Eupanacra elegantulus caterpillar

A few shots of a beautiful, full-grown caterpillar of the hawkmoth Eupanacra elegantulus, found on Monstera deliciosa. The first four photos show the caterpillar assuming a threat posture mimicking a snake to ward off would-be predators. The final photo is a close up of the caterpillar's thorax with its startling eyespots.

Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra)

A Common Palmfly, Elymnias hypermnestra, feeding on a torch ginger flower. At the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Another Common Palmfly resting on foliage in shade. The Common Palmfly, perhaps unusually for a butterfly, prefers to fly in shaded areas.

Another individual resting on an aerial tree root.

Pale Grass Blue (Zizeeria maha serica)

Pale Grass Blue, Zizeeria maha serica. The Pale Grass Blue is a member of the Lycaenidae butterfly family and sports a typical lycaenid colouration and pattern. The upperside of the male, as seen in this individual, is a pale blue with broad black-blue borders. The underside is a silvery grey with a pattern of black spots concentrated on the outer margins of the wings. The Pale Grass Blue can be found in grassy areas where it flutters near to the ground and amongst low-growing flowering plants.

Life Cycle of the Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis vulgaris macrina)

The Blue Glassy Tiger, Ideopsis vulgaris macrina, is a common butterfly in Singapore. Individuals can often be encountered fluttering languidly amongst flowering shrubs. Like other Danaids, the Blue Glassy Tiger is distasteful to potential predators because of toxins derived from plants the caterpillars and adults feed on.

The egg of the Blue Glassy Tiger is a pale yellow and slightly elongated and is usually attached to the underside of the leaves of its host plant.

The young caterpillar is similarly coloured as caterpillars of later instars. The caterpillars are smooth with two pairs of tubercles, one at either end of its body. The caterpillar is a dark reddish purple with a dense pattern of white spots. the head of the caterpillar is a shiny black and the tubercles are a pinkish red with black tips.

The caterpillars feed voraciously (like all other caterpillars haha) and grow rapidly.

The pupa is a beautiful bright green with a few black spots, as well as three highly reflective silver spots. These spots, with their possible resemblance to leaf holes or water droplets, probably help to camouflage the pupa. The pupa is usually suspended from the underside of a leaf of the host plant.

The adult Blue Glassy Tiger is a simply patterned but beautiful butterfly. On the upperside, the wings are a dark brown streaked and dotted with a lovely pale blue. The underside is similar but paler in colour. The butterflies are very fond of Heliotropium indicum.

Grey Pansy and Chocolate Pansy

The Grey Pansy, Junonia atlites atlites. At MacRitchie Reservoir. Possibly the rarest of the pansies in Singapore, and, maybe, the most exquisitely coloured and patterned one. Typical flitting flight of pansies.

The Chocolate Pansy, Junonia hedonia ida. The commonest of the pansies. A few individuals can often be found in sunny clearings chasing each other and basking. Loves bright sunlight, often rests with wings outspread.


Faded Chocolate Pansy. Alexandra Hospital.


Chocolate Pansy on Lantana. Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Arhopala centaurus nakula (Centaur Oakblue)

The Centaur Oakblue is a relatively large member of the Lycaenidae. The beautiful turquoise compound eyes of this species are particularly striking, as are the purple-blue uppersides of the males. The Centaur Oakblue is fond of resting in the shadier parts of the undergrowth when not in flight.

Life Cycle of The Common Mormon

The beautiful Common Mormon, Papilio polytes, is a common swallowtail butterfly in Singapore. It can be found in both wooded areas and urban gardens. A relatively large butterfly, the Common Mormon is often seen flying rapidly and erratically. However, the female form which mimics the Common Rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae) has a much slower, gliding flight in imitation of that of its model. Males and females of the non-mimetic forms are black with a creamy white band across the middle of the hindwing extending and tapering along the margin of the forewing. Females which mimic the Common Rose have a similar patterning of red and white except that their bodies are black instead of red. The caterpillars of the Common Mormon feed on Citrus as well as the Indian Curry Leaf Plant and adults are fond of Ixora blooms.

The egg of the Common Mormon is round, smooth and coloured a creamy yellow.

1st instar caterpillar, top right of picture. A later instar Lime Butterfly caterpillar is at the bottom left.

Second or third instar caterpillar on the left, older Lime caterpillar on the right. Young caterpillars of both species mimic bird droppings to escape predation.

Second last instar caterpillar of the Common Mormon.

Freshly molted final instar caterpillar. The caterpillar has lost its bird dropping camouflage in favour of a more snake-like guise.

Fully grown caterpillar. The caterpillars of both the Common Mormon and Lime butterfly look remarkably similar but there are subtle differences in their markings and colour upon closer inspection.

Chrysalis of the Common Mormon. This colour form of the pupa helps it blend in with drier surroundings.

Chrysalis just before the emergence of the butterfly. The butterfly's wings and body are visible through the pupal shell.

Freshly emerged adult. Female form which mimics the Common Rose.

The butterfly hangs upside-down to let its wings dry.

Upperside.

The butterfly spreading its wings and preparing for its maiden flight. Freshly eclosed females have a dusting of shimmering pale blue scales on the hindwing over the red areas near the abdomen.