Butterfly photos from Fraser's Hill, July 2011

[moloch]

My wife and I have just returned to KL after spending a week at Fraser's Hill. FH is always lovely and we had a great time. We walked the Telecom Loop once in the morning and once in the evening for exercise. My wife would then return to the bungalow and read while I chased butterflies. I mostly worked the waterfall area below FH. I also ventured down to the falls and a creek about 4 and 8 km, respectively, from the Gap along the road towards Raub. These areas were productive and I saw butterflies here that I did not record on the hill.

I used shrimp paste as bait. I could not find the preferred brand but what I had worked okay and attracted a number of butterflies. I also purchased some over-ripe bananas and kept these in the boot of the car for several days. Once they had "melted", I put them out in a forested area along a creek and within a half hour, four species of butterflies arrived to sip the tasty juices. I have to thank BC members out at Maliau who told me of these techniques.

The days at FH were fairly cloudy and there was always moisture in the air. We did not really have any bright blue sky days this year so it was difficult to take habitat shots. I will add a few shots, though, since some members like William will be unfamiliar with this fine place.

Forest along the Telecom Loop:




Lantana thickets were sometimes productive:


This was a very good area along the trail to Jeriau Falls. I saw many species of butterflies when I put out the shrimp paste bait.




Misty conditions along road to the Gap:

[moloch]

I will begin the butterfly shots with the Pierids. Some of these are such beautiful insects.

Painted Jezebel (Delias hyparete)
… a pristine individual


This butterfly had less red than the one above.


Red-base Jezebel (Delias descombes): I was only able to take a few record shots of this beautiful butterfly. It would not allow me to move to a better position for photos.


Malayan Jezebel (Delias ninus): A common species along the Telecom Loop but I never saw one land near the ground. They seemed to remain in the canopy all the time.


Mixed group of puddling pierids:


Such a beauty! Sawtooth (Prioneris thestylis)

[moloch]

Red-spot Sawtooth (Prioneris philonome): One at the falls and one near the Pekan Bungalow where we stayed.


Red-spot Sawtooth with a Chocolate Albatross



Appias cardena: Only saw one of these on one day at the falls.



Appias indra? I saw a few of these at Jeriau Falls.



Appias indra? It had a similar pattern to the buttefly above but it was tiny.



Chocolate Albatross (Appias lyncida): The most common albatross at FH.




Orange Albatross (Appias nero): a few seen each day.

[orionmystery]

Great set David. Really makes me want to go back to FH again! Haven't been there for ages!

[Great Mormon]

Great set David. Very sharp shots of the puddling butterflies!

[WillFolsom]

Looks like you are getting darned good with that Tamron. Those are some really nice images you took! William

[Painted Jezebel]

Great shots, David. They certainly make me want to visit some time, as I have never been there.

[Bluebottle]

Beautiful shots, David.
Seems like you are well trained in Maliau

[moloch]

Great set David. Really makes me want to go back to FH again! Haven't been there for ages!

Thanks, Kurt. I hope to go back again with a few friends from the States in March next year. Fraser's is so beautiful and cool.

Great set David. Very sharp shots of the puddling butterflies!

Thanks, Anthony. I think the puddlers are easier to shoot than those feeding on flowers.

Great shots, David. They certainly make me want to visit some time, as I have never been there.

Thanks, Les. You'll have a great time there if you visit.

Looks like you are getting darned good with that Tamron. Those are some really nice images you took! William

Beautiful shots, David.
Seems like you are well trained in Maliau

Thanks, guys. Yes, I had some very useful advice from the others while out at Maliau. I found that when I used these techniques, my photos were better especially when in low-light situations.

[moloch]

Banded Puffin (Appias pandione). Some had whitish undersides and others were yellowish.




Lesser Gull (Cepora nadina)



Group of pierids including a gull and swallowtails that arrived after I put out bait along a creek about 8 km from the Gap (towards Raub). There were no butterflies here until I poured a little of the shrimp paste mixture.



Tailed Sulphurs (Dercas verhuelli) were fairly common near Jeriau Falls. Whenever the area clouded over, they would quit puddling and fly to the undersides of leaves like this.



I find Grass Yellows to be difficult to identify.

Eurema simulatrix?



This grass yellow was tiny and had distinctly rounded wings. It had settled in a small drainage channel so I had to shot at quite an angle above it.
Eurema ada?



Eurema sp.



Other pierids that I encountered but did not photograph included:

• Wanderers (Pareronia valeria). Common especially 8 km below the Gap.
• Tree Yellow (Gandaca harina). A few 8 km below the Gap.
• Lemon Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona). Common everywhere.
• Orange Emigrant (Catopsilia scylla). A few at Jeriau and below the Gap.
• Forest White (Phrissura aegis). A few along the trail to Jeriau Falls.
• Yellow Orange Tip (Ixias pyrene alticola). One was seen several times at a lantana thicket on the Telecom Loop road. This butterfly seemed smaller than the Ixias observed at Maliau and the lower wing was white rather than yellow.