Locally the Dot-Dash Sergeant (Athyma kanwa kanwa) is uncommon. Sightings of adults have been confined to a few locations in the northern and western part of the Central Catchment Nature Reserves where its host plants, Uncaria spp. are growing. The adults fly with a strong swift flight. Individuals have been seen around flowering trees and puddling on trails within the nature reserves.

Here, Horace Tan shares his meticulous documentation of the early stages of the Dot Dash Sergeant, with a number of nice animated sequences as well!

Read all about it at the Butterflies of Singapore BLOG.

Butterflies are often encountered “puddling” – an activity that is described as sipping liquid nutrients from damp sand/soil which is usually tainted with animal excretions.  Puddling is necessary for the butterfly to extract sodium – an element that is vital for many physiological functions including digestion, excretion, reproduction and flight.

Many species of butterflies puddle, and amongst those which normally are skittish or fly rapidly, puddling is the butterfly photographer’s best bet at shooting these species when they are settled and intoxicated whilst puddling. 

Read all about it at the Butterflies of Singapore BLOG.