Butterflies in December 2023

The month of December is usually coincide with the monsoon season over at this region. Hence less butterfly trips but I still managed to get a few lifers - thanks to the trip to FRIM on 30 December. Here are some of the photographic 'collections' for the month of December 2023.

Common Gem

(Poritia hewitsoni taleva) 

Dried-leaf Palmfly

(Elymnias saueri saueri)

Grey Baron

(Euthalia anosia bunaya)

Lifer of course.

Punchinello

(Zemeros flegyas albipunctatus)

You would hardly see this species opened its wings as wide as this.

Scarce Saturn

(Zeuxidia doubledayi)

This is an uncommon species.

Hoary Palmer

(Unkana ambasa batara)

Some say that this species is quite common but honestly I hardly see them.

Blue Pansy

(Junonia orithya wallacei)

This species is quite common in the coastal regions. Saw this male at Penaga, Penang.

                                                       
                          Pointed Palmfly                                 

                (Elymnias penanga) f. hislopi                      

           

                              Pointed Palmfly                                 

(Elymnias penanga) f. hislopi   

Common Jester

(Symbrenthia lilaea luciana)

Side View

Common Jester

(Symbrenthia lilaea luciana)

Top View

Unmistakable ! Some season butterfly spotters can even identify this species from its shadow !!

Rajah Brooke's Birdwing

(Trogonoptera brookiana albescens)

Malay Staff Sergeant

(Athyma reta moorei)

This is a top view of a Major Oakblue it seems.

(Arhopala major major)

 One of the most recognisable Arhopala  

          Yellow-disc Tailess Oakblue               

       (Arhopala perimuta regina)            

                                                  

                    Malayan Yellow-veined Lancer                                    Lesser Lancer                                       (Pyroneura latoia)                                             (Pyroneura flavia)     

Those are the three pertinent areas to look for if you wish to differentiate a Malayan Yellow-veined Lancer from other similar looking 'Lancers'.

Malayan Yellow-veined Lancer   

(Pyroneura latoia latoia)

White-banded Awl

(Hasora taminatus malayana)

Pygmy Posy / Lesser Posy

(Drupadia rufotaenia rufotaenia)

Sometimes you will get lucky shots like these ones.

Malayan Pied Blue

(Megisba malaya sikkima)

                                  

Orange Gull

(Cepora iudith malaya)

You will most likely find this in an inland forest.

Magpie Crow

(Euploea radamanthus)

Male

A close up photo of a nice specimen

Blue-banded Jungle Glory

(Thaumantis odana pishuna)

Striped Albatross

(Appias olferna olferna)

Female laying her eggs. 

My observation: She would usually deposit her eggs every where (on all the host plants in the vicinity) and not on a particular plant. The above host plant is a Cleome rutidosperma.

Narrow Striped Faun

(Faunis gracilis)

She usually stays at ground level.

 
  Autumn Leaf

 (Doleschallia bisaltide pratipa)

Both are males but notice the different colours?

Yellow Grass Dart

(Taractrocera archias quinta)

Suffused Flash

(Rapala suffusa barthema)

Orange-striped Awlet

(Burara harisa consobrina)

Malayan Dartlet

(Oriens paragola)

I think this one looks like a Halpe pelethronix or perhaps a Halpe wantona

Peninsular Ace or Swinhoe Ace

Finally my year-end lifer

Tree Flitter

(Hyarotis adrastus praba)

            

Butterflies in November 2023

For this month (Nov 2023) there were not many lifers but I saw many orangey coloured species appearing. A trip to a butterfly sanctuary in Selangor was enough to get some nice shots of some of them.

There are at least eight different species of butterflies in this frame alone. So excited to see them puddling together.

A sea of yellow butterflies.

They would puddle where ever there are minerals for them to absorb.

(Cirrochroa malaya malaya)

This species has no common name yet. You can name it after yourself if you wish :-) 

Here it is again with a Palm King (Amathusia binghami)

The Cruiser

(Vindula dejone erotella)

I believe it is a V. dejone rather than a V. erota. From the above photo you can see that its tail is longer and sharper than a V. erota.

Another male Cruiser (Vindula dejone) I believe.

Malayan Yeoman

(Cirrochroa emalea emalea)

This 'Yeoman' is much more common than the above two.

The Wizard

(Rhinopalpa polynice eudoxia)

A seldom seen upperside and I got 300+ likes for this photo.

The Wizard

(Rhinopalpa polynice eudoxia)

Male

The Wizard

(Rhinopalpa polynice eudoxia)

Female

Orange Albatross

 (Appias nero figulina)

Orange Albatross

 (Appias nero figulina)

Orange Albatross

 (Appias nero figulina)

Orange Gull 

(Cepora iudith malaya)

Orange Gull 

(Cepora iudith malaya)

Felder's Hedge Blue

(Lycaenopsis haraldus haraldus)

Male

Dark Hedge Blue

(Plautella cossaea sonchus)

A comparison

                           
                   Common Hedge Blue                                              Dark Hedge Blue                        

          (Acytolepis puspa lambi)                                   (Plautella cossaea sonchus)           

Malaysian Albatross

(Salatera panda distanti)

Plain Puffin

(Appias indra plana)

Plain Puffin

(Appias indra plana)

Male (more common than female)

The Singleton

(Una usta usta)

A Singleton with a Dark Hedge Blue

Chestnut Angle 

(Odontoptilum angulatum)

Lesser Caerulean

(Jamides talinga)

I believe this a Ceylon Blue Glassy Tiger instead of a Blue Glassy Tiger

(Ideopsis similis persimilis)

Once awhile you will get to see this flat.

Fulvous Pied Flat

(Pseudocoladenia dan dhyana)

Tawny Rajah

(Charaxes bernadus)

Even the colour of its eyes are the same.

Yellow Archduke

(Lexias canescens pardalina)

Malayan Viscount

(Tanaecia pelea pelea)

Female

Palm King

(Amathusia binghami)

Cyclops Bushbrown

(Cupala mnasicles perna)

 

               Common Faun                                                   Narrow Stripped Faun          

                         (Faunis canens)                                                     (Faunis gracilis)                           

Moore's Wight

(Iton semamora)

(Chersonesia rahria rahria)

Greater Wavy Maplet

Malayan Eggfly

(Hypolimnas anomala anomala)

Koh-i-noor 

(Amathuxidia amythaon dilucida)

Striped Jay - background

(Graphium bathycles bathycloides) 

Lesser Jay - front

(Graphium evemon eventus)

Lesser Jay 

(Graphium evemon eventus)

Dark Jungle Glory

(Thaumantis noureddin)

   

Dark Blue Jungle Glory

(Thaumantis klugius lucipor)

Female

Blue Catseye

(Coelites epiminthia)

Lastly this one is probably the highlight of November collections.

At first it was at the edge of the jungle trail. Didn't see it until the last minute. It then flew down to the nearest tree trunk.

I then continue with my trek further ahead. On my way back I noticed something on the ground. Its blue upperside caught my attention.

Blue Begum

(Prothoe franck uniformis)

Male

It was also engrossed with its meal that I was able to approach it very close.

Blue Begum

(Prothoe franck uniformis)

Male

SO THAT'S ABOUT IT FOR NOVEMBER 2023 'COLLECTIONS'. NOT MANY LIFERS BUT PLENTY OF NICE PHOTOS.