The Malayan Tree Nymph is not a very common insect in general but in certain elevations, it is more evident. It can often be seen gliding silently and gracefully, sometimes in pair in mid-storey under the sun-speckled forest canopy. Under this condition, the speckled wings gives a good camouflage but once it crosses an open path or a jungle road, it suddenly becomes a spectacle for anyone who has seen it drifting loftily across a road shoulder - an unusually large and fragile floating semi-transparent piece of an insect with prominent dark spots, giving rise to its name "Surat" in Malay which means "letter". This is decidedly a forest insect and can be seen sometimes cohabiting with a commoner but slimmer and more elongated species the Common Tree Nymph, Idea stolli logani (Moore) which inhabits the same localities.
Frequency observation chart: (S marks the usual occurences, H marks an unusually high occurence, F for first record)
Habitat indicator
RSP
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WV
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PG
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VF
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FTR
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SC
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LWDF
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LWPF
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LMEF
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UMN
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MN
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x
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x
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x
|
Frequency observation chart: (S marks the usual occurences, H marks an unusually high occurence, F for first record)
2013
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Mac
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Apr
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May
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Jun
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Jul
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Aug
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Sep
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Oct
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S3
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S3
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S3
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2013
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2014
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Nov
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Dec
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Jan
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Feb
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Mac
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Apr
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May
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Jun
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Jul
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Aug
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Sep
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Oct
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| S3 | |||||||||||
2014
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2015
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Nov
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Dec
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Jan
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Feb
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Mac
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Apr
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May
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June
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Jul
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Aug
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Sep
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Oct
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Nov
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Dec
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S3
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S3
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S3
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S3
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2016
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|||||||||||
Jan
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Feb
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Mac
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Apr
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May
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Jun
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Jul
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Aug
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Sep
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Oct
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Nov
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Dec
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S3
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S3
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S17
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2017
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Jan
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Feb
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Mac
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Apr
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May
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Jun
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Jul
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Aug
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Sep
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Oct
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Nov
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Dec
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S
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S
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S3S5
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2018
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|||||||||||
Jan
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Feb
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Mac
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Apr
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May
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Jun
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Jul
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Aug
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Sep
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Oct
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Nov
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Dec
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2019
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Jan
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Feb
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Mac
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Apr
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May
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Jun
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Jul
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Aug
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Sep
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Oct
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Nov
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Dec
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These photos were captured on 17 March 2013 @ 13:55 by a stream. I was about to take a dip in the stream when I suddenly saw a huge white butterfly hovering on the same spot for a moment. I grabbed my camera and took a few shots but because I only had a 105mm lense, the results were not so satisfying as the insect must have been at least 10 feet away from me and I didn't want to get too near so as not to spook it. This butterfly is a very restless insect despite its fragile looking demeanor...
* * * * *
On 5 August 2013, I observed a number of Tree Nymphs in different locations and one particular female descended from the mid-canopy to lay eggs on a semi-hardy woody bush found commonly in the area, usually among the undergrowths...
The food plant of the Tree Nymph...
* * * * *
A drifting pair: 14 August 2013 @ 12:17
This one came to rest on a medium-height bush along a jungle path on 16 September 2013 @ 15:19. It is observed that the Tree Nymph can become common in places where its food plant is abundant (see above).
Unusual habit: This male was seen along a wooded village trail at ground level nectaring on Asystasia gangetica. 15 Oct 2016 @ 11:30
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