the many photos of this species out there, I noticed that most of them do not have the white spots on their hindwings as compared to this one. Even CP book shows both male and female have dark spots. However, a few photos from Thailand did show photos similar to the above. Hence, it looks like there are many questions to be answered here - was it just a variation, was this a descendant from the Northern side like the Julia heliconian or could it be a new subspecies? My lifer of course and not many local butterfly spotters here have seen it I believe.

Purple Broken-band Oakblue 

Arhopala alitaeus mirabella

Not really a sharp photo but just good enough to ID this Oakblue.

Slowly but surely my Arhopala count will rise. Here is another lifer.

Buddha Oakblue

Arhopala buddha cooperi

I didn't expect to see this species at lowland as most its photos depicted in iNaturalist were captured quite high up like in Fraser's Hill.

Here is a major find I think.

This Mycalesis was seen inside a primary forest in the state of Pahang. It was seen alone beside a stream. From its underside features, they appear to point to this species. Apparently this species is very rare in Peninsular Malaysia.

Horsfield's Bushbrown 

Mycalesis horsfieldi hermana

This one looks like a female.

Yellow Grass Dart 

Taractrocera archias quinta

This is only my second time seeing this Dart. The first time was with a group of butterfly spotters in FRIM, Kepong.

Dartlets like most skippers can be difficult to ID if we don't see their pertinent features.

This is a Ceylon Dartlet.

Oriens goloides

                                                                                      
                                              Ceylon Dartlet                                                 

                 

           Oriens goloides             

Aberrant Oakblue

  Flos abseus abseus

Aberrant Oakblue

  Flos abseus abseus

                                                          

                      Large Long-banded Flitter                                          Plain Tufted Lancer        

                         Isma umbrosa umbrosa                                               Isma iapis iapis

Common Duffer

Discophora sondaica despoliata

Male

Black-veined Tiger

Danaus melanippus hegesippus

Yellow Orange Tip

If you refer to CP's book, the above looks like the Ssp Ixias pyrene birdi bicoloured female. 

Rajah Brooke's Birdwing

Trogonoptera brookiana albescens 

Rajah Brooke's Birdwing

Trogonoptera brookiana albescens 

All were males this time.

Here's a new addition.

Chestnut Bob

Iambrix salsala 

Small Branded Swift

Pelopidas mathias mathias

This one I believe I am about 98% correct.

Forest White

Udaiana cynis cynis

Female

A highly localised species.

This is another forest citizen.

Banded Blue Pierrot

Discolampa ethion thalimar 

Female (upperside dark - no blue at all). It was seen at Taman Negara.

THAT'S ALL FOR THIS MONTH !