Chiangmai 2019

Chiangmai 2019
A Newbies' Outing to Chiangmai


A Paris Peacock feeding on a flower at Chiangdao Wildlife Sanctuary

A year and a half since my last outing to Chiangmai, our favourite butterflying location in northern Thailand, and a cancelled trip some time in late 2018, I decided to organise an outing for some of our newer and younger members of ButterflyCircle in Oct this year. Even though I should have had enough of shooting in Chiangmai, the prospects of meeting Antonio again and savouring his wife's excellent cakes and pastries made it highly tempting to make a visit to Northern Thailand once again.

A RedBreast puddling at Chiangdao Wildlife Sanctuary

The rainy season up in Northern Thailand typically ends some time in late September and the skies will be clear again till the colder months at the end of the year. It was a good time to visit our favourite butterfly-hunting grounds around Chiangmai, and this year, 3 first-timers joined me to visit the 'famous' butterflying spots that we publicised on this blog previously.

The Dome Residences at Chiangmai

Arriving via SilkAir from Singapore in the late evening on our first day, we checked in at the familiar Dome Residences in Chiangmai. Dinner was simple local fare at a nearby food court, before buying some provisions from the supermarket for the next day. We hit the sack early and everyone waited in anticipation for the next day's outing to the famous "car park" in Chiangdao Wildlife Sanctuary.

Day 1 : Chiangdao

A cloud-topped Doi Chiang Dao and clear blue skies greeted us in Northern Thailand

After a quick breakfast at the Dome, we set out for Chiangdao Wildlife Sanctuary just after 8am. The skies were clear and the weather was in our favour. It had rained the previous days and the environment was warm and humid. The roads that were under construction on our trips 3-4 years back were now completed and operational, making the one-hour plus journey a little less bumpy and jammed.

As Antonio turned off the main highway towards the Chiangdao hunting grounds, I saw the familiar tourist attractions in that area, and as we passed the Nest2, memories of a nice stay at the rustic chalets flooded back. We reached the famous checkpoint and car park where we will spend most of the time shooting, and paid for the entrance fee of 200 Baht per person.

Putting on our shooting gear and getting ready in a jiffy, we were out shooting the puddling butterflies in the usual spots around the car park, streams and nearby forested areas. I observed that there were much fewer butterflies around compared to my previous trips in Oct. Antonio said that it may be due to the haze and very dry months this year.

Puddling butterflies at Chiangdao Wildlife Sanctuary

Our first-time visitors, Jonathan, Mei Yee and Cheng Ai wasted no time in getting on with their hunting for butterflies. The usual Nawabs, Rajahs and numerous Lycaenids and Hesperiids kept everyone busy for rest of the morning. The weather was quite ideal - hot and sunny for the rest of the day.

Antonio supervising the photographers at one of the trails

In the early afternoon, Antonio brought us up to a higher elevation along the winding road up Doi Chiangdao to a location where we used to encounter some Satyrinae. We managed to get our fill of "pluses" at this location. I also observed that the flowering Bidens alba/pilosa were back with a vengeance and were useful in attracting many species of butterflies. They were not as widespread on my last trip where the White Weed (Ageratum conyzoides) was the more prevalent roadside wild flower.




Back to the carpark again the late evening saw a few new 'targets' to shoot, but the weather was getting abit overcast and we could hear thunder in the distance. However, it didn't rain and we finished up for the day at about 4:30pm and set out for the journey back to Chiangmai. Dinner was at our favourite Japanese restaurant which is located just 5 minutes walk from the hotel.

Day 2 : Doi Suthep/Doi Pui



The forested area near the Wean Bua Ban Pha Ngoep waterfall and a group shot of ButterflyCircle members

The next morning, we had a leisurely breakfast as our destination was Doi Suthep, a location that was no more than 20 minutes drive from our hotel (depending on the traffic!). As with my previous trips, we stopped at the Wang Bua Ban Pha Ngoep waterfall area. We scoured the area for butterflies, but sadly the diversity of species was disappointingly low this season, although the usual 'resident' species were still around.


The Doi Pui Viewpoint and the hilltop clearing where we found some butterflies

We headed up to Doi Pui Viewpoint as our 2nd checkpoint for the day. This small "hilltopping" area was quite good for some Lycaenids in the past, and this is a regular waypoint that we checked out in our past visits to Doi Suthep and Doi Pui.







A little further uphill, we stopped at the the San Ku temple ruins. Other than a few skippers and Satyrinae, our target species was a no-show, as the overcast weather did not provide the conducive environment for its appearance. Nevertheless, this area is always a good stopover point.  We moved back to the Doi Pui viewpoint and ended the day after chasing a peskily skittish Ananta Yellow Sailor (Neptis ananta learmondi).

Day 3 : Chiangdao



Back to Chiangdao Wildlife Sanctuary on Day #3

The next morning, it was back to Chiangdao Wildlife Sanctuary again, as we wanted to make the most of our entry ticket which was valid for 3 days per 200 Baht. Back at the puddling ground, most of the same species that we encountered two days ago were still around, with a few new additions that made their appearance on this relatively cloudy day.




More puddling butterflies!

As we were at the location slightly earlier, there were more species flying amongst the Bidens flowers along the roadside, though shooting along the road has its disadvantages as the regular stream of vehicles going up and down the road made it irritatingly challenging to shoot properly at times.




Throughout the day, it was more of trying to get better shots of the species that we had shot before, and looking for some new ones. All in all, the famous Chiangdao car park did not disappoint,despite the lower butterfly count, as there was always something interesting to shoot.

Day 4 : Mae Phaeng, Phrao District



A new location recommended by our favourite butterfly host, Antonio

Our original plan was to go up Doi Inthanon for some montane species, but the weather forecast predicted rains by mid-morning. Rather than take the risk of encountering bad weather, Antonio suggested another location towards the east of Chiangmai. We decided to take his advice and head out to this new location.



The shooting environment that kept us busy for a whole day!

Driving towards Chiangdao, but then veering eastwards after a major junction, we headed towards the Phrao District and went off-road around the Mae Phaeng area. This dirt track led us a few kilometers uphill to just about 800 m ASL and we stopped along the track to look for butterflies.






A sample of the butterflies that we encountered

We spent an entire day in that area, walking up and down the dirt track and looking for puddling butterflies. The appearance of the Dawnas Royal (or what we call Golden Royal in Singapore), gave us some excitement. The subspecies in arooni which is different from the one found in Malaysia and Singapore. But it returned time and again to taunt us before we had our fill of it.


Orange Oakleaf was in season and we saw them everywhere!

We encountered quite a number of similar species as in Chiangdao at this location. The Orange Oakleaf (Kallima inachus siamensis) seemed to be in season in many locations that we visited over the past 4 days, and the variability of the individuals that we encountered was quite amazing. It appeared that each individual was unique in its wing patterns!


Yellows feeding frenzy with a large intruder in the background

Our last dinner for this trip was at at a nearby Italian restaurant recommended by Antonio. We thought that since an Italian suggested this, the food must come highly recommended! And we weren't disappointed. The complimentary caramel vodka that the owner of the restaurant threw in to end the evening sweetened the experience!


A final group shot with our good friend and butterfly guide, Antonio

And so ended a short 4-day shootout and my 6th trip to Chiangmai since 2014. It was always fun to check out the butterflies in north Thailand, and a pleasure to have Antonio as our butterfly guide on all my trips there. For our butterfly enthusiasts out there, do contact Antonio if you are keen to visit Thailand for your butterflying trips. As an avid butterfly photographer himself, he will bring you to the best locations for butterflies in Thailand!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Antonio Giudici, Khew SK, Lim CA, Loh MY and Jonathan Soong

Butterfly of the Month - October 2019

Butterfly of the Month - October 2019

The Lance Sergeant (Athyma pravara helma)

A Lance Sergeant sunbathing on top of a fern

We are now into the 10th month of the year 2019, and climate change and environmental issues continue to dominate the news in the past few weeks. Besides the usual storms and typhoons making their usual rounds across the globe, the dreaded haze was back to choke several southeast asian countries again.

The last two significant haze years that were recorded were in 2013 and 2015 and a milder one in 2016. Memories of the 2013 haze, which was one of the worst in recent history, recorded a Pollutants Standards Index (PSI) of 401 in Singapore. Back then, schools were closed and the acrid odour of burning organic material hung in the air for days. Visibility was low, and the number of haze-related respiratory health cases spiked. The haze returned in 2015, albeit slightly less intense with a peak PSI of 317.

After 2015, the annual slash-and-burn farming plus the clearing of land for oil palm plantations, particularly in Indonesia, seemed to have been brought under control. In 2016, a minor haze with PSI readings in the low 100's affected Singapore again, but only for a short period before things went quickly back to normal. And as if to remind us of the spectre of choking air, the haze returned with a vengeance this year with the PSI crossing the 150 mark and the smell of burning in the air. Fortunately, the return of some wet weather helped and the air quality was back to normal after slightly more than a week.

One wonders how governments can be more effective in controlling open burning of forests in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia? The clearing of forests for the cultivation of commercially-beneficial crops appears to be the main cause of burning, as this is the cheapest and most expedient form of land clearance. However, the untold damage to the environment, and not to mention biodiversity, due to the fires is something that cannot be easily quantified. And so we wait with baited breath (and our N95 masks) for haze to hit us again in the coming years if things do not change.

On the global arena, teenager Greta Thunberg made the news with her impassioned plea to the governments of the world to do something about climate change, or face irreversible consequences that her generation will have to suffer in the decades ahead. Whether this will change anything, we will have to wait and see. However, planning ahead is something that Singapore is not waiting for any longer, and engineering and urban strategies are in progress to address the imminent rise in sea levels.

Our butterfly of the Month for October 2019 is the Lance Sergeant (Athyma pravara helma). This species is one of several black-and-white striped butterflies in the genus Athyma that can be found in Singapore. In an earlier article, we featured the Sergeants of Singapore, highlighting the five extant species of Sergeants that are found in Singapore.

Although recorded as a new discovery in the mid 1990's the Lance Sergeant, could have possibly been missed by the early researchers in their documentation of Singapore's butterfly fauna. It is moderately rare species, but the host plants that its caterpillars feed on are not uncommon in the forested nature reserves of Singapore. It is not rare in Malaysia - where it is widely distributed from lowland forests to sub-montane habitats like Fraser's Hill.

A Lance Sergeant feeding on the ripened fruit of the Singapore Rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum)

The Lance Sergeant is a medium-sized butterfly with a forewing length of 24-28mm. It is black and white on the upperside, with the diagnostic unbroken cell streak that easily distinguishes it from the other lookalike species in the Athyma genus. This unbroken white streak stretches across the thorax, and ends on both sides of the forewing with a thickened club.

A Lance Sergeant puddling at a muddy footpath

The underside is a greyish-brown and similarly marked as in the upperside, with the basal area of both wings a dirty green. The compound eyes are transparent, whilst the underside of the antennae club is orange in colour, but black on the upperside. The Lance Sergeant is often encountered feeding on flowers of forest trees, fruits but is also as regularly observed puddling at damp muddy footpaths.

The life history of the Lance Sergeant has been successfully recorded in Singapore. The host plants documented are two species from the genus Uncaria. These plants have a characteristic pair of cat-like claws which are modified lateral branches at the base of the leaves. The pupa of the species has a golden metallic appearance that is reflective and at certain angles, makes the pupa appear to be empty.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Nelson Ong, Horace Tan and Anthony Wong

Leafy Disguises

Leafy Disguises
Masquerade mimicry in Butterflies


An Orange Oakleaf (Kallima inachus siamensis) puddling

Certain species of butterflies adopt various means and ways to fool predators so that they can avoid being attacked and ending up as some other animals' lunch. In previous blogposts, we saw some survival strategies that are employed to avoid predation. These vary from aposematic colouration, mimicry, camouflage, crypsis, masquerade and decoy tactics. In this weekend's blogpost, we take a look at how certain species of butterflies mimic dead leaves to avoid being detected by predators.

Amongst Asian butterflies, a small number of species have evolved and adapted to resemble dead leaves as they hide amongst vegetation to avoid being spotted. Amongst the most well-known are the ten or so species from the genus Kallima. Collectively called the Dead Leaf, Oakleaf or Leaf butterflies, these species masquerade as dead leaves when their wings are folded upright.

A Leaf Butterfly (Kallima limborgii amplifura) in Penang

These species adopt the strategy known as masquerade mimicry whereby the butterfly's wing has evolved to promote concealment through protective imitation of other benign objects. Masquerade mimicry is considered a slightly different tactic of concealment from crypsis because it "obstructs recognition rather than avoids detection" (Natural Selection and Beyond : The Intellectual Legacy of A.W. Wallace, Oxford University Press, 2008)

Bornean Leaf Butterfly (Kallima limborgii buxtoni) under and upperside

Of the Kallima species, The Leaf Butterfly (Kallima limborgii amplifura) flies in Malaysia. References indicate that this species was found in Singapore prior to the 20th century but is considered extinct today. However, the Leaf Butterfly is not rare in Malaysia and southern Thailand, where the subspecies limborgii flies. Further up north in Thailand and across to India, a species called the Orange Oakleaf (Kallima inachus) can be commonly found. Over to the west, in Sumatra, the species Kallima paralekta is the native species, whilst over in Borneo, the species Kallima buxtoni is found. (In some literature, this species is considered the subspecies buxtonii of Kallima limborgii rather than a distinct species)

Leaf Butterfly (Kallima limborgii amplifura) under and upperside

In the field, encounters of various species of the Kallima species are often in the shaded forest understorey. These large butterflies tend to forage amongst leaf litter or puddling at muddy footpaths. They perch with their wings folded upright, masquerading amongst the dead leaf litter to conceal their presence. At times, they flap their wings open and shut, displaying their attractive and colourful uppersides.

An Orange Oakleaf perched on a tree trunk.  Complete with leafy look, mid-rib, leaf stalk and "fungus" spots on its wings

The evolution of the Leaf Butterfly is such that the wings resemble a dead leaf - complete with curved wingtips, a prominent "mid-rib", to the leaf stalk in an adaptation of the tornal area of the hindwing, secondary leaf veins and even blemishes and fungus on the wings! When it perches on a twig or the trunk of a tree, it masquerades as an innocuous dead leaf and makes itself difficult to spot.

The upperside of the wings is a different matter altogether. It is likely that this amazing display of colours and iridescent blue scaling is meant to attract a mate or call attention to itself when there are reasons to do so. Although the butterfly remains effectively camouflaged when it chooses to, there are times when it is seen to open its wings to sunbathe and in the process, probably tempting fate if there are potential predators lurking around.

Orange Oakleaf (Kallima inachus siamensis) under and upperside

Articles on the Internet have alluded to dry and wet season forms of Kallima where the patterns and colours of both the upper and undersides of the butterfly's wings are different, to match the ecological and environmental characteristics of the weather's effect.

Autumn Leaf - under and uppersides

There are several other species of butterflies that have adopted masquerade mimicry and attempting to resemble dead leaves, but none are as effective or successful as the Kallima species. However, an associated species, the Autumn Leaf (Doleschallia bisaltide), which flies locally in Singapore and is quite a geographically-widespread species across Asia, is considered a good example.

Variations in colouration of the Autumn Leaf

The Autumn Leaf adopts a similar strategy of resembling a dead leaf with a mid-rib, leaf stalk and blemishes and patterns that can be considered a good mimic of a dead leaf. When perched amongst leaf litter or shrubs, this adaptation is quite successful in camouflaging the butterfly from the eyes of a would-be predator.

Although the Leaf Butterfly was once recorded in Singapore, it is now considered extinct. Hopefully, it will one day make its return to this little island and make its home here once more.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Antonio Giudici and Khew SK