Common Red Flash @ DFNP

I finally got some good shots of the common red flash

today at DFNP. In fact, we had spent the whole afternoon

searching for butterflies out in the hot sun. It was only

when we were about to leave, I met Uncle Loke there.

... ... And that was when the red flash came down to play.

It was about 5pm, so he was also sunbathing. The

upperside of the male is a bright orange-red with a thick

black/brown border on the forewing. There is also

quite a lot of brown dusting on the basal area of the wings.

Red flashes fly at tremendous speeds, zooming around

in wide circles and finally landing on the same perch.

Males are also observed to "dogfight", in which two or

more males will chase each other. What a pity this one did

not open his wings fully.

The underside is a plain buff-grey with a dark post-

discal line edged with white that runs through both the

wings. It has a false head at the tip of the hindwing, with

an eyespot and some metallic blue scales below the eyespot.

The tails are also very flimsy, and wave around wildly

even in the slightest breeze. Uncle Loke and I had quite a

good time shooting this guy.

Here is Uncle Loke hard at work trying to get a decent

shot. It is easy to see him... ... but where is subject? you can

click on the image to enlarge it and try find the butterfly.

Well, I had a great day and I hope I will see him again,

real soon. :)

A Field Guide To The Butterflies of Singapore

The 10.10.10 was a very special day. Not only
was it the international day for "stop global warming",
but is was also ... ... the book launch of A Field Guide
To The Butterflies of Singapore!!!!! This totally
awesome book written by Uncle Khew features almost
all the butterflies in Singapore.

This is a major milestone for ButterflyCircle and
I am really glad this book came out. It has detailed
write ups that describe the habits, habitats and
appearance of each butterfly. It also has wonderful
images, and even stuff like the speed-o-meter, host
plants (or caterpillar food), wingspan and status.

Oh, and I got a free copy at the launch because I am
a contributor! Whoo! You can see my name on the
special thanks an credits page near the back of the book.
I am very proud of Uncle Khew for writing this amazing book.


Well, I am not going to show you the whole book!
Get yer copies now. :)

Upper Seletar Reservoir - A butterfly paradise

Yesterday, I went back to Upper Seletar Reservoir, (USR).
That place is really amazing. I wish I lived there. And best
of all, it is truly a butterfly paradise. In fact, generations of
certain species have been living there. This time, I did not
manage to shoot a dbjg, but I met Uncle Cher Hern there
and got this rather skittish male baron.

There is a strange green gloss on its wings, but still
definitely a baron. The next butterfly we saw was the
Malayan lascar. This orange gem is quite hard to
shoot, but nonetheless worth the effort. This shot
shows a female on its caterpillar host plant.

While searching for the tree flitter, I chanced upon
this chestnut bob resting on a blade of cow grass.

Moving along, we walked to a clearing in the forest,

with long grasses and wild ferns. We were checking out

a bush when the rare green oakblue flew into sight.

Its underside is similar to most other arhopalas (oakblues),

but its upperside is green instead of violet.

The butterfly we saw next was really we had been

waiting for. It a the rare, and sought after lycaenid,

the Semanga Superba Deliciosa. We call it the Semanga

for short. This is the first time I saw this beauty, and I

was really really exited. It is a female, and here it is.

The semanga is really tiny, smaller than a S 10 cent coin,

with a lovely purple upperside. The underside, a shown,

is buff with a beautiful pattern on the hind wing. The male

is darker, and has only two pairs of tails. After she flew away,

we took turns to shoot this common three ring.

The poor butterfly had a parasitic mite on its eye.

(The red thing) Feeding on one of the ripe fruits of a

S'pore rhododendron bush was a horsefields baron male.

I managed to get an underside shot. The upperside is black

with a blue edge.

The last butterfly we saw was the spectacular great helen,

it is the largest helen in S'pore and is also our second

largest butterfly. This one is a female.

Well, I guess that is all for today.

Please comment.

Dark Blue Jungle Glories !!!

Hi, I am finally back with some really goooood news!
I finally found the DBJGs!!!!!!! Whoo! All thanks to Uncle
Cher Hern, who directed me to the spot. Anyway, I have
been waiting for ages to see this beauty and here it is.
The rare, sought after dark blue jungle glory. They are
really quite large, males about 9cm in wingspan and the
females are about 10cm! Here is a male.

The male has much smaller eye spots, and can also
be differentiated to the female by the wing margin
and orange on hindwing. The white bar on the forewing
is also thinner in males. This is the huge female.

In the right light, the purple scales will show nicely,
like as shown here. The upperside is a deep, magnificent
blue, which flashes mysteriously as the butterfly
flutters across the forest floor. Most of the time they are
well camouflaged among the leaf litter of the forest floor.
Since the place was very dark, I had to shoot with an
exceptionally slow shutter speed, so most of my images turned
out like this.

Also, there will often be a leaf or a twig blocking the
butterfly. I shall end off this post with my favourite
shot, with the proboscis showing, and a rare green back
ground.

That's all, so I hope you feel as excited as me.
Please comment. ( this time I mean it )