Some Butterflies from Bali - Part 1

This is my first visit to Bali, as what I usually did, I will take quick snap of any butterfly whenever I came across one.

The Common Evening Brown is the 1st butterfly I found at Ubud Town, it was found in a shop and the species appeared rather common in the evening Ubud street.

The Common Sailor at the resort area

Tiger Palmfly found at another resort, they appeared to be locally common, a few individual was seen engaging in some fighting and flying in-out the bushes.

A mating pair of Apefly from the same resort area

Coconut Skipper - found inside a Museum

A Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra) which is not so common - with upperside resembled those of Common Tiger. This forms are usually found at northern side of Malaysia. I found a similar one at Phuket Island many years back.

I was lucky that one of the tree in my villa was flowering and attracted quite a number of butterflies.

Striped Blue Crow

Slate Flash (Rapala manea)

Dark Caerulean

I was quite surprise to find the Chocolate Pansy (Junonia hedonia) at one of the temple at Ubud town. Good to know their east bound range was found all the way to Bali. In Malaysia, this species was replaced by Chocolate Soldier (Junonia iphita) after the northern side of Johore.Finally a species that not found in Malaysia and Singapore - Hypolycaenia sipylus.

Special thanks to Lemon Tea Yi Kai for helping to ID on some of the butterflies ;)

Partial Life History of Burara etelka etelka (Great Orange Awlet)

Partial Life History of Burara etelka (Great Orange Awlet)

Butterfly Description

The species is almost similar to the much common Orange Awlet but bigger in size. Both male and female looks alike with shades of orange on the underside. On the upperside, male is dark brown, female is with shiny blue on both wings.

The adult skipper of the Great Orange Awlet is rarely seen, likely due to being active at dawn and dusk habit. The caterpillars are more likely to be found in leaf shelters on its host plant, a common creeping plant in forest. 

Adult Butterfly wingspan: 60 mm

Caterpillar Host plant: Combretum sundaicum (Combretaceae)

Host plant: Combretum sundaicum

Caterpillar of Great Orange Awlet in the leaf shelter on its host plant

Early Stages:

The 4th instar caterpillar (collected from the wild) has bright yellow body, 3 dorsal black stripes, with 2 white band in between. Each body segment has a large black marking. The head is orange-red in colour with black marking at the center, and several strips across the head capsule. This instar take about 6 days.

4th instar caterpillar

The 5th instar caterpillars has dark colour body with a pair of bright yellow subdorsal spots on each body segment.

Two view of a 5th instar caterpillar

The 6th instar caterpillar has black-purplish body, with 2 prominent yellow spots at each body segment. This stage last for 10 days, with length up to 62 mm.

6th instar caterpillar. Length: ~45 mm

6th instar caterpillar. Max length up to 62 mm

Left: 5th instar head marking. Right: 6th instar head marking

At pre-pupa stage, the body of the caterpillar become much shorter to about 30 - 35 mm in length. Pupation take about a day and take place within the leaf shelter.

Pre-pupa of Burara etelka. Length: 30-35 mm

Pre-pupa of Burara etelka

The pupa secures itself with 2 sets of silk girdle (arrow A & B) to the leaf shelter, and a 3rd one attach its cremaster to a short transverse band on the leaf surface. The pupa is pinkish white and with 3 dash-line across the dorsal area of the pupa. 

Pupa of Burara etelka

Pupa of Burara etelka

Pupa of Burara etelka

The pupa turns dark brown on the 9th day, the body segments and wing pads are visible. Eclosion takes place the next morning.

Two view of the mature pupa

A newly hatched Burara etelka skipper

A newly hatched Burara etelka skipper

References:

• The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society
• Butterflies of Thailand, Pisuth Ek-Amnuay

Partial Life History of Arhopala major

Partial Life History of Arhopala major


Butterfly Description:
Wingspan: 34 - 36 mm.
The male is violet-blue on upperside wings.

The species is common and has been encountered regularly in the nature reserved. Typically they perch with it wings closed, under the heavy shade, near to their host plant.

Host plant Description:
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Macaranga gigantea

The host plant Macaranga gigantea can grows up to 15m tall with with spreading crown. The twigs is solid & thus does not house ants. The leaves are shallowly tri-lobed

Host plant: Macaranga gigantea. Showing the typical small plant.

Host plant: Macaranga gigantea. A very young plant with broad young leaves.

Host plant: Macaranga gigantea. Plant that badly infested by the caterpillar of A. major. Up to 10 final instar larvae found on the tree. 


Early Stages:
The caterpillar of Arhopala major feed on the young leaves of M. gigantea, attended by a species of ants (yet to be identified). During resting, the caterpillars have the habit of resting on the underside of leaf, near to the main ribs at the leaf base.

5ht instart caterpillar, side view.

5ht instart caterpillar being attended by ant which are interested in the dorsal nectary organ.

Pre-pupation stage, the body length gradually shortened and turn into yellow color. The caterpillar choose the spaces between leaves stack to pupate in home breeding environment. The caterpillar spinned a silk pad to which it attached itself via cremastral hooks, a silk girdle is built and attached at the abdomen of the pre-pupate larva.

A pre-pupa of A. major.

Another view of pre-pupa of A. major.

The pupa has a typical shape of most lycaenid species with length of 12.5mm. Light brown with numerous dark brown patches. The wing pads are more darker in color  After 8 days, the pupae matures and it external skin becomes transparent revealing the the bluish forewing upperside. The adult emerges in the early morning the next day.

Different views of a pupa

Mature pupa

Mature pupa

A newly enclosed A. major.

Another side of the wings (slightly deformed at the forewing)



References:

• The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society.
• Butterflies of Thailand, Pisuth Ek-Amnuay

Early Stage of Ypthima baldus newboldi (Common Five Ring)

Early stage of Ypthima pandocus corticaria (Common Three Ring)

eGuide to the Butterflies of Singapore

eGuide to the Butterflies of Singapore

After several months of wait, iPhone apps for Butterflies of Singapore finally ready to publish now available in App Store now!

This app features 263 species of butterflies from all 6 families (Swallowtails, Whites and Sulfurs, and Brush-footed, Metalmarks, Blues and Skipper) found in Singapore. With this apps, you can identify every species of butterflies in your gardens, parks and nature reserves with more than 600 well taken photographs.

  

Sample Screens on iPhone

You may use the app on your iPhone or iTouch or iPad anywhere, anytime. Internet connection is not necessary. With alphabetical list that you can scroll through and simple search tools, it’s easy to find the butterflies you are looking for.

Sample screen on iPad - photos and facts about the species

Sample screen on iPad (Landscape mode)

Looking for additional of 40 species in a upcoming update.

Contents
* Butterflies grouped in family
* Alphabetical list of butterflies with thumbnail images, common and scientific name
* Full colour photos of each butterflies
* Butterflies list sorted by common name
* Search by both common name & Scientific name
* Information on every species - habitat, size, color, status and more
* Nature Reserves and Parks information



Send me your suggestions, comments or requests. We also welcome submission of high quality photograph of butterflies and it will be make available to the rest of the users.

Patial life history of Melanocyma faunula (Pallid Faun)

Melanocyma faunula (Pallid Faun)

The butterfly is represented from Myanmar, Thailand & Peninsular Malaysia. It's a moderate size butterfly with wingspan of 90mm


During one of the visits to Malacca Butterflies Park in year 2007, a group of these caterpillars was found feeding on a Cycad palm.




5th instar caterpillar covered in fine hairs, with black head capsule.

The pupa is smooth, suspended by cremaster from the leaf of hostplant, and in bright yellow color.

Adult butterfly feeding on a pineapple, together with a Common Palmfly

Note:
In "Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula" by Corbet & Pendlebury ( 1992 ), plate 18, this species was wrong labelled Taenaris horsfieldii