Mangrove Tree Nymph

[richardlbong]

Went to WWNE this morning and decided to have lunch before proceeding. This surprise package decided to pay that food centre a visit and perched itself on one of the trees outside.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b323/digimania/MangroveTreeNymph.jpg
Idea leuconoe chersonesia (Mangrove Tree Nymph)
Richard

[Silverstreak]

Congratulation Richard!:cheers:

On the main island or Pulau Ubin?

Oh!! WWNE = Wild Wild North East ( Area North/North East of Yishun Town):hmmm:

[Commander]

Oh dear... an escapee Taiwanese Tree Nymph from the Zoo! :sweat:

[Common Mime]

Zoo and NE...??? Quite a strong flyer huh?

[richardlbong]

Oh dear... an escapee Taiwanese Tree Nymph from the Zoo! :sweat:

I have doubted that as this is taken at Punggol very close to where the Silverlines are. Lining the Punggol River is an area where you can find Mangrove.
Richard

[Commander]

Yup, you haven't seen the Tree Nymphs fly before? Their large wing area is ideal for riding the air currents with minimal efforts.

In any case, the Danainae are long-distance flyers, examples are the Monarch and the Crows in Taiwan.

[Silverstreak]

I have doubted that as this is taken at Punggol very close to where the Silverlines are. Lining the Punggol River is an area where you can find Mangrove.
Richard


:thinking: If Richard is right , we should find more of them around same locality....and we need to establish whether it is the Taiwanese variety.

[Commander]

I have doubted that as this is taken at Punggol very close to where the Silverlines are. Lining the Punggol River is an area where you can find Mangrove.
Richard

That is a quite a possibility, and the specimen that you shot has markings somewhere in between subspecies clara and subspecies chersonesia. I really wonder if the two can interbreed? :thinking:

The Taiwanese subspecies which is a popular species in butterfly farms and parks have their hindwing markings isolated from each other. But these markings are rather variable in size. From my own observations of specimens taken on Tekong and also C&P4, the black submarginal 'spots' on the hindwing are conjoined to almost form a black band across the wings.

The hindwing cell spot, as well as the two spots in space 7 of the hindwing are also much larger in subspecies chersonesia than in clara.

The Mangrove Tree Nymph has been reported in the Ketam Quarry area on Pulau Ubin, so it may just be the route between Ubin and Punggol that it came from, like where the Tawny Coster first appeared. Also, given the season of north-easterly winds, the flight from Ubin/Tekong to the northern coast of Singapore island would be aided by these winds.

So, keep a further lookout for this species! They can survive longer than 6 weeks and is not usually a target for predators.

Sunny, go stake out the area! :gbounce:

[richardlbong]

BTW this shot is heavily cropped and taken with 300mm on the 40D.
Richard

[Commander]

BTW this shot is heavily cropped and taken with 300mm on the 40D.
Richard

Doesn't matter, Richard. It's definitely much better than someone just reporting that they "saw one". You have photographic evidence of this bugger! :cheers:

Can those of you who have shot the subspecies clara please post your shots here for comparison. After checking C&P4, Fleming and Pisuth's books, what Richard shot seems more like subspecies siamensis in Pisuth's book! :hmmm: Les, this doesn't happen to have something to do with you, does it? :bsmile:

[Sky Blue]

sub species Idea leuconoe clara as per request :)

[abielneo]

Makes me feel like camping at punggol everyday this coming week.

[Commander]

Ha ha... ya... keep Sunny company. Then when you spot one, SMS all the rest and we have a full mobilisation. :bsmile:

[abielneo]

Personally I agree with Uncle Khew that the markings are most similar to siamensis. Those who don't have the book can see a small picture here (http://yutaka.it-n.jp/dan/30200010.html).

Here's a pic of chersonesia, the markings differ greatly.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee102/abielneo/IMG_1815.jpg

Btw, with respect to what uncle khew wondered about whether clara and chersonesia can interbreed, i always thought that the definition of a 'subspecies' was that it could interbreed with any other within the same 'species'. At least that's what i gathered from this scientific report on fruitflies. Anyone know how to interpret genitalia?

[abielneo]

Sorry for the spam, but where exactly was it spotted?

[Painted Jezebel]

Les, this doesn't happen to have something to do with you, does it? :bsmile:

Unfortunately not. I am yet to see any species of this genus up here. (No mangroves on the island!):thumbsdow

276

[richardlbong]

Thanks for the interests and the discussion. Abiel. if you decide to camp there, one thing for sure you won't get hungry. This shot is taken from the Punggol Plaza Food Court. As the place is crowded during lunch time, I opted to seat outside the aircon area. This MTN decided to distract me from my food and was hovering above the trees next to the building. At one stage it even flew in.
Richard

[Commander]

Someone was frying Formula B in the Food Centre? :bsmile:

[richardlbong]

Someone was frying Formula B in the Food Centre? :bsmile:

Oops, I was eating Malay food, mabe the formula B in it attract it.
Richard