A New Addition to Singapore Butterfly Species @ Pulau Ubin

With the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping across the globe resulting in closure of  country borders and restrictions of big group gatherings and so on it is no surprise  that local nature parks and offshore islands such as Bukit Timah Hill and Pulau Ubin have been crowded with hikers and nature photographers - because leisure travel out of the country is not possible for now!

Pulau Ubin's is ideal for any stray butterflies coming from the north to take a break in. As such Ubin has always been an important location for  photographing special or rare butterfly species. Indeed, Nparks has revealed that new fauna has been discovered in the island. 

Since June this year,  I have visited Ubin a few times. Here, I would showcase some of my encounters here.

The Acacia Blue (Surendra vivarna amisena) was found on a beach area while I was there to look for a rare lycanid. 

The Bamboo Tree Brown (Lethe europa malaya) is a skittish shade-loving butterfly, preferring to stay on the ground level and blending well with the undergrowth. Occasionally, it may rest on a foliage and provided us a chance to spot it easily.   

CA and a small group of ButterflyCircle members spotted the Swine Tiger (Danaus affinis malayanus) on 29 Aug on Butterfly Hill.  The next day, I was there. Shortly after 9 am this Orange Gull (Cepora iudith malaya) greeted me but just for a few minutes before it disappeared completely. 

I was rather lucky to see and get a few shots of this new addition to Ubin's fauna, the Swine Tiger (Danaus affinis malayanus) after the Orange Gall left the hill (see here). 

Though it didn't stay on the flowers for long, it preferred a high perch under the morning sun.

Very soon when it decided to change perch, I quickly snapped a few shots of its upperside wings while it was flapping.

This Common Jay (Gaphium doson evemonides) was busy siphoning nutrient solutions from the moist ground. 

During the past two outings to Ubin, I was able to spot the Metallic Caerulean 

(Jamides alecto ageladas) 

Skippers are common in Ubin. At a shady corner of Butterfly Hill, a few yellow skippers were flitting around. This is likely to be a male Pothanthus mingo. 

This is likely to be the Pale Palm Dart (Telicota augias augias), opening its wing partially. 

When it closed its wings, I quickly took a shot for the sake of identifying. 

 

Butterflies @ Springleaf Nature Park

The Springleaf Nature Park is situated at the T-junction of Mandai Road and Upper Thompson Road. The cannel joining the Upper Seletar Reservoir and the Lower Seletar Reservoir serves as a boundary of the nature park.

Since its official opening in late 2014, I have visited this nature park a few times. During my most recent visit there on a cloudy Saturday afternoon in July, I managed to capture quite a few butterfly shots though all these butterfly species are rather common. 

I have seen Centaur Oakblue (Arhopala centaurus nakula) a few times at this nature park but this was my best shot I had taken. 

There were many wild flowers blooming along the cannel and these flowers not only add colours to the park, they attract insects to the park, especially butterflies,  creating and enriching more wildlife activities - quite often, I could spot skippers and Grey Pansy butterfly feeding on these flowers.  (I hope Nparks keep these flowers).  

 

There were many Bush Hoppers (Ampitta dioscorides camertes) feeding on the Biden flowers - enjoyable and nice to see them foraging so these flowers. I pointed out to a kid with his parents who happened to walk past me -  parents and kids told me it was their first time seeing how a butterfly was feeding on flowers and they told me that their mental image of a butterfly was so different from what they  saw in front of them.  

Another specimen resting comfortably on a leaf. 

The leaf beetle seemed to warn a Bush Hopper not to come to its territory. I like this kind of "encounter". We can only observe interesting moments in nature if we slow down our pace and enjoy the flora and fauna around us. 

A brown skipper - this may be the Formosan Swift (Borbo cinnara)

Very glad and nice to see a "sizable" community of the Grey Pansy (Junonia atlites atlites) roaming in the park - this is so because I could see that the larval host plant was carpeting the sides of the cannel.

Most of the time they were alert and very active, especially in a hot day.  

There were other butterflies fluttering in the park - this is the Common Sailor (Neptis hylas papajs)  

A fast-flying Lemon Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona pomona) decided to take a short rest on a leaf under shade.

The Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus chrysippus) was seen resting on the flower perhaps after a good morning breakfast.

When there are Leea indica flowers, we should slow down and take at look at those white and tiny flowers closely - we may find critters feeding on them, big or small. This is the Leopard (Phalanta phalantha phalantha).

If you look around at the ground level, you may be able to spot some brown and dull butterflies flitting around - one of them can be the Dark Brand Bush Brown (Mycalesis minenus macromalaya). Thia guy was hopping around before it rested on a metal railing along the cannel.  

Near the entrance, this conspicuous and attractive red flower would definitely draw every visitor's attention. At first, I thought it was a fly feeding on its nectar.  I was wrong when I took a closer shot on that tiny critter.

A very quiet nature park that offers visitors a place to relax and roam aimlessly. I sincerely hope that Nparks can be more tolerant and keep the wild flowers in nature parks (also save money and don't cut them away so frequently!).  A nature park should be different from an artificial neighbourhood park and home gardens -  natural elements and wilderness will add vibrancy and wildlife activities to a nature park.