Butterfly Spotting and Identification in Don Chao Poo Forest, Phana

By Helen Ford

Introduction

The forest here is full of biodiversity. You have the macaques, monitor lizards, birds of prey, ground squirrels and an abundance of different insects. My focus was on the lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). I was interested in identifying as many as possible, yet this was easier said than done, as most do not stay in one place even for a second and I only gave myself 3 days to complete the task. Butterflies can be seen throughout the forest and there is even much diversity in the species in the town itself. Look hard enough and you will find a new species every day. I decided to record what I observed in a few specific locations in the forest, where if you spent just 15 minutes in each site, you would be able to see a range of different species in each location.

(Google Earth, 2014)

Site 1

Date: 09/06/2015, Time: 9:35am

Habitat type: Scrub/grassland/bare ground/forest edge

Butterflies identified: Grass Yellow, Tawny Coster, Common Jay

Butterflies unidentified: Black with swallow tail and white markings (possibly Common Mormon), large white/cream very common throughout forest, brown underside of wings with blue on inside (see picture).

Other notes: Found 2 different kinds of caterpillar. One belonging to Tawny Coster (red spiky).

Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore). Host plant is the passion flower which are found in site 1. Below is its larval form. Photo by Helen Ford.

Grass Yellow Butterfly (Eurema hecabe). Photo by Helen Ford.

As yet unidentified caterpillar. Photo by Helen Ford.

Unidentified butterfly. Photo by Helen Ford.

Return

Date: 10/06/2015, Time 4:20pm

Butterflies present: Tawny Coster, grass yellow

Unidentified: suspected lime butterfly, other white with black markings, black with white bottom and bluish black tinge.

Other notes: On way to site, on path from shrine spotted Peridrome orbicularis, (see other locations) on underside of a leaf. (Spotted again on Buddha Path near Buddha 1 the following day at similar time).

Site 2 (OTP Road)

Date 09/06/2015, Time: 11:00am4

Habitat: Concrete/scrub/forest edge

Butterflies identified: Common Jay, Lime, Grass Yellow, Tawny Coster

Unidentified: Lots of large white/ cream butterflies, small white with black markings, white and black spotted- possibly Common Mime.

Site 3 (North side of pond)

Date: 09/06/2015, Time: 12.15am

Habitat: grassland/scrub/concrete/pond/ forest edge

Butterflies identified: Tawny Coster, Grass Yellow,

Return

Same Day, Time 5:45pm

Virtually none present

Site 4 (South of pond)

Butterflies identified: Yellow Orange Tip Butterfly (Ixias pyrene), tawny coster, grass yellow

Unidentified: Yellow spotted, small brown with eyes on outside of wings,

Habitat: Same as site 3

Return

Same Day, Time 5:30pm

Butterflies identified: Common Rose, Blue Tiger

Unidentified: Possible Black Mime

Site 5 (Around Buddha 1)

Date: 10/06/2014, Time: 9:00am

Habitat: Concrete/ clearing/ forest edge/ forest

Butterflies/ Moths identified: Plain banded awl, blue tiger, and grass yellow

Unidentified: Other small white and black species and larger yellow and cream species

Plain Banded Awl (Hasora vitta). Taken by Helen Ford

Site 6 (Around Temple)

Date: 11/06/2015, Time: 9:40am

Habitat: Forest edge/ clearing/ building/scrub

Butterflies identified: Grass Yellow, Common Rose

Unidentified: white with black veins see picture

Unidentified as yet.

Other Locations

Peridrome orbicularis. Sighted between Site 1 and Shrine.

Photo by Helen Ford

Yamfly (Loxura atymnus).

Sighted on Buddha path between central road and Buddha 3.

Photo by Helen Ford

References

Google Earth, 29/01/2014. 15⁰40’09.51” N 104⁰51’31.65” E, elevation 152 m.

Accessed: 11/06/2015.