WETlands
a publication of Sungei Buloh Nature Park
Vol 7 No 2
Aug 2000

The Truth
about Grass

Butterfly-Plant Relationships

List of butterflies
(1999-2000)

Beauty to Behold how animals see

More about the eyes of animals

Nesting Birds
at Sungei Buloh

Nesting
Little Heron

A walk with a Volunteer Guide: Keith Hillier

Nature Photographer
with a Mission:
Julian Wong

Earth Day Programmes

Nature in
the City		  
An Introduction to
Butterfly-Plant
Relationships at
Sungei Buloh Nature Park
Khiew Sin Khoon
Park Volunteer

Lime Butterfly
 
The success of Sungei Buloh Nature Park's Butterfly Trail has brought our winged friends to the fore, as they are usually the first of nature's ambassadors to greet visitors to the Park.

Located at the main boardwalk leading to the Visitor Centre, the Butterfly Trail's colourful flowers have attracted several species of the larger butterflies at Sungei Buloh to feed at the trail. These butterflies, particularly the Blue Glassy Tiger, Dark Glassy Tiger, Common Mormon and Common Palmfly, are frequently seen in the vicinity of the trail at most times of the day.

Sungei Buloh, usually associated with bird-watching and mangrove flora and fauna, is also home to about 40 species of butterflies. Whilst this is not a large number of species, it is quite important to note that the diversity of the butterfly species has a direct relationship to the number of species of plants found at the Park. The caterpillars of most species of butterflies feed on plants (with the exception of certain Lycaenidae species that are "carnivorous" and feed on coccids and mealy bugs). The vegetation of Sungei Buloh cannot be compared with, for example, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, or the Central Catchment Area where the majority of the 250-odd species of butterflies in Singapore can be found.

It is therefore important to understand the ecology of the butterflies, in particular, their dependence on the plant species at Sungei Buloh. Whilst most adult butterflies feed on flowering plants and damp patches on forest floors, their caterpillar stages are heavily dependant on the particular host plant of the species.

For example, the often-encountered Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis vulgaris macrina) feed on a type of creeper-weed found commonly at Sungei Buloh. It is believed that the Blue Glassy Tiger's lookalike, the Dark Glassy Tiger (Parantica agleoides agleoides) also shares the same host plant.

Common Mormon
 The elegant Common Mormon often found fluttering near the Lantana flowers, depends on its host plant, the Indian Curry Leaf Plant (Murraya koenigii) or in its absence, Citrus plants.

The Common Palmfly feeds on the various palms found at the Park, and its favourite is the Yellow Cane Palm (Chrysalido carpus lutescens).
The list goes on, and for many of the butterfly species, their host plants are still unknown, and only through close observation and a dose of good luck will the gaps in our knowledge be filled in.

There are several species of Lycaenidae (these are small fast-flying butterflies) found at Sungei Buloh which occur in symbiotic relationship with the Kerengga ants. These are the Common Tit (Hypolycaena erylus teatus) and the Centaur Oak Blue (Arhopala pseudocentaurus nakula). Both species are known to feed on the leaves of Eugenia species.

The caterpillars of these two species exude a kind of sweet secretion on which the ants feed, in return for protection from predators. With the fierce "fire ants" protecting them, the caterpillars of these butterflies have a much higher chance of survival in the wild. It would take a very determined and thick-skinned predator to ignore the painful bites of the ants to get at the caterpillar. So the next time you get bitten by these "fire ants" at Sungei Buloh and secretly hope that these ants be exterminated, spare a thought for the survival of at least two of the butterfly species sharing the Park with us.
The fruit trees that can be found in Sungei Buloh are also known host plants to several species of butterflies found at the Park. Amongst these are the Mango—host plant for the Baron (Euthalia aconthea gurda), Rambutan—host plant to Blue Nawab (Polyura schreiber tisamenus), Lime (various Citrus species)—host plant to Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus malayanus), Banded Swallowtail (Papilio demolion demolion), and Common Mormon (Papilio polytes romulus).

Caterpillar of the
Common Mormon

Pupae of the
Common Mormon
Even the humble grasses, lallang and "weeds" like the Common Asystasia support several species of butterflies. The Common Asystasia is the known host plant for the Great Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina bolina) and the sun-loving Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya wallacei). The latter can usually be found along the perimeter fence at the Park which is near the neighbouring farms. The pretty Common Tiger (Danaus genutia genutia) feeds on a creeper-vine which can be found growing along the fence separating the Park from one of the neighbouring farms.

The common Derris species, usually associated with Mangrove flora, is believed to support at least two species of butterflies. These are the Sumatran Sunbeam (Curetis saronis sumatrana) and the Common Awl (Hasora badra badra). The Sumatran Sunbeam is a fast-flying butterfly with bright orange black-bordered wings above, and a silvery white underside. This species is one of the resident species at Sungei Buloh, and is usually found near coastal areas. This butterfly is not found in the other nature reserves in the Central Catchment area.

It is therefore extremely important to understand the butterflies' dependence on plants for survival. Without the existence of its particular host plant, the corresponding butterfly species will become extinct at the Park.

More articles about butterflies
at Sungei Buloh

List of butterflies
at Sungei Buloh
(1999-2000)
(Vol 7 No 2, Aug 00)

Butterfly Monitoring and Introduction
at Sungei Buloh
(Vol 6 No 3, Dec 99)

Butterflies and their food plants
(Vol 6 No 1 Apr 99)

Butterfly Appreciation
(Vol 5 No 3, Nov 98)

   
© Sungei Buloh Nature Park