A Butterfly Heaven - April 2022

In this little location near a cave in Perak, it hides a "treasure" full of butterflies. This site alone hosted almost 20+ species of butterflies or maybe even more.

If you travel from KL towards north, you will see this familiar hill. This is where the butterfly heaven is located. Here are some of the butterflies which I have manage photographed in just half a day spent at the site.

Let me start with this skipper.

This skipper is a "Restricted Demon" (Notocrypta curvifascia corinda)

Next - the above is a "Dark Yellow-banded Flat" which scientific name sounds like this Celaenorrhinus aurivittata (Moore). If you are not aware, the word "Tata" in Indian means grandfather :-)

This butterfly can be a bit tricky because it has a few closely related subspecies. However the above I believe is a "Wavy Maplet" (Chersonesia intermedia intermedia).

Here is its side view.

Looks a bit like the Malayan Punchinello. But this one is much smaller and more orangey in color.

Here is another tricky butterfly which has a few mimicries. 

At a glance you might think it is a "Papilio", or perhaps an "Elymnias" but this is a Malayan Eggfly (Hypolimnas anomala anomala)

A side view of a female Malayan Eggfly

Here is the frontal view

This place hosted a good number of skippers. Here are a few more seen.

This is a "Bush Hopper" (Ampittia dioscorides camertes)

The above is a "Contiguous Swift" (Polytremis lubricans lubricans)

This skipper raised many question marks but I hypothesis it as an Isma damocles (Bright Long-spot flitter).

This is most likely a "Pugnacious Lancer" (Pemara pugnans)

Here is a butterfly which has not many colours.

Naturally it was called a "Black Prince" (Rohana parisatis siamesis)

Looks like its underside has more patterns than its upperside.

This is a female Euploea mulciber mulciber (Striped Blue Crow). So lucky to see this one because a female Striped Blue Crow is uncommon in the field.

In the open areas, you can also see a few nice butterflies.

This one is a Malaysian Albatross (Saletara liberia distanti)

When it is flying, it resembles a bit like a Chocolate Albatross from the top.

 

The Banded Angle (Odontoptilum pygela pygela)

This is a rather uncommon flat which you can only find in the forest edges.

The Common Snowflat (Tagiades japetus atticus)

Besides the uncommon butterflies, there are also some common ones. 

This Dark Grass Brown (Orsotriaena medua cinere/ medus) photo was taken under a shade hence its very dark colour which looks almost black.

Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis vulgaris macrina)

Another one taken from under a shady tree.

This one on the other hand is called a Dark Glassy Tiger (Parantica agleoides agleoides)

Lesser Grass Blue (Zizina otis lampa) 

Ciliate Blue (Anthene emolus goberus)

Even with only half of its wings opened, it was still a beauty to behold.

Burmese Cerulean (Jamides philatus subditus)

This is also another beauty.

I have seen "Wizard" a few times before but apparently they are considered an uncommon butterfly in the literature. They can only be seen in the forest regions though.

The Wizard (Rhinopalpa polynice eudoxia)

Some people would prefer to look at its upperside.

Here it is again. This time on another butterfly shooter's shoe. Mr Liew came all the way from Penang and I think he saw more butterflies on that day cause he stayed back a bit longer than me.

Tufted Jungle King (Thauria aliris pseudaliris)

Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra tinctoria)

Three is a company

Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe hecabe)

Lesser Darkwing (Allotinus unicolor unicolor)

This one looks like a worn out Dark Brand Bush Brown (Mycalesis mineus macromalayana)

Like most people would say, save the best for the last. This unique butterfly is the best of the lot.

White Dragontail (Lamproptera curius curius)

Its antenna is curved backwards as you can see from the above photo.

It also has a unique flight pattern which resemble like a helicopter.

I left for home a happy person after finally seen this beauty.

NOTE: although this place has produced many species of butterflies but my second trip there only scored 5 species due to a slight drizzle. So it is always a good to check with the weather man before embarking your journey to this lovely site. But one thing for sure, I will certainly return to this place whenever I can.

Butterflies in April 2022

Butterfly activities have shot up quite a bit due to a few trips which I have managed to conclude including one to a new place in Gopeng, Perak. Also saw a number of new butterflies which added up my tally of butterflies seen and photographed to nearly 300 species.

Here is the first new ones.

Autumn Leaf (Doleschallia bisaltide pratipa)

It is probably an uncommon butterfly.

Aberrant Oakblue (Arhopala abseus abseus)

The underside pattern of this butterfly looks a bit like some "Flos" species but the white spot at space 1a of its hindwing confirmed its ID. Another uncommon species.

Here is another lifer.  Narrow Striped Faun (Faunis gracilia). This species is much rarer than its closer and more common relative - the "Common Faun" (Faunis canens). This butterfly was seen deep in a jungle trail in Hulu Langat. 

Copper Flash (Rapala pheretima sequeira)

This butterfly was said to be quite common in certain locations.

Sumatran Bob (Arnetta verones)

This skipper is reported to be absent in Singapore at the moment.

This looks like a Spotless Bob (Idmon distanti) I think. It is much smaller than the above skipper.

Spotless Bob (Idmon distanti)

Peablue (Lampides boeticus) 

Reportedly to be a migrating butterfly. So when in season, you might find them abundantly in certain locations.

Pale Four Line Blue - Nacaduba hermus swatipa (Corbet)

There are a dozens of Nacaduba species here and a lot of them look alike which make them quite difficult to identify at times.  

Here are the more common butterflies.

Cycad Blue (Luthrodes pandava pandava) - formerly known as Chilades pandava pandava)

Common Hedge Blue (Acytolepis puspa lambi)

Ciliate Blue (Anthene emolus goberus)

This is an uncommon butterfly but its ID has yet to be ascertained. Experts however reckoned that it could be a female Curetis regula (Regular Sunbeam).

This one looks like a Small Branded Swift (Pelopidas mathias mathias)

Small Branded Swift (Pelopidas mathias mathias)

Fulvous Pied Flat (Pseudocoladenia dan dhyana) - male

Fulvous Pied Flat (Pseudocoladenia dan dhyana) - female

Unfortunately both the above male and female was seen almost 50 km apart.

I believe this is a Ixias pyrene birdi and not verna (Yellow Orange Tip)

Same butterfly as above with a slightly open upperwings.

Common Snow Flat (Tagiades japetus atticus)

It has a whitish underside as depicted in the above photo.

Same fella but photo was taken under a shady foliage, sampling some 'snakeweed' flowers.

First time seeing a Grass Demon (Udaspes folus) sunning itself and its upperside looks different when in direct contact with the sunlight.

Here it is again under a shade.

Back to the forest. Here is a species of Arhopala which is the most common of them all.

Yellow-disk tailless Oakblue (Arhopala perimuta) 

The Lance Sergeant (Athyma pravara helma)

This Athyma is only common in the forest regions.

Another common butterfly but it is only common in the plains and country side. 

Striped Albatross (Appias olferna olferna) - male

I believe this is a Long Brand Bush Brown (Mycalesis visala phamis)

A pristine looking Archduke (Lexias pardalis dirteana) 

A fine looking male Common Posy (Drupadia ravindra moorei)

One of my favourite butterflies besides Nawabs but you don't get to see them so often as well.

Malayan Tailed Judy (Abisara savitri savitri)

If you come across the above Malayan Tailed Judy, you might also come across the following butterfly because their habitat are the same.

                                           
                     Female                                                               Male                          

                                        

                                       Malayan Plum Judy (Abisara saturata kausambiodes)

Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra tinctoria)

The above palmfly photo was taken in a swampy area in Penang mainland.

This could be a moth caterpillar because it looks very hairy.

Finally this butterfly has eluded me several times but this time I have got a good look at it.

Silver Forget-me-not (Catochrysops panormus exiguus)

This butterfly is reported to be an uncommon insect. Here it is seen on top of  some Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica) flowers.

DO STAND BY FOR MY NEXT BUTTERFLY PHOTOS AT GUA TEMPURUNG. UNTIL THEN FORGET ME NOT AS IT SAYS !