NParks Butterfly Count 2015

NParks Butterfly Count 2015
Pre-Survey Training Sessions 

The NParks Butterfly Count 2015 is a citizen science initiative, organised by NParks in collaboration with ButterflyCircle, to get Singaporeans involved in collecting valuable information about the butterflies in our parks and gardens.

Butterfly class in progress!

With the data collected from many survey transects from the various parks around Singapore, information on the distribution about butterflies can be pieced together to enhance park management and conservation measures. For example, if a park has a low butterfly count, more host and nectaring plants could be cultivated at the park to attract more butterflies.

NParks' Zhou Boyi sharing the key features to look out for when trying to ID butterflies

Members of the public, corporate, community and school groups are encouraged to sign up to participate in the island-wide butterfly count, focusing mainly on parks and gardens in Singapore. For participants who are new to butterfly identification, three sessions of basic butterfly identification and survey methodology were held in August to help these participants familiarise themselves with butterflies and how to ID them.

After the basic one-day training, participants will then be assigned to a designated park nearest to their homes to conduct the butterfly survey. The survey period will be over a week from 5 - 13 Sep 2015. The data collected will then be submitted to NParks for analysis which will result in management strategies to improve butterfly diversity in our parks.

Attentive students in class

ButterflyCircle members were involved in two of these training sessions for the NParks Butterfly Count 2015. Each training session had about 60+ participants with knowledge about butterflies ranging from total beginner to intermediate. The first session was held on 2 Aug at Singapore Botanic Gardens. The session started with a lecture about butterflies - some background information, morphology, interesting features, behaviour, early stages, other interesting data, etc. NParks' Zhou Boyi also presented a series of slides on butterfly identification and the features to look out for in the different species of butterflies.

The audience ranged from young kids to senior citizens. Everyone listened intently and a few were curious enough to ask many questions about butterflies. As it was a hot sunny day, everyone was raring to go out to show off their newfound skills in identifying butterflies. Each group, led by ButterflyCircle facilitators, took two transects to record their sightings of butterflies. ButterflyCircle veterans Federick Ho, Koh Cher Hern, Loke PF and Chng CK led their respective groups with NParks staff.

Everyone look up!  There's a butterfly fluttering somewhere up in the trees!

It was fun as each group tried to record as many butterflies as they could. One comment from a participant was that, in the field, there was an added dimension of the characteristic of how different species have different flight patterns. Also, it was difficult to identify a fast flying butterfly or to be able to see the diagnostic features of the butterfly to ID it confidently.

Butterfly survey well under way

The second training session was held on 15 Aug 2015, also to another group of enthusiastic participants. Questions came fast and furious in the lecture room at Ridley Hall of the SBG. The younger participants were quick to pick up the differences between the lookalike butterflies, whilst the older members in the audience scrutinised their reference sheet carefully.

Mr Foo and the Seletar CC gang leading a group of 'students' on a survey transect

This session was facilitated by ButterflyCircle members Simon Sng and Huang CJ, but also in attendance was the founder of the Seletar Country Club's Butterfly Garden, Mr Foo Jit Leang and his enthusiastic bunch of knowledgeable lady members. The groups were assigned by NParks' Zhou Boyi, and off we went to our designated transects to start with the survey.

Basic rules of the Pollard Method of surveying butterflies. Image © NParks

Using the Pollard Method of survey, each group tried to document as many species of butterflies and the numbers of individuals spotted over each transect. Each short 200m transect took about 20 minutes to survey, and each group tackled two different transects at SBG to try their hand at surveying butterflies and recording the data in a simple format prepared by NParks.

NParks Zhou Boyi showing the group how to use the SGBioAtlas app

We hope that the short training session to identify about 20 common urban species would whet the appetites of the groups, enough for them to independently survey the parks in the vicinity of their homes. From 5-13 Sep, the official surveys will commence, and the participants who signed up for the survey can conduct their surveys on any of these days. Information to record include the weather, time of survey and the numbers and variety of species spotted.

SGBioAtlas app where field sightings of butterflies can be recorded by anyone! Image © NParks

Besides regular surveys conducted in the parks, NParks invites members of the public to submit photos of butterflies they have seen through the SGBioAtlas app (available on iTunes and Google Play Store) between 5 – 13 September to help us document the various butterfly species living around us. The SGBioAtlas app allows sightings to be geotagged and locations where the butterfly was encountered to be saved and subsequently submitted. It also has a comprehensive butterfly field guide to help users identify the species of butterfly spotted.

A happy group led by ButterflyCircle member Chng CK after their successful outing!

So to all the survey participants out there, go out and have fun and try your best to document all the butterflies that you spot in your nearby parks. A good day to be out there would be on Polling Day on 11 Sep. After casting your vote, head out to your nearby park and enjoy the extra public holiday whilst doing a bit of volunteer service to help NParks make our parks more butterfly-friendly for everyone to enjoy!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Chng CK, Huang CJ, Khew SK, Loke PF, Simon Sng and Zhou Boyi.

Life History of the Bamboo Paintbrush Swift

Life History of the Bamboo Paintbrush Swift (Baoris farri farri)

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Baoris Moore, 1881
Species: farri Moore, 1878
Sub-species: farri Moore, 1878
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 36-40mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plants: Bambusa_heterostachya (Poaceae; common name: Malay Dwarf Bamboo), Bambusa vulgaris (Poaceae, common names: Common bamboo, Buloh Minyak, Buloh Kuning).

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:

On the upperside, the wings are dark brown. The forewing has hyaline spots in spaces 2-4, 6-8 and 2 cell spots. The female is usually fully spotted and has an additional non-hyaline spot in space 1b on the forewing. The hindwing does not bear any spot, but the male has a black hair tuft in the cell on top of a scent pouch (hence "Paintbrush" in its common name). On the underside, the wings are pale brown and similarly ``spotted'' as per the upperside.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:

The Bamboo Paintbrush Swift is moderately rare in Singapore. Sightings typically took place in parks, urban gardens and forested areas where clumps of bamboo are growing in the vicinity. The swift-flying adults are relatively large and have been observed to vist flowers for nectar and perching on leaves to sunbathe in sunlit conditions.

Early Stages:

The Bamboo Paintbrush Swift has been bred on two bamboo spp., namely, Bambusa heterostachya and Bambusa vulgaris. Several other bamboo species, yet to be identified, also serve as the larval host plants. The caterpillars feed on leaves of these bamboo spp. and live in leaf shelters formed from cutting/folding leaf fragments.

Local host plant #1: Bambusa_heterostachya.

Local host plant #2: Bambusa vulgaris.

The eggs are laid singly on the upperside of a leaf of the host plant. Each dome-shaped egg is whitish with a small reddish patch at the top where the micropyle is situated. The basal diameter is about 1.8-1.9mm.

Two views of an egg of the Bamboo Paintbrush Swift.

It takes about 4-5 days for the egg to hatch. The young caterpillar eats just enough of the shell to emerge, and has a length of about 3-3.2mm. Its pale yellowish body is cylindrical in shape and has a tuff of few moderately long setae at the posterior end. The head capsule is black. A black collar mark can be found the dorsum of the prothorax. The newly hatched nibbles away most of the egg shell remnant before proceeding to construct its first leaf shelter.

Two views of a mature egg of the Bamboo Paintbrush Swift with the larval head visible through the hole.

A newly hatched caterpillar in its very first leaf shelter.

The body turns yellowish green after the caterpillar has a few sessions of the leaf diet. By the time the caterpillar lies dormant for its moult to the 2nd instar, its length has reached 6-6.5mm. The 1st instar takes about 4-5 days to complete.

Two views of a 1st instar caterpillar, length:5.1mm.

A late 1st instar caterpillar, dormant prior to its moult, length:6.3mm.

The 2nd instar caterpillar has a pale yellowish green body, and the head capsule is still black. The black collar mark on the prothorax has faded to become almost indistinguishable. This instar lasts about 3-4 days with the body length reaching about 9.5-10.5mm.

Two views of a 2nd instar caterpillar, early in this stage.

Two views of a 2nd instar caterpillar, length: 8.8mm.

The 3nd instar caterpillar still has a black head capsule but its body is now whitish with a slight hint of yellowish green. There is no longer any trace of the black collar mark on the prothorax. This instar lasts a total of 3-4 days with the body length reaching about 14-15mm.

Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, newly moulted.

Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, length: 14.8mm.

The 4th instar caterpillar resembles the 3rd instar caterpillar closely. The body appears to be more whitish than that of the 3rd instar. This penultimate instar lasts 4-5 days with the body length reaching up to 24-25mm.

Two views of a newly moulted 4th instar caterpillar, length: 13.8mm.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 20mm.

As in the 4th instar, the 5th instar caterpillar has a whitish body with a slight yellowish green undertone. In a prominent change, its head capsule is now mainly white but black along the periphery and various sulci (groove/furrow). Two bold and black stripes rise from the adfrontal area. The anal plate is unmarked as in the all previous instars. This final instar takes about 6-7 days to complete with the body length reaching 40-41mm.

Two views of a newly moulted 5th instar caterpillar, length: 20mm.

Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar, length: 30.5mm.

Towards the end of 5th instar, the body of the caterpillar shortens in length and body colour assumes a uniform shade of pale lime green. It seeks out the underside of a leaf blade and forms a shallow but half-open shelter with silk threads at both ends. The body excretes a moderate amount of white waxy material at this stage. Within the shelter, a silk girdle and a silk pad are then spun. Once the caterpillar attaches its claspers to the silk pad, it enters the dormant prepupatory phase which lasts about one and a half day.

A dormant pre-pupa of the Bamboo Paintbrush Swift.

The pupa secures itself with the silk girdle and with its cremaster attached to the silk pad. It has a short thorax, a rather long abdomen, a moderately long. The marking-free body is lime green in the thorax and wing pads but more yellowish green in the abdomen. Length of pupae: 33-36mm.

Two views of a pupa of a male Bamboo Paintbrush Swift, length: 25mm.

Two views of a mature pupa of the Bamboo Paintbrush Swift.

Six to seven days later, the pupa turns mostly black and forewing spots are noticeable in the wing pads. The next day, the adult emerges from the pupa.

A newly eclosed Bamboo Paintbrush Swift.

References:

• [C&P4] The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society, 1992.
• Butterflies of Thailand, Pisuth Ek-Amnuay, 2nd Edition, 2012.
• A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Singapore, Khew S.K., Ink On Paper Communications, 2010.

Text by Horace Tan, Photos by Frederick Ho, Koh Cher Hern and Horace Tan

Butterfly of the Month - August 2015

Butterfly of the Month - August 2015
The Blue Spotted Crow (Euploea midamus singapura)

It's the month of August already! We're into the 8th month of 2015, and it's a month of celebrations for our little red dot island in the sun. On 9th August, Singapore celebrates its 50th birthday after independence. How far we've come from being a sleepy colonial trading outpost to the vibrant economic powerhouse whose GDP per capita is one of the highest in the world.

Fireworks display at the National Day celebrations

There have been numerous articles and discussions about Singapore during the past week and leading up to the Golden Jubilee celebrations, highlighting the little island state that has punched way above its weight (or, in Singapore's case, size) in terms of economic success. A little island of just above 700 sq km with virtually no natural resources, it has recorded a stellar rise in the standard of living since its separation from Malaysia back in 1965.

Singapore night skyline showing the Marina Bay Sands complex

Today, Singapore boasts some of the most modern infrastructure in Southeast Asia, with its economy humming along relatively healthily for a developed country. Its order (things work efficiently!), security, clean & green environment are some of the attributes that residents of Singapore are thankful for. Despite a reputation for being the world's most expensive city to live in, there are many things going for this little island that makes Singapore the envy of many other cities around the world.

Black Knights flight display on National Day

Even as the spectacular fireworks, the screaming Black Knight jets and singing of nationalistic songs at our SG50 celebrations begin to just fade away, news of the coming General Elections and rumours about when Polling Day will be, fill the mainstream news portals and social media. It will be exciting months ahead as Singaporeans ponder about the future and which political party we will choose to govern and lead Singapore for the next five years.

As the sea of red-and-white continues to decorate Singapore in all manner of ways to remind us of our national flag's colours, we take a look at our feature Butterfly of the Month for August 2015. Readers may be wondering why a drab black-and-white butterfly is being featured during a month of celebrations? In an attempt to be less literal in terms of a visual treat featuring our national colours, there is a special reason why we are featuring the Blue Spotted Crow for this SG50 month on this blog.

The clue is in the scientific name of this butterfly. It is one of three of our local butterflies that make reference to "Singapore" in their subspecies names. In the case of the Blue Spotted Crow, its scientific name is Euploea midamus singapura. What can be more befitting than to celebrate Singapore's 50th birthday with a butterfly that bears the name of our beloved little island?



A Blue Spotted Crow puddling on a sandy streambank

The Blue Spotted Crow subspecies singapura has predominantly black wings with white spots arranged in a similar fashion as in the lookalike Spotted Black Crow (Euploea crameri bremeri). However, the subapical spots on the forewing of the Blue Spotted Crow is more quadrate rather than elliptical, and there are four spots instead of five in the Spotted Black Crow. These diagnostic characteristics of the white subapical spots distinguish between the two similar-looking species.



The subspecies singapura of the Blue Spotted Crow is described to be found only on Singapore Island, Pulau Tioman and Pulau Aur - the latter two islands on the eastern side of the Malay Peninsula. Up to date records of this subspecies on the two Malaysian islands are few, making the existence of this subspecies on Singapore island the most reliable records in recent years. Could it even be suggested that the population of this subspecies on Singapore island be considered "endemic", if no further sightings of singapura on the Malaysian islands are recorded in future?!



The Blue Spotted Crow has a slow and unhurried flight, and can be observed in urban as well as nature reserve habitats. It is usually spotted singly either feeding at flowers, or puddling. The butterfly is sometimes observed to puddle on concrete, brick and wood surfaces of buildings in the vicinity of forested areas. It is an alert butterfly, and takes flight at the slightest movement, even when it is feeding.


Caterpillar of the Blue Spotted Crow

As it feeds on lactiferous vines of the Apocynaceae family, it is likely to be distasteful to predators like the related species in the genus. The mature caterpillar is spectacular and unique, making it a very pretty caterpillar and almost "unreal".



Finally, we would like to wish all our Singaporean readers a Happy 50th National Day and Majulah Singapura!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Chng CK, Khew SK, Henry Koh, Loke PF, Nelson Ong, Horace Tan, Wong Chee Ming and Mark Wong