Butt on Butterfly Bush

[Commander]

Just as we were debating about our local butts' preference for local nectaring flower sources, and they don't like Buddleia, this Lemon Emigrant stopped and fed at the Butterfly Bush this morning at Hort Park

A fully blooming Butterfly Bush (I think this one is Buddleia davidii) like this would have attracted lots of butts in the US and also Australia (as David has shared with us). But in Singapore, somehow not many butterflies like the flowers. There were Plain Tigers, Chocolate Pansies, Grass Yellows flying around, but none of them were even curious enough to come close to the Butterfly Bush. As I stood nearby, I could smell the strong aroma of the flowers.

As if to prove me wrong, this female Lemon Emigrant zipped past me, stopped on the flower and proceeded to drink from it. Ok, ok, so we have one customer for the Butterfly Bush in Singapore.

There was also a wasp that came to visit. I'll post it in another thread for John to ID.

[henrykoh]

Nice back lighting.

[Bluebottle]

Perhaps it tastes like durian to them. But once they try and like it, they will keep coming back for more

[moloch]

Nice shot, Khew.

But in Singapore, somehow not many butterflies like the flowers.

That seems so strange to me. I think that there were around 50-100 butterflies on that big butterfly bush near Fitzroy Falls at anytime during the day. I recorded 21 species visiting the flowers on my two visits of about an hour each. Next year, I will try it earlier in the season. There must be other species that stop in. I am hoping to see some of the lovely Jewels or Azures that have successfully evaded me so far.

By the way, I enjoy durian and like their lovely aroma! Definitely distinctive! Here in Australia, we can only buy frozen durians and these just are not the same as the fresh fruit.

[Commander]

Nice back lighting.

Thanks, Henry

Perhaps it tastes like durian to them. But once they try and like it, they will keep coming back for more

Haha... acquired taste maybe.

[Commander]

Nice shot, Khew.


That seems so strange to me. I think that there were around 50-100 butterflies on that big butterfly bush near Fitzroy Falls at anytime during the day. I recorded 21 species visiting the flowers on my two visits of about an hour each. Next year, I will try it earlier in the season. There must be other species that stop in. I am hoping to see some of the lovely Jewels or Azures that have successfully evaded me so far.

By the way, I enjoy durian and like their lovely aroma! Definitely distinctive! Here in Australia, we can only buy frozen durians and these just are not the same as the fresh fruit.

Thanks, David. This bush was in full flower. Yet only 1 butterfly and 1 wasp visited it as far as I could observe. The other butterflies avoided it, as we have experienced. I have one Buddleia in my garden that is looking very forlorn and unhappy that it's not attracting butterflies at all!

Not many of my Aussie bosses like durians at all! You must be one of the rare ones. Hopefully, you'll get some good ones when you visit Malaysia later this year!

[Elbowed Pierrot]

nice back lit shot

[Common Mime]

Have to concur with the rest that this backlit shot is indeed very nice and well compose. It is especially so for a not so easy to photograph butterfly, a Lemon Emigrant.

One stupid question though, how to differentiate the gender?

[WillFolsom]

Khew et. al. There is no doubt that the butterfly push (color variations aside) is a powerful magnet for local species of butterflies. It does have a strong odor that attracts quite a few skippers, swallowtails, monarchs, and hummingbird moths. It also attracts the European hornet, not because of the necter, but rather because of the butterflies that it targets. I've photographed a few attacks: extremely vicious.

Now, a fragrant source of nectar should appeal to any butterfly. Why U.S. species find it attractive and your local species do not, is curious. Perhaps there are so many other sources of fragrant necter in Singapore? We have a couple other imported varieties of Asian plants, bushes, and trees that give off a strong, pleasant odor when in bloom and they too attract a variety of native species that should -- logically -- have evolved to favor native sources of nectar over imported, non-native species. Perhaps some of our esteemed colleagues could contribute a thought or two about sensory behavior of your butterflies... or those of butterflies in general.

In human terms (I understand the danger of linking human behavior to non-human species) it's possible that some insects like a different taste. Something new and novel. David, for example, likes durian (I have yet to try durian, but will keep you informed), but may have grown up with Kiwi fruit. Perhaps those raised with durian might enjoy bananas from Costa Rica or apples from Washington State.

Always appreciate the interesting exchanges of views.

Wiliam

[Commander]

Thanks Bill. It's really strange though, because I've seen this Butterfly Bush being cultivated in several areas in Singapore already, and all with the same result - very few local butterflies go for the flowers, even in full bloom. I got mine from seeds that were brought over by a friend who lives in South Carolina, and he says that the bush in his backyard is absolutely a butterfly magnet.

The problem is, our local butterfly 'magnets' are usually odourless - at least to us human beings. Flowers of the Lantana, Snakeweed, Leea and so on, do not have the same strong fragrance that the Buddleias have.

I do agree that the analogy to us humans would not be appropriate and my reference to durians and the like was just in jest.

The subject of geographical behaviour and preferences of butterflies is something that researchers ought to put their minds to. It may not be something of any commercial value to science, but nevertheless a subject that may be interesting to entomologists and horticulturists as well. Bearing in mind that without the many pollinators that the Butterfly Bush usually enjoy over in the States and Australia, the plant may face difficulties in propagating naturally in tropical countries like Singapore.