Inaugural Butterfly Spotting Trip - 9 January 2021

This was my maiden field trip strictly just for butterfly. Three of us set out at about 9.15am in a slightly overcast looking sky. (note: usually butterflies don't come out very early in the morning so there is no need to venture out so early like some birders do). Destination was a nearby forest in Hulu Langat, Selangor, West Peninsular Malaysia. All in all we spotted close to 25 species/sub species of butterflies (i.e including skippers). I scored two lifer butterflies myself on this trip. Here are some of their photos.

      Yellow Glassy Tiger (Parantica aspasia)

                                                         (showing its upper wing patterns)

 Yellow Glassy Tiger (Parantica aspasia)

   (showing its under wing patterns which is quite similar as its upper wings albeit less intense in color)

Club Silverline (Spindasis syama)

Quite a common forest edge butterfly

My fist lifer

Purple-streaked Catseye (Coelites euptychioides)

Despite coming out in the open, it still looks quite dark overall.

More often than not you will only see a flash of bright blue thing flying across the jungle trail.

My second lifer albeit a blurry one

I think it could be a Zebra Ringlet (Ragadia critolaus). It was seen at the same trail as the above 'Catseye'.

Dark Blue Jungle Glory (Thaumantis klugius)

It was also seen inside the dark gloomy trail as the above butterflies.

Banded Tree-Brown (Lethe confusa)

This tree-brown was seen foraging on a wet forest floor.

Common Three-Ring (Ypthima horsfieldii)

I think the above skipper could be a 'Rice Swift' (Borbo cinnara)

Correction: the above skipper is actually a 'Contiguous Swift' (Polytremis lubricans)

                                            Chestnut Bob (Iambrix salsala)

                   

                                                        Common Faun (Faunis canens)

                                                  Lesser Darkwing (Allotinus unicolor)

                                                                    To be identified blue

(note: the above butterfly could be 'Poritia philota philota' (Malayan Gem). Thanks to Monsieur Liew.

                                    This could be a Chocolate Demon (Ancistroides nigrita)

I think the above skipper could be a 'Purple Tufted Lancer' (Isma protoclea)

Correction: the above skipper is actually a 'Malay Forest Bob' (Scobura phiditia)

Status: Rare

Merci beaucoup Monsieur Liew !

I believe the hobby of butterfly watching / butterfly spotting is going to be a popular sport in the near future in this region. With that there should also be more field trips organised in the future. Fingers crossed.

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.