New Lantana Bushes @ Toa Payoh Town Park

Last Saturday(4 Sept) morning, I decided to take a look again at Toa Payoh Town Park (TPTP) as it has been quite a while since my last shooting there. A pleasant surprise - some new Lantana bushes and other flowering shrubs have been added to the park near the swimming pool.

This male carpenter bee, probably a Xylocopa confusa was hovering around a cluster of Lantana flowers, tempting me to try a few in-flight shots.

Two late instar Autumn Leaf (Doleschallia bisaltide) larvae were found munching happily on the dark red foliage of a Psederanthemum species - there were quite a number of larvae but no sign of any adult Autumn Leaf. A Short-banded Sailor (Phaedyma columella singa) though not very pristine attracted my attention when it was feeding on the Lantana flowers. A rather common butterfly which always glide gracefully, Short-banded Sailor can be found in urban parks and forest fringes. Its life history has been very well documented here.

There were more than a dozen of Pygmy Grass Blues (Zizula hylax pygmaea) flitting around the Lantana bushes. They were so active and alert under the morning hot sun - this one and only one shot was the result of my patience and fast reaction.

Two Peacock Pansies (Junonia almana javana) were flitting around the Lantana flowers and chasing each other under the morning sun. One of them decided to recede to a shady spot for a short rest, allowing me to snap a few shots.

A rather striking red-winged and common dragonfly, Neurothemis fluctuans can be found in many different habitats such as wastelands, forest edges, marshes, urban parks and ponds. A rather cooperative species, it allows me to get closer most of the time.

I am not sure if this is an immature male Neurothemis fluctuans or a different species.

A head shot of a very cooperative male Crocothemis servilia. These mating damselflies are rather small and they almost escaped my attention - I wonder if they are Ischnura senegalensis ? This light blue dragonfly with last two segments of the abdomen black looks like a male Aethriamanta gracilis.

This looks like a paper wasp nest built on a leaf surface - it was found along the boardwalk.

Good that Nparks has put in more flowering plants at TPTP. I hope more insects especially butterfly species would visit the park soon - this will create a more vibrant scene at the park.