Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks - Seletar Country Club

Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks
Featuring : Seletar Country Club Butterfly Garden


Welcome to the Seletar Country Club Butterfly Garden

Golf courses are large tracts of greenery that are, ironically, not very "green". A typical golf course occupies tens of hectares of land that is usually cleared of vegetation for the course to serve its purpose. Referred to as "green deserts" by Dr Richard Corlett (formerly from the NUS), the greenery on golf courses may mislead one to think that the greens are rich with biodiversity. This is usually furthest from the truth, as the amount of environmentally-unfriendly fertilisers and pesticides used to keep golf greens pristine and manicured can adversely affect biodiversity.

However, one man set out to at least make an effort to mitigate the "golf course effect" at his club. Mr Foo Jit Leang, owner of a private software company, wanted to show that golf courses need not necessarily be devoid of wildlife. During a visit by Prof Peter Ng of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, and the Seletar Country Club Chairman, Mr Khoo Teng Chye, they challenged Mr Foo to try to create pockets of planted areas that can attract biodiversity to the club premises.

Armed with only his love for nature, and the information that he could get from available books and the internet, and amongst the nature community in Singapore, Mr Foo set out to plant butterfly-attracting host and nectaring plants at a small patch of land next to the clubhouse in 2012. Today, the Seletar Country Club Butterfly Garden, as it is known, occupies an area of about 500-600 sqm and is usually teeming with butterflies on a good sunny day.

Mr Foo and the visitors who spent time at the Butterfly Garden have, to date, spotted a total of 102 butterfly species at the three-year old project. On a good day, an observer can usually expect to see about 20-25 different species of butterflies, from the large Papilionidaes to the small and skittish Hesperiidaes. Combining host plants with nectaring plants around the garden, the SCC Butterfly Garden is now a magnet for butterflies, as well as other insects, birds and even small reptiles.

Different views of the SCC Butterfly Garden - from open areas to intimate corners for butterflies

This morning, I visited Mr Foo and the SCC Butterfly Garden. It was a bright sunny day when I arrived and the butterflies were already up and about, and feeding on the flowers of the String Bush and Shepherd's Needles bushes. A few Plain Tigers and Dark Glassy Tigers were chasing each other amongst the shrubbery.



I spotted a Leopard (Phalanta phalantha phalantha) ovipositing on its caterpillar host plant, the Batoko Plum. A Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus malayanus) zipped past me, stopping for a fleeting moment to feed on the flower of the Pink Snakeweed.

Mr Foo and our young ButterflyCircle member Jonathan Soong joined me, and we walked around the garden as Mr Foo shared his stories of the challenges of setting up the butterfly garden, and maintaining the momentum of his initiative. He had to "educate" the club's gardeners not to spray pesticides and not to pull out plants that they considered "weeds". Many butterfly host plants are what landscape designers see as invasive and ugly weeds. However, without these host plants, one cannot expect to see a wider variety of butterfly species. Mr Foo proudly shared that he has bred a total of 42 different species of butterflies found at the garden.

The "closed-loop" water-based habitat for butterflies, dragonflies and other critters

Besides the lush greenery that the Butterfly Garden showcases today, Mr Foo also brought us to the "closed-loop" stream nearby. This stream creates a water-based habitat with appropriate plants to attract dragonflies and butterflies. The body of water is constantly moving, using the topography of the land and a simple pump to move the water around. We noticed a number of the diminutive Pygmy Grass Blues fluttering happily around the bushes near the stream.

Walking back to the main Butterfly Garden, I spotted a hungry Painted Jezebel (Delias hyparete metarete) feeding on the flowers of the String Bush. It kept me busy chasing it for about half an hour, teasing me as it came close, and then quickly flitted away as I approached it. After a tiring game of cat-and-mouse with it, I finally managed to take a decent shot of it on the String Bush flowers.

The scorching overhead noon sun was taking a toll on us, and we quickly retreated to the clubhouse for a yummy lunch, courtesy of Mr Foo. Looking back at the Butterfly Garden, I would consider it a successful rehabilitation of a piece of land adjacent to a somewhat sterile golf course. The butterfly diversity is considered very good, and it took a simple initiative to populate an otherwise featureless piece of land with butterfly-attracting plants to rejuvenate the biodiversity.

Mr Foo sharing his stories about the Butterfly Garden

Mr Foo has gone on to spread his enthusiasm to schools, childcare centres, community gardens, and to anyone who is interested to set up a butterfly garden. He has unselfishly shared plant cuttings, seeds and always willing to impart his experience and knowledge to give a helping hand to our butterflies to survive and thrive in urban areas in Singapore.

"Green Desert" alert!! - a view across the Butterfly Garden to the golf course beyond

Mr Foo has also shown golf course owners that they can do something for nature, and to use part of the large tracts of land that these golf courses sit on, to support our local biodiversity, instead of maintaining their unsavoury reputation for being "green deserts" in Singapore. Interestingly, for a small island of only about 714 sqkm, Singapore has 21 golf courses! Imagine if small Butterfly Gardens sprout up in all these golf courses. We will need more people like Mr Foo to achieve this dream!

And so we have another local "garden" at the Seletar Country Club that is a haven for butterflies. Photographers and nature lovers can visit this SCC Butterfly Garden to have their fill of nature's flying jewels, and you might meet Mr Foo walking around and infect you with his passion for nature and butterflies!

How to get to Seletar Country Club Butterfly Garden

Driving/Taxi : From the Central Expressway heading north, use the exit 16 to Seletar West Link and turn into Seletar Club Road.  There is ample free parking at the premises.

By MRT/Bus : Drop at Khatib MRT, and cross the road.  Take Bus 85 to just before the TPE, alight and switch to Bus 103 and alight just before West Camp Road and walk to Seletar CC. Alternatively, take Bus 39 and alight at the stop before Seletar Camp G and switch to Bus 103 and alight just before West Camp Road and walk to Seletar CC.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Janice Ang, Bob Cheong, Foo JL, Khew SK, Koh CH and Jonathan Soong

Checklist of Butterflies Spotted at Seletar CC Butterfly Garden as at Jan 2016 (by Mr Foo JL)

1. Common Birdwing - Troides helena cerberus  
2. Common Rose - Pachliopta aristolochiae asteris 
3. Common Mime - Papilio clytia clytia
4. Lime Butterfly - Papilio demoleus malayanus
5. Common Mormon - Papilio polytes romulus
6. Common Bluebottle - Graphium sarpedon luctatius
7. Tailed Jay - Graphium agamemnon agamemnon
8. Painted Jezebel - Delias hyparete metarete
9. Striped Albatross - Appias libythea olferna
10. Mottled Emigrant - Catopsilia pyranthe pyranthe
11. Lemon Emigrant - Catopsilia pomona pomona
12. Orange Emigrant - Catopsilia scylla cornelia
13. Common Grass Yellow - Eurema hecabe contubernalis
14. Three Spot Grass Yellow - Eurema blanda snelleni
15. Plain Tiger - Danaus chrysippus chrysippus
16. Common Tiger - Danaus genutia genutia
17. Blue Glassy Tiger - Ideopsis vulgaris macrina
18. Common Evening Brown - Melanitis leda leda
19. Common Palmfly - Elymnias hypermnestra agina
20. Malayan Eggfly - Hypolimnas anomala anomala
21. Great Eggfly - Hypolimnas bolina bolina
22. Jacintha Eggfly - Hypolimnas bolina jacintha
23. Autumn Leaf - Doleschallia bisaltide bisaltide
24. Chocolate Pansy - Junonia hedonia ida
25. Grey Pansy - Junonia atlites atlites
26. Peacock Pansy - Junonia almana javana
27. Blue Pansy - Junonia orithya wallacei
28. Tawny Coster - Acraea terpsicore
29. Leopard Lacewing - Cethosia cyane
30. Green Baron - Euthalia adonia pinwilli
31. Plain Nawab - Polyura hebe plautus
32. The Apefly - Spalgis epius epius
33. Lesser Grass Blue - Zizina otis lampa
34. Pygmy Grass Blue - Zizula hylax pygmaea
35. Cycad Blue - Chilades pandava pandava
36. Gram Blue - Euchrysops cnejus cnejus
37. Ciliate Blue - Anthene emolus goberus
38. Pointed Ciliate Blue - Anthene lycaenina miya
39. Centaur Oak Blue - Arhopala centaurus nakula
40. Peacock Royal - Tajuria cippus maxentius
41. Common Tit - Hypolycaena erylus teatus
42. Chestnut Bob - Iambrix salsala salsala
43. Palm Bob - Suastus gremius gremius
44. Yellow Palm Dart - Cephrenes trichopepla
45. Common Palm Dart - Telicota colon stinga
46. Small Branded Swift - Pelopidas mathias mathias
47. Lesser Dart - Potanthus omaha omaha
48. Large Dart - Potanthus serina
49. Plain Palm Dart - Cephrenes acalle niasicus
50. Conjoined Swift - Pelopidas conjunctus conjunctus
51. Dingy Bush Brown - Mycalesis perseus cepheus
52. Dark Brand Bush Brown - Mycalesis mineus macromalayana
53. Common Four Ring - Ypthima huebneri
54. Palm King - Amathusia phidippus phidippus
55. Short Banded Sailor - Phaedyma columella singa
56. Malayan Lascar - Lasippa tiga siaka
57. Dark Glassy Tiger - Parantica agleoides agleoides
58. Pea Blue - Lampides boeticus
59. Copper Flash - Rapala pheretima sequeira
60. Black Veined Tiger - Danaus melanippus hegesippus
61. Chocolate Albatross - Appias lyncida vasava
62. Detached Dart - Potanthus trachala tytleri
63. Cornelian - Deudorix epijarbas cinnabarus
64. Slate Flash - Rapala manea chozeba
65. Transparent Sixline Blue - Nacaduba kurava nemana
66. Dark Malayan Sixline Blue - Nacaduba calauria malayica
67. Blue Nawab - Polyura schreiber tisamenus
68. Dark Caerulean - Jamides bochus nabonassar
69. Common Line Blue - Prosotas nora superdates
70. Formosan Swift - Borbo cinnara
71. Colonel - Pandita sinope sinope
72. Common Sailor - Neptis hylas papaja
73. Leopard - Phalanta phalantha phalantha
74. Common Banded Awl - Hasora chromus chromus
75. Striped Blue Crow - Euploea mulciber mulciber
76. Common Dartlet - Oriens gola pseudolus
77. Chocolate Demon - Ancistroides nigrita maura
78. Tailless Line Blue - Prosotas dubiosa lumpura
79. Contiguous Swift - Polytremis lubricans lubricans
80. Vagrant - Vagrans sinha sinha
81. Bush Hopper - Ampittia dioscorides camertes
82. Striped Black Crow - Euploea eyndhovii gardineri
83. Plain PlushBlue - Flos apidanus saturatus
84. Brown Awl - Badamia exclamationis
85. Great Swift - Pelopidas assamensis
86. Cabbage White - Pieris canidia canidia
87. Besta Palm Dart - Telicota besta bina
88. Grass Demon - Udaspes folus
89. Common Red Flash - Rapala iarbus iarbus
90. King Crow - Euploea phaenareta castelnaui
91. Banana Skipper - Erionota thrax thrax
92. Common Awl - Hasora badra badra
93. Baron - Euthalia aconthea gurda
94. White Tipped Skipper - Erionota hiraca apicalis
95. Pale Grass Blue - Zizeeria maha serica
96. Pale Palm Dart - Telicota augias augias
97. Bamboo Paintbrush Swift - Baoris farri farri
98. Vinous Oakblue - Arhopala athada athada
99. Full Stop Swift - Caltoris cormasa
100. Linna Palm Dart - Telicota linna
101. Silver Forget-Me-Not - Catochrysops panormus exiguus
102. Rustic - Cupha erymanthis lotis

Paedophilic behaviour in Butterflies?

Butterfly Ecology Observations
Paedophilic behaviour in Butterflies? 

I witnessed a strange butterfly behaviour on Pulau Ubin recently. This male Spotted Black Crow (Euploea crameri bremeri) was seen "attacking" a late instar caterpillar of its own species. I observed that the caterpillar was crawling and munching at a stem of its host plant, when the male butterfly descended on it and repeatedly clawed at the caterpillar.

In the photo of the adult butterfly with open wings, the curved dorsum of the forewing confirms it as a male. It is not known whether the caterpillar is a male or female. The Danainae have been observed to use their sharp foreleg claws to scrape the leaves and seed pods of some plants so that the wounded plant oozes fluids that the butterfly feeds on.

The sharp claws that can do damage to the plants can also inflict some serious damage to the caterpillar's skin. In the picture above, it can be seen that the butterfly is holding on to the caterpillar with its forelegs and the claws dug into it. This is the first time I have seen a butterfly "attack" a caterpillar although I wonder why it is doing so. A phenomenon known as "pupal rape" has been described for Heliconius butterflies where the males are observed to mate with a female even when it is still in the pupa!  But in this case, trying to mate with a caterpillar would be futile!

If anyone has any suggestions as to why this adult Spotted Black Crow is attacking the caterpillar (which is also of the same species) with its claws, please share your observations and opinions.

Text and Photos by Khew SK

Butterfly of the Month - January 2016

Butterfly of the Month - January 2016
The Three Spot Grass Yellow (Eurema blanda snelleni)


A Three Spot Grass Yellow feeding on the flower of the Creeping Yellow Daisy (Wedelia trilobata)

2016 is upon us already. As the euphoria of the new year countdowns die down, and the last strains of Auld Lang Syne fade from our minds, we get back to the grind and prepare for new challenges and look forward to opportunities in our work and family life. 2016 is a leap year, a special year that comes once in every four years. The leap year is usually associated with 29 days in February, and the year in which the Olympic games are held. This year, the Summer Olympics XXXI will be held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

On the global economic front, the outlook is generally bleak, with predictions of slow economic growth in many countries. In particular, the growth of Asian powerhouse, China, is likely to be severely dampened and the resultant effect is expected to impact many other Asian economies. Already, on the first trading day of the year, the Chinese stock exchange lost 7% of its value, triggering a "circuit breaker" in the system and halted trading for the day. Although trading resumed after intervention by the Peoples' Bank of China, the global stock markets will likely be unpredictable for the foreseeable future.





On our little red dot, life goes on. Following a successful (for the ruling party) General Elections, we see a new bunch of goodies for the citizens (e.g. the Skills Future Study awards), and more programmes to improve the lives of various stakeholder groups. A year after our city-state's 50th birthday, Singaporeans are looking ahead and planning for "what next?". SG50 + 1, as a Minister refers to 2016, starts a whole new anticipation about where Singapore should head.


A mating pair of Three Spot Grass Yellow (male top, female bottom)

I recently participated at the dialogue of a multi-agency symposium to talk about a "cleaner, greener and smarter Singapore". This SGconversations series will focus on topics related to A City in a Garden, Vibrant Community Spaces, Eco Smart Towns and a Green and Conserving Culture. Urban greenery should embody biodiversity as well. Lush plants and landscaped parks and gardens are not just for humans, but for our birds, butterflies, dragonflies, spiders, and a whole bunch of fauna that call Singapore home as well. Can developments and improvements for our city life co-exist harmoniously with biodiversity? Do share your ideas at the various symposium sessions or on the e-portals that collect feedback.


A puddling male Three Spot Grass Yellow

2016, where new year resolutions are made. What would be ours for the butterflies? For ButterflyCircle members, our next book project will commence in earnest this year. There will be urban and nature reserve surveys and a lot of work to be done on researching host plants, habitats and conservation strategies for butterflies in Singapore. There have been more requests to set up community butterfly gardens and other similar butterfly-conservation initiatives. What have we learnt from the existing efforts that we can share with these newbies?


A Three Spot Grass Yellow feeding on the flower of the Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica)

We continue into our 9th year with our Butterfly of the Month series. Let's start 2016 with a bright cheery yellow butterfly to symbolise hope and optimism. Our feature butterfly this month is the common and ubiquitous Three Spot Grass Yellow (Eurema blanda snelleni). A small but easily encountered butterfly, the species can sometimes be even abundant at certain times of the year.


An animated shot showing the three cell spots that are unique to identify this species

The Three Spot Grass Yellow is one of several lookalikes of the genus Eurema or commonly referred to as the Grass Yellows. The Three Spot Grass Yellow is unique in that it is the only species in the genus to feature three cell spots on the underside of the forewing. Males tend to have reduced upperside black marginal borders compared to the other related species in the genus. The females bear the typically broader and diffused borders.  The apical streak on the underside of the forewing appears to be a feature that is mainly associated with females of this species.




The species can be found in urban locations as well as in the nature reserves. The Three Spot Grass Yellow is often seen feeding at flowering plants but is also observed to puddle in numbers along forest trails and sandy banks of streams which have been contaminated by decomposing organic material. Males appear to be commoner of the two sexes and is sometimes seen with other butterfly species when they are puddling.



Top : An outbreak of Three Spot Grass Yellows in Singapore's nature reserves.
Bottom : How many eggs can you count on this leaf?

Females of the Three Spot Grass Yellow have been observed to lay large clutches of eggs on the host plant Falcateria moluccana (Albizia), a fairly common tree that grows easily. In a single sitting, a female was observed to have laid at least 103 eggs on a single leaf of the host plant! This may explain the occasional outbreaks of this species, as "clouds of yellow butterflies" appear in parts of Singapore.



And so we look ahead to 2016 with a bit more optimism and cheer with our bright yellow Three Spot Grass Yellow and hope that this year will be a better year for all!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Sunny Chir, Huang CJ, Khew SK, Loke PF, Horace Tan and Tan BJ

Life History of the White Tipped Skipper

Life History of the White Tipped Skipper (Erionota acroleuca apicalis )

Butterfly Biodata:
Genus: Erionota Mabille, 1878
Species: acroleuca Wood-Mason & de Nicéville, 1881
Sub-Species: apicalis Evans, 1932
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 58-62mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plant: Caryota mitis (Arecaceae; common name: Fishtail Palm).

A male White Tipped Skipper taking off from its perch, giving a view of the upperside of its forewing and whitish wing tip.

The upperside view of a newly eclosed male White Tipped Skipper, showing the whitish wing tips of the forewings.

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:

The eyes are red. On the upperside, the wings are dark brown. The forewing has three large, yellowish hyaline spots in spaces 2, 3 and cell-end, whereas the hindwing is unmarked. In the male, the forewing has a whitened apical patch (which is absent in the lookalike species: E. torus and E. thrax ). On the underside, the wings are paler brown with the upper half of the forewing and the entire hindwing dusted with pale buff.

The upperside view of a newly eclosed female White Tipped Skipper.

Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:

The White Tipped Skipper is moderately rare in Singapore. It is the smallest of the three lookalike Erionota species in Singapore. The adults are fast fliers and are usually found in dark and shady corners of vegetation in  the nature reserves, hill parks and coastal wetlands. They have the habit of perching with closed wings and could be hard to spot in the shady habitat they inhibit. The immature stages of White Tipped Skipper are easier to find than the adults.  

Early Stages:

The White Tipped Skipper has so far been found to breed on one palm species locally: Caryota mitis (Fishtail Palm), a very common palm found in many habitats in Singapore. The caterpillars feed on leaves of the host plant, and live in shelters formed by folding a leaf blade from one edge.

Local host plant: the Fishtail Palm.

The eggs are laid singly on the surface of a leaf of the host plant. Each dome-shaped egg is reddish/orangy brown with a basal diameter of about 2-2.1mm. The micropylar sits atop with a number of fine and whitish ridges running longitudinally from it.

Two views of an egg of the White Tipped Skipper.

Two views of a maturing egg, with the black head capsule distinguishable through the egg shell.

It takes about 5-6 days for the egg to hatch. The young caterpillar eats just enough of the shell to emerge, and has a length of about 5mm. Its cylindrical body is yellowish, and has a number of moderately long, whitish setae running laterally. The head capsule is black and right behind it a black collar mark is present on the prothorax. The newly hatched nibbles away most of the egg shell remnant before proceeding to construct its first leaf shelter.

The newly hatched caterpillar in its partially completed 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 9.6-10mm. The 1st instar takes about 3 days to complete.

Two views of a 1st instar caterpillar, length:9.6mm.

The 2nd instar caterpillar still has a yellowish green body, and the head capsule is dark reddish brown. The black collar mark on the prothorax has faded almost entirely. As it grows in this instar, the body excretes a white powdery substance which coats the body surface on almost all body segments. This instar lasts about 3-4 days with the body length reaching about 15mm.

Two views of a 2nd instar caterpillar, newly moulted, length: 7.8mm.

Two views of a 2nd instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 14.5mm.

The 3rd instar caterpillar still has a dark reddish brown head capsule with the body colour more whitish compared to the 2nd instar. There is no longer any trace of the black collar mark on the prothorax. The amount of whitish substance covering the body surface has become thicker. This instar lasts about 4-5 days with the body length reaching about 22-23mm.

Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 15mm.

Two views of a 3rd instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 21.5mm.

The 4th instar caterpillar closely resembles the 3rd instar caterpillar. Just about all body segments are covered in the white substance in this instar. This penultimate instar lasts about 5-6 days with the body length reaching up to 32-35mm.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, early in this stage, length: 22.5mm.

Two views of a 4th instar caterpillar, late in this stage, length: 28mm.

The 5th instar caterpillar is little changed from the 4th instar caterpillar. The body is almost all whitish (without the white substance), and soon after the moult, the entire body is covered evenly with a thick layer of the white powdery substance. The head capsule is initially orangy, but turn reddish brown and eventually dark brown within a few hours after the moult. This final instar takes about 7-8 days to complete with the body length reaching 51-53mm.

Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar, newly moulted, length: 31mm.

Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar, length: 41mm.

Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar, length: 51mm.

Towards the end of 5th instar, the body of the caterpillar shortens in length and body colour assumes a uniform shade of creamy yellow. The fully grown caterpillar stays within its last shelter and excretes a copious amount of the whitish substance to line the interior wall of the shelter. Within the shelter, it constructs a transverse silk band near its posterior end. Once the caterpillar attaches its claspers to the silk band, it enters the dormant prepupatory phase which lasts about one day.

Two views of a dormant pre-pupa of  the White Tipped Skipper.

The pupa secures itself with its cremaster attached to the transverse silk band. It has a short thorax and a rather long abdomen. The body is creamy yellow and has a slight greenish tinge in the thorax and wing case. The pupa body is coated with the white substance transferred through contact with the shelter wall. Length of pupae: 33.5-36.5mm.

Two views of a pupa of the White Tipped Skipper.

After 8-10 days, the pupa becomes mostly black in color in the wing pads and in the body segments. Eclosion takes place the next day.

Two views of a mature pupa of the White Tipped Skipper.

A newly eclosed White Tipped Skipper.

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, 2nd Edition, 2015.

Text and Photos by Horace Tan.