Saturday 31 October 2015

A Trip to Phu Wiang National Park

Location: Phu Wiang National Park, Khon Kaen NE Thailand
Habitat: Lowland forest (up to around 500 a.s.l.)
Date: 31st October, 2015
Weather: Baking hot

Like my dragonfly blog I am now going to add more information regarding some of the places I visit and the butterflies that can be found (through photographs). One place I regularly visit for both butterflies and dragonflies is Phu Wiang National Park, which is around 90 kilometres west of Khon Kaen city in the northeast of Thailand. Known for its many dinosaur bones, but nothing else, it is a strange doughnut-shaped area which reaches around 600 metres at its peak. The topography of the mountain is dipteracarp and dry evergreen forest. Though a peaceful place, water is at a premium and isn't the best place in the world for dragonflies, though a few scarce species have popped up in the past. For butterflies, however, it is a great place, and at times seems alive with them with many specimens flitting around. One could almost compare it to Kaeng Krachan for sheer volume.

On this particular day, I arrived at around 8.00am and it was already baking hot. I set off up the road through the park and butterflies could be observed all along the road, feeding off dung (probably deer). About half way up there is an overflow pipe which always has moist ground underneath and houses many species. Here, I noticed my first new species for the day. It was a bright red, yellow and black specimen roosting fairly high up in the trees and a good photo was just too hard, though I do have a record shot. It turns out to be The Red-Base Jezebel, an uncommon species for Thailand, but definitely a rare one for Khon Kaen. Nearer the top, there are a number of ponds and a small, sandy-bottomed lake which is a particular favourite for butterflies. Here, there were many small species and I picked up a further three new species for my records. Highlight of the day was spotting and managing to get a half-decent shot of four different Pierrot species in one photograph. I was rather happy with that. By 4.30pm, the strong sun had disappeared behind the trees and with it, the butterflies disappeared too. 

My best shots of the day: 

 4 in 1: The Straight Pierrot, The Banded Blue Pierrot, The Angled Pierrot and The Common Pierrot. Bet I don't see that again any time soon.


Here they are individually:

The Banded Blue Pierrot (a new species for my records)
The Angled Pierrot
 The Common Pierrot
 The Straight Pierrot
If you want to attract many species, simply do a big pooh in the road. Here's one an animal did earlier!
 The Club Silverline ... one of two Sliverlines known at the park
 The Long-Banded Silverline ... the other Silverline known to reside here
 The Black Rajah - scarce here, though common in Thailand
 The Indian Cupid - another first for me and definitely rare for the park
 The Common Commander - common but hard to shoot this way ... thank you, sweaty rucksack!
 The Color Sergeant - a new sighting for the park
The Malay Baron, female feasting on fruits of the forest
The Hill Grass Yellow - fairly common
 The Common Earl, female - feasting on a discarded banana
 The same specimen
 The Watson's Wight - first sighting for me
The Red-Spot Marquis - uncommon for Thailand but very common here.
 The Small Staff Sergeant - abundant at the park
 The Common Cruiser - a very common species, but always a welcome sight
 The Great Mormon, female - fairly common but the females are rarely seen
 ... and finally, the first thing I saw - The Red-Base Jezebel. I will meet you again

I will post a full checklist of Phu Wiang NP at a later date.

208. The Blue Banded Pierrot (Discolampa ethion ethion)

Number: 208    
Family: Lycaenidae      
Sub-Family:  Polyommatinae    
Species: Discolampa ethion ethion    
Common name(s): The Blue Banded Pierrot   
Rarity: Uncommon   
Province(s) / Place(s) sighted: Phu Wiang NP (Khon Kaen), October 2015
 

207. The Indian Cupid (Everes lacturnus lacturnus)

Number: 207     
Family: Lycaenidae    
Sub-Family:  Polyommatinae    
Species: Everes lacturnus lacturnus  
Common name(s): The Indian Cupid  
Rarity: Common 
  Province(s) / Place(s) sighted: Phu Wiang NP (Khon Kaen), October 2015
 
 

206. The Watson's Wight (Iton watsonii)

Number: 206     
Family: Hesperiidae    
Sub-Family: Hesperiinae   
Species: Iton watsonii    
Common name(s): The Watson's Wight  
Rarity: Common 
 Province(s) / Place(s) sighted: Phu Wiang NP (Khon Kaen), October 2015


205. The Red-Base Jezebel (Delias pasithoe thyra)

Number: 205   
Family: Pieridae  
Sub-Family: Pierinae   
Species: Delias pasithoe thyra  
Common name(s): The Red-Base Jezebel  
Rarity: Uncommon   
Province(s) / Place(s) sighted: Phu Wiang NP (Khon Kaen), October 2015
 
Not the best photo in the world, but it's my one and only sighting of the species and it was fairly high up in the trees under cover ... until we meet again.

Tuesday 27 October 2015

204. The Spotted Angle (Caproma agma agma)

Number: 204   
Family: Hesperiidae   
Sub-Family: Pyrginae  
Species: Caproma agma agma  
Common name(s): The Spotted Angle   
Rarity: Common   
Province(s) / Place(s) sighted: Nam Phong NP (Khon Kaen)
 Month(s) seen (by me): February, 2015

203. The Spotted Pierrot (Tarucus callinara)

Number: 203   
Family: Lycaenidae   
Sub-Family: Polyommatinae 
Species: Tarucus callinara   
Common name(s): The Spotted Pierrot   
Rarity: Unommon   
Province(s) / Place(s) sighted: Khon Kaen environs (wasteland) 
Month(s) seen (by me): February, 2015
 
Not throwing away backed up photos can sometimes yield new species, like this one which I overlooked. 


ID credit: Nath Panunath

Monday 26 October 2015

202. The Common Castor (Ariadne merione tapestrina)

Number: 202          
Family: Nymphalidae     
Sub-Family: Biblidinae       
Species: Ariadne merione tapestrina 
Common name(s):  The Common Castor     
Rarity: Common      
Province(s) / Place(s) sighted: Phu Foi Lom National Park (Udon Thani)


This specimen is feasting on an old eggshell


ID credit: Nath Panunath

201. The Common Gem (Portia hewitsoni)

Number: 201            
Family: Lycaenidae      
Sub-Family: Portiinae     
Species: Portia hewitsoni   
Common name(s):  The Common Gem      
Rarity: Common     
Province(s) / Place(s) sighted: Phu Foi Lom National Park (Udon Thani)

This is probably my favourite little butt I have spotted so far.

ID confirmed by Nath Panunath

200. The Sullied Brown Sailor (Neptis nata adipala)

Number: 200          
Family: Nymphalidae        
Sub-Family: Limenitidinae        
Species: Neptis nata adipala   
Common name(s):  The Sullied Brown Sailor     
Rarity: Uncommon      
Province(s) / Place(s) sighted: Phu Wiang National Park (Khon Kaen)
 
200 species up ... 300 here I come. Could take some time though!

 

Sunday 25 October 2015

199. The Short-Banded Gray Sailor (Phaedyma columella martabana)

Number: 199          
Family: Nymphalidae     
Sub-Family: Limenitidinae       
Species: Phaedyma columella martabana 
Common name(s):  The Short-Banded Gray Sailor    
Rarity: Common    
Province(s) / Place(s) sighted: Phu Foi Lom National Park (Udon Thani)