Gardens By the Bay Butterfly Sightings

[Commander]

Was just wondering, LC named the vagrant as Vagrans egista macromalayana, Dr Seow named it as Vagrans sinha macromalayana, C & P 4 named as Vagrans egista macromalayana, so how should we name it, Master Khew?
http://www.pbase.com/lcgoh/image/124236274

Haha... Dr Seow's references come from more recent research papers that point to the likelihood that the Singapore/Malaysia species is closer to the western population. Our two reference books for the region, C&P4 and Fleming both used the older name egista. When Col Eliot updated the recent developments in the MNJ in Oct 2006, there was still no change to the species from egista to sinha.

Perhaps Dr Seow can look for the paper that indicates the change of status so that we can be clearer on which to use.

[Great Mormon]

Some shots from today's awesome outing

Yellow Palm Dart (Cephrenes trichopepla)


Slate Flash (Rapala manea chozeba) (?)


Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus chrysippus)


Pea Blue (Lampides boeticus)


Common Tit (Hypolycaena erylus teatus)


Common Tit (Hypolycaena erylus teatus)


Ciliate Blue (Anthene emolus goberus)


A really happy looking bug

[Archduke]

Anthene emolus goberus (Ciliate Blue)


Cephrene trichopepla (Yellow Palm Dart)


Danaus chrysippus chrysippus (Plain Tiger)


Hypolycaena erylus teatus (Common Tit)


Lampides boeticus (Pea Blue)


Pelopidas mathias mathias (Small-Branded Swift) <--- Need confirmation, I'm not too sure.

[Archduke]

Phaedyma columella singa (Short-Banded Sailor)


Rapala manea chozeba (Slate Flash)


Tajuria cippus maxentius (Peacock Royal)

[Blue Jay]

Superb shots Jon!

[Psyche]

Haha... Dr Seow's references come from more recent research papers that point to the likelihood that the Singapore/Malaysia species is closer to the western population. Our two reference books for the region, C&P4 and Fleming both used the older name egista. When Col Eliot updated the recent developments in the MNJ in Oct 2006, there was still no change to the species from egista to sinha.

Perhaps Dr Seow can look for the paper that indicates the change of status so that we can be clearer on which to use.

Nomenclatural changes such as this is a matter of acceptance by peer groups and it can be difficult to find the source. (I think it is Ikeda 2000.)
For example, Eliot in the same MNJ 2006 upgraded Ixias pyrene alticola to I. alticola which few had heard of.
He also make changes to Ragadia which remains largely unknown.
On page 35 he referred to the Orange Awlet as Bibasis harisa so I am curious as to when did BC adopted Burara.
In C&P4, the tentative name,Ypthima horsfieldi humei is unaccepted outside Malaysia.

Practically all the surrounding areas here referred to the Vagrant as Vagrans sinha, but I see the Indian website still use V. egista sinha.
This respected website referred to the Sulawesi representative as Vagrans sinha nupta. (V. egista occurs from Maluku eastwards.)

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflies...checklist.html

There is no compulsion to use the new nomenclature of course.
Many websites still refer to the older name.

TL Seow

[Psyche]

In their treatise on the Butterflies of Sulawesi, 2003, Vane-wright & de Jong stated it was Tsukada 1985 who first proposed the separation of taxa egista & sinha as two species even though they are allopatric ie. their distributions do not overlap.

This course of action was followed by Treadaway 1995, and which they have also adopted.

TL Seow
PS. Tsukada's revision is probably in Butterflies of the South East Asian Islands.

[Bluebottle]

[Silverstreak]

White-collared Kingfisher (Todirhamphus chloris)

9 June 2013 Singapore



Plains Cupid ( Chilades pandava pandava )

9 th June 2013 , Singapore



Common Tit ( Hypolycaena erylus teatus )

9 June 2013 Singapore

[Silverstreak]

Plain Tiger ( Danaus chrysippus chrysippus -fchrysippus )__Male

10th June 2013 Singapore