Butterflies of Bukit Tinggi - May 2025

I have been up to this hill already four times this month and each trip would cost me RM14 excluding toll and petrol. Luckily each trip I have managed to get at least one / two lifers. RoI (Return of Investment) is only 14% but I heard RoI of 7% is already considered good - No?

Blue Dandy 

Laringa castelnaui castelnaui

While this species have been completely disappeared from my local patch, we saw at least 5 of them here.

Blue Dandy 

Laringa castelnaui castelnaui

Male

 

Simiskina, Deramas and Poritia are always on the top of my list cause most of them are either uncommon or rare.

Streak Blue Brilliant 

Simiskina pheretia pheretia 

Male 

Streak Blue Brilliant 

Simiskina pheretia pheretia 

Female 

Streak Blue Brilliant 

Simiskina pheretia pheretia 

Female 

Blue John

Deramas livens livens

Blue John

Deramas livens livens

Female 

Blue John

Deramas livens livens

This is only my second time seeing this Deramas.

Sumatran Gem

Poritia sumatrae sumatrae 

Sylhet Oakblue

Arhopala silhetensis adorea

This time there were a few Oakblues appearing and this is my lifer. 😍

Sylhet Oakblue

Arhopala silhetensis adorea

Common Green Oakblue 

Arhopala eumolphus maxwelli

Common Green Oakblue 

Arhopala eumolphus maxwelli

Common Green Oakblue 

Arhopala eumolphus maxwelli

Red Lacewing

Cethosia biblis perakana 

This one looks quite different than the one which I saw earlier.

A lexicon of skipper species can be found in this place.

Formosan Swift 

Borbo cinnara 

Formosan Swift 

Borbo cinnara 

White Palm Bob

Suastus everyx everyx

Common Wight / Moore's Wight

Iton semamora semamora

Clavate Banded Demon

Notocrypta clavata 

I think this skipper looks like a Ceylon Swift - 70% sure.

Parnara bada bada

A new skipper for me 😄

Pugnacious Lancer

Pemara pugnans 

Extra Spot Swift

Caltoris bromus bromus

Another lifer 😁

Extra Spot Swift

Caltoris bromus bromus

Extra Spot Swift

Caltoris bromus bromus

Narrow-banded Ace

Halpe elena

This skipper has been quite common at this hill lately.

Violet Four Line Blue

Nacaduba subperusia

Lifer but this one was identified by a pro.

Ambon Onyx

Horaga syrinx 

Only my second time seeing this Onyx.

Acacia Blue

Surendra vivarna amisena

Cornelian

Deudorix epijarbas cinnabarus 

Dark Hedge Blue

Plautella cossaea pambui

Great Helen

Papilio iswaroides curtisi.

Only my 2nd time seeing this species. First time was way back in Raub. It's closely resembles the Red Helen (P. helenus helenus) but this one is much bigger.

Here are some of the more common species.

Vagrant 

Vagrans sinha macromalayana

Vagrant 

Vagrans sinha macromalayana

White Imperial

Neomyrina nivea periculosa

First time seeing this White Imperial here. They are quite common at my local hill patch.

Malayan Albatross 

Salatera panda distanti

Spotted Spark

Sinthusa malika amata

They are quite small actually.

Spotted Spark

Sinthusa malika amata

THAT'S ALL FROM THIS  WONDERFUL HILL FOR THE TIME BEING !! 

CHOW !

Butterflies in April 2025 - Some lifers and surprises

Despite fewer trips in April, I am still able to showcase a few nice and rare species' photos. First up is this magical Deramas.

Deramas anyx (Eliot)

A young but experienced butterfly spotter took me to his secret place up in a hill recently. As we exit from the car, the first butterfly we saw was this super rare Deramas ! It was identified by an experienced entomologist. Apparently this Deramas has no common name yet. Perhaps it can be named as "Blue Mamat" 😄😄

Resting nearby to the above Deramas is this large skipper.

Coconut Skipper

 Hidari doesoena doesoena

This is not your ordinary Coconut Skipper. It is rarer as well as larger than the usual Hidari irava. 

Coconut Skipper

 Hidari doesoena doesoena

Apparently this ssp is only confined to the highlands (as per CP book).

Courtesan

Euripus nyctelius euploeoides f isina

This female form of Euripus is quite rare and if you consider a ssp as a lifer than this can be one.

Courtesan

Euripus nyctelius euploeoides f isina

It was seen up on the same hill as well.

Next up are some lowland species.

Malayan Count

Tanaecia godartii asoka

I don't have many shots of this pristine and uncommon female form.

White-beaked Sunbeam

Curetis felderi

Only my second time seeing this Curetis.

White-beaked Sunbeam

Curetis felderi

Luckily I was able to get a shot of its upperside otherwise identification can get more difficult.

White-beaked Sunbeam

Curetis felderi

After a few shots, off it went and never came back.

Long-branded Blue Crow

Euploea algea menetriesii

Note the two different wing colours.

Long-branded Blue Crow

Euploea algea menetriesii

This 'Crow' is less common as compared to other Euploea.

Long-branded Blue Crow

Euploea algea menetriesii

There were two of them.

Whitespot Palmer 

Eetion elia 

Not rare but only occasionally you will get to see this skipper.

Blue Line Brilliant 

Simiskina pharyge deolina

Already seen this species in a few places and the above was seen in Chongkak.

Common Jay 

Graphium doson kajanga

This 'Jay' is slightly less common than its other ssp - G. doson evemonides.

The Great Sergeant 

Athyma larymna siamensis

This is an uncommon Athyma.

The Great Sergeant 

Athyma larymna siamensis

This is only my second time seeing this species. The first time was in Genting. This one refused to come down.

Narrow-bordered Hedge Blue

Udara placidula irenae 

This 'Udara' was gotten from BT.

Falcate Oakblue

Mahathala ariadeva ariadeva

An unusual scientific name for an Oakblue instead of 'Arhopala'. 

Aberrant Oakblue 

Flos abseus abseus 

Another unusual looking one.

Buddha Oakblue 

Arhopala buddha cooperi (Evans)

Quite a regular feature at my local hill.

Dark Hedge Blue

Plautella cossaea pambui 

A tiny fella.

Little Maplet 

Chersonesia peraka peraka

After confirming its identity from another sifu, now I am more confident to differentiate the various Maplets.

This excellent skipper has reappeared again.

White Club Yellow Palmer

Zela excellens 

Last seen was on September 2024. This time it was found at a different site.

Chocolate Royal 

Remelana jangala travana

A splendid looking male.

This Ringlet has many common names.

Malayan Ringlet / Brown-banded Ringlet / Striped Ringlet

Ragadia makuta siponta

Apparently this species is absent from Singapore at the moment. So it looks like Singaporean spotters need to travel here to see it. 😛

Now I will show you a comparison of some lookalike skippers.

Common Palm Dart 

Telicota colon stinga

I strongly believe that it's a T. stinga. Can you see the small 'brand' there? Apparently only Telicota species has this mark.

Common Palm Dart 

Telicota stinga

It was busy with its lunch.

Common Palm Dart 

Telicota stinga

I took the opportunity to take as many angle shots as possible. Here is an upperside shot.

Hope I am correct with my diagnosis so far.

Chinese Dart / Confucius Dart

Potanthus confucius dushta

Joining the above Telicota is this Potanthus. 

Chinese Dart / Confucius Dart

Potanthus confucius dushta

They seem to like these flowers of the  'Spanish Needles' (Bidens pilosa / Bidens elba).

Chinese Dart / Confucius Dart

Potanthus confucius dushta

While they are happily nectaring, I took as many shots as possible.

Painted Jezebel 

Delias hyparete metarete

This Jezebel also came to join the party.

Tufted Jungle King

Thauria aliris pseudaliris

As I was climbing up the slope, this beauty stopped right in front of the track. 

Here is a rare surprise and another beauty.

Red Imperial

Suasa lisides lisides

Female

My first sighting of this species was at Gopeng and it was a distant shot. This one here is more friendly as it was just about 2 feet away and it was shot at my local patch some more ! This one is really rare. 

SO THAT'S ALL FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL ! HAPPY BUTTERFLYING !!