Monday, April 27, 2015

The Formosan Swift, Borbo cinnara (Wallace)

Locally common on wastelands, parks and gardens as well as verges of the secondary growth and forests up to mid-elevation.

Some keys to its ID:
- HW underside has spots on space 2, 3 and 6 (pix above)
- body (especially head and thorax) has greenish tinged hairs

Habitat indicator
RSP
WV
PG
VF
FTR
SC
LWDF
LWPF
LMEF
UMN
MN

 x
 x


 x
x

x



Frequency observation chart: (S marks the usual occurence, H marks an unusually high occurence, F for first record)

2013
2014
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct












2014
2015
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
June
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

S7
S6 S7




S5








21 Sept 2013 @ 13:29 (S5)

19 Dec 2014 @ 11:54

21 Dec 2014 @ 14:27



Above photos 31 Jan 2015 @ 11:49-54



Above pictures of a female visiting Lantana at 1200M above sea level: 07 June 2015 @ 12:04


Above 2 specimens next to each other on short grasses: 12 June 2015 @ 11:34

Saturday, April 11, 2015

The Yellow Gorgon, Meandrusa payeni ciminius (Fruhstorfer)

Fast-flying canopy dweller of pristine lowland dipterocarp forests up to mid-elevation. It is an unmistakable butterfly with its falcate forewing and a narrow tail giving it a sickle kite-like appearance, hence its other common name "kite swallowtail". The undersides are of a rich ferruginous ochre brown with a few small white spots on the HW post-discal area. The upperside post-discal area is marked with a series of darker brown spots on both wings. There is only one species in Malaysia.



Habitat indicator
RSP
WV
PG
VF
FTR
SC
LWDF
LWPF
LMEF
UMN
MN






x
 x
 x



Frequency observation chart: (S marks the usual occurences, H marks an unusually high occurence, F for first record)

2014
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct





S2(F)
S2




2014
2015
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
June
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec





 S1

S1(H)









Above photos of a newly eclosed male on an open seepage: 11 Apr 2015 @ 12:15

12:55

12:56
Newly eclosed males have a tendency to puddle on the water's edge much like a Lamproptera where they can become quite oblivious to human presence. Their cryptic undersides protect them from view as they tend to look like a dead leaf on the water's edge. Older specimens are canopy dwellers and do not visit seepages to puddle but can be sporadically observed to make quick downward swoops on exposed seepages perhaps for a quick drink. Above photos 05 June 2015

Another male came to puddle on the same spot but unfortunately got spooked by my loud footsteps and it flew off: 20 June 2015 @ 12:59

Consult a male voucher specimen from Site 1:

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Telicota ohara jix (Evans)

Habitat indicator
RSP
WV
PG
VF
FTR
SC
LWDF
LWPF
LMEF
UMN
MN






 x





Frequency observation chart: (S marks the usual occurences, H marks an unusually high occurence, F for first record)

2014
2015
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
June
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec


S1


S1









2016
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec













2017
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec





 S29







2018
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec


 S3


 S19







2019
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec














Above 2 photos 05 Jan 2015 @ 11:18

04 Apr 2015 @ 12:48

The host plant is a common wayside Graminae found mostly at moderate elevations in humid conditions.