Butterflies of Phanom Bencha National Park and Mountain Resort

[butterfly_effect]

Nelson and I have just returned from Phanom Bencha, Krabi. After many days of squinting at Pisuth's book, this is our list. Please help to correct if we've made any mistakes (likely I think).

You can read about our experience and the places that we visited in the entire wordy thing here: http://wanderingbutterflyeffect.wordpress.com/


1. Euthalia monina monina

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8326/8397474987_f23390f2f6_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8212/8398564696_9e4b41fa47_c.jpg


2. Hypolimnas bolina jacintha

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8474/8398559266_dc177e91df_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8046/8398560620_be3dfab828_c.jpg


3.Euploea camaralzeman

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8228/8398566174_490cd7fd9c_c.jpg


4. Elymnias hypermnestra tinctoria (Common Palmfly) topside

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8098/8398567224_5e2faae0bc_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8491/8396915261_a84679d8fb_c.jpg


5.Chersonesia risa risa (Common Maplet)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8493/8397484885_1e3de9a72e_c.jpg

[butterfly_effect]

6. Drupadia ravindra boisduvalii

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8076/8397480859_bcb7b39d1c_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8220/8398570914_f80ee970d7_c.jpg


7. Castalius rosimon rosimon (Common Pierrot)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8222/8398574708_a4dae95f00_c.jpg


8. Arhopala silhetensis (Sylhet Oakblue)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8224/8398576286_143a26ddd0_c.jpg


9. Amblypodia narada taooana (Blue Leaf Blue)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8189/8397489387_6e6d7268c6_c.jpg


10. Psolos fuligo

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8376/8397490607_ed99523fe6_c.jpg


11. Halpe porus

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8355/8398580382_405925c178_c.jpg


12. Taxila haquinus berthae (The Larger Harlequin)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8397493231_3dccb22ef6_c.jpg

[butterfly_effect]

13. Tagiades japetus atticus (Common Snow Flat)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8466/8398582674_c4442e82c6_c.jpg


14. Papilio palinurus

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8514/8397925952_70374d0b5b_c.jpg


15. Papilio memnon agenor (Great Mormon)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8503/8396842745_21abf3f9a4_c.jpg


16. Burara oedipodea (Branded Orange Awlet)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8081/8397932156_c5451109c8_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8080/8397936126_e5b4391282_c.jpg


17. Melanocyma faunula faunula (Palid Faun)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8078/8397941540_fbc94ac57d_c.jpg


18. Phalanta alcippe alcippoides (Leopard)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8220/8396860555_4242d6d4ed_c.jpg


19. Jamides celeno celeno (Common Cerulean)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8225/8397949886_2be054141d_c.jpg

[butterfly_effect]

20. Cepora iudith (Orange Gull)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8397973380_c3ed7e90a5_c.jpg


21. Cheritra freja freja (Common Imperial)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8362/8396884205_a5fed0c151_c.jpg


22. Caleta roxus pothus (Straight Pierrot)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8185/8396889209_1e0f2a0879_c.jpg


23. Caleta roxus aberrant

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8398005378_3a3466d034_c.jpg


24. Everes lacturnus lacturnus (Indian Cupid)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8398006966_7a54714cb3_c.jpg


25. Rapala pheritima sequeira

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8185/8396922543_23ee856501_c.jpg


26. Polyura hebe chersonesus

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8230/8398018548_5e02c73843_c.jpg


27. Polyura athamas athamas (Common Nawab)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8505/8396916969_ed4fc9bcaf_c.jpg

[butterfly_effect]

28. Parantica aspasia aspasia (Yellow glassy tiger)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8397625705_d35310f743_c.jpg


29. Parantica aglea melanoides (Glassy Tiger)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8091/8397993596_17424e8c35_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8190/8397998118_7381b5f44e_c.jpg


30.Pathysa antiphates itamputi (Five BarSwordtail)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8056/8398024298_a8acef76df_c.jpg


31. Rapala iarbus iarbus (Common Red Flash)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8052/8397995530_d57b1e2571_c.jpg


32. Charaxes bernadus crepax (Tawny Rajah)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8227/8398012276_b998c4ac91_c.jpg


33. Cigaritis syama terana

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8071/8397986534_b0c0904987_c.jpg


34. Arhopala centaurus.


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8492/8396903639_566fb6187b_c.jpg

[butterfly_effect]

35. Zographetus satwa (The Purple and Gold Flitter)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8186/8396896863_a73e78534b_c.jpg


36. Polyura delphis (Jewel Nawab)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8192/8396929711_20b90cb2e4_c.jpg


37. Catapaecilma major emas

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8368/8397953982_f68e85d3a6_c.jpg


38.Graphium eurypylus (Great Jay)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8493/8396873783_6459b4bd5d_c.jpg


39. Graphium doson (Common Jay)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8396877135_b8472f02df_c.jpg


40. Graphium arycles arycles(Green Jay)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8332/8397965560_789b94fc27_c.jpg


41. Losaria coon doubledayi (Common Clubtail)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8330/8396857679_6e6fc801d9_c.jpg


42. Prothoe franck uniformis (Blue Begum)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8473/8397977978_a167500b5a_c.jpg

[Blue Jay]

Great shots, Uncle Nelson!:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Psyche]

3. Euploea camaralzeman. forewing 3 columns of spots ; opposite forewing upperside with marginal white dots.
Probably same as Langkawi ssp paraclaudina with blue-shot wing bases, but this ssp not recognised in Thailand.

8. Arhopala aedias. Hindwing as in A. major, tailed; forewing with postdiscal spot 4 dislocated.

10. Psolos fuligo. Typical spotting & hunchback appearance.

11. Halpe porus. Clear white band & spots ; white face.

14. Papilio paris. Forewing pale area well-defined & does not invade cellend; P. bianor temmperate climate species.

23. Caleta roxus aberrant with broken band.

34. Arhopala centaurus.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

1) Euthalia monina monina. Ssp. kesuva not found on the peninsular.
14) Papilio palinurus. P. paris not found so far south, unfortunately. The small size of the hindwing marginal red spots confirm this.
25) Rapala pheritima sequeira. Ssp. petosiris is northern ssp.
37) Catapaecilma major emas. You can see silvery postdiscal spots at the base of spaces 4 & 5.

Congratulations on capturing two species I have not seen there before, Zographetus satwa and Prothoe franck, but please note the ssp. is P. franck uniformis. Ssp. vilma is from northern Thailand.

I hope you both had a wonderful time there, it looks like you did.

[Angiud]

Wow Hellen and Nelson, what a wonderful collection! Looks like you had a great holiday, you found several species I've never seen! After by PM I'll ask you some infos about the locations and a comment about the resort.

:cheers: :cheers:

[Alfa]

It's an interesting travel log to read, with very nice and sharp capture of many beautiful butterflies, both in BC and your blog.
It is also interesting to see butterflies that are not seen here and new to me ;P
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Angiud]

The irony is that I'm actually in Krabi, but I cannot go to Phanom Bencha, business reasons aaaaarrrrggghhhhh!!!

:cry:

[Great Mormon]

Great collection the both of you!

[Psyche]

14) Papilio palinurus. P. paris not found so far south, unfortunately. The small size of the hindwing marginal red spots confirm this.


You are absolutely right. I thought the spots were perspective distorted & the upperside had been seen.

A single male P. paris was taken in Langkawi 1980 and the butterfly also occurs in Sumatra and Java.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Silverstreak]

Excellent harvest Nelson and Ellen !!:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[butterfly_effect]

Thanks Seow and Les for the help in identification. :D We really appreciate it!

Thanks Antonio, Alfa, Anthony, Brian and all for the kind comments.

It was fun there. Ah Antonio, where did you go? Thought you were going to join us! haha!

I would highly recommend going there for anybody wanting a break from the rest of the world. Seriously there's no connection for you to check emails or facebook or even phone back home. :P

[butterfly_effect]

Thanks Unker Sunny! Hmmm... if the activity was high on every day the harvest would have been more!

[Great Mormon]

dear dear, picking up a stone in the national park warrants a jail term of 5-20 years?! :thinking:

[bluefin]

Thanks Les and Seow for assisting in the IDs and all for your positive comments. :)

Actually we were in Krabi for grocery shopping, we were looking for Yam and Chestnut. But it seems that they were all sold out and we are not able to locate any. :-(

Antonio, Les, next time when you happen to visit the park again. You can bait at the area on top of the path leading to the waterfall around the gravel area. I have seen a Glorius Begum doing some rounds at that area. But it refuses to land for a sip. :-(



I think Khao Sok will be next on my list. :cheers:

[butterfly_effect]

Anthony, yeah... the signs are quite interesting indeed! I think they really mean like if you pick up anything from the park and take it home it's not allowed... or do they mean like... don't pick up any of the house-sized boulders. Hmm... they should give a man an award for the ability to do that.

[butterfly_effect]

The second article on Phanom Bencha mountain resort is up: http://wanderingbutterflyeffect.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/butterflies-of-krabi-thailand-phanom-bencha-mountain-resort/

You can read this if you want to find out which trails we explored around the resort. :)

[Painted Jezebel]

Lovely write up, I may have to stay there some time later.

If you were looking for the Chestnut Rajah and Blue Yam near the resort, then you were in the wrong place. Antonio and I have seen them only in the National Park itself. For the Blue Yam, take the path to the waterfall, behind the park office, but, very early on, when level to the manicured lawn, look left, and they are in the trees next to the path. They prefer afternoons. (For future reference!).

[Peacock Royal]

Wow, so many species.
Need to venture further north next time.

[bluefin]

Lovely write up, I may have to stay there some time later.

If you were looking for the Chestnut Rajah and Blue Yam near the resort, then you were in the wrong place. Antonio and I have seen them only in the National Park itself. For the Blue Yam, take the path to the waterfall, behind the park office, but, very early on, when level to the manicured lawn, look left, and they are in the trees next to the path. They prefer afternoons. (For future reference!).

Les, we were looking for the Yams and Chestnuts in the National Park. I remember seeing one white fast flying UFO flying around the pedestal hut and guard box up along the path leading to the waterfall on our last day there. But did not manage to track it down. I must have make more than 10 trips up and down that trail alternating between the hut at the top and the small patch of sand around the bridge area nearer to the beginning of the path on that day. :sweat:

Since the Mountain Resort is just across the other side of the mountain, we were juz trying our luck to see if the Yam/Chestnut can be found there too.:)

[moloch]

Nelson and Ellen,

Wonderful report! Your photos, as always, were superb. I really liked the Blue Begum. There is something special about those with their intricate and beautiful wing pattern. Looks like a place that is well worth a visit.

Regards,
David

[Bluebottle]

Beautiful photos and lively report, Ellen, Nelson :thumbsup:
Congrats on nailing the Blue Begum, Nelson. I think it has been on you shopping list for a while :)

[Commander]

Thailand is certainly tempting BC members to go up soon!

Chng, so when you going to shoot your Jungle Queen? :bsmile:

Nelson, you brought Formula B all the way up there too? :)

[WillFolsom]

Nelson: That's some pretty great shooting! What a way for me to start the day! I'll come back again this evening for my "treat" that I enjoy each evening! William

[Glorious Begum]

Nice nice. May have to make a trip there one day. Any Lantern bug ?

[bluefin]

Nelson and Ellen,

Wonderful report! Your photos, as always, were superb. I really liked the Blue Begum. There is something special about those with their intricate and beautiful wing pattern. Looks like a place that is well worth a visit.

Regards,
David

Yes David, the Blue Begum is a really amazing and beautiful butterfly.
If only the Glorious Begum stop to sip, it would have been a double Begum whammy. :yahoo:



Beautiful photos and lively report, Ellen, Nelson :thumbsup:
Congrats on nailing the Blue Begum, Nelson. I think it has been on you shopping list for a while :)

Thanks Loke, finally manged to get a good shot of the Begum. :gbounce:


Thailand is certainly tempting BC members to go up soon!

Chng, so when you going to shoot your Jungle Queen? :bsmile:

Nelson, you brought Formula B all the way up there too? :)

Formula B is always with me when I travel.
Remember the slogan; "Never leave home without it" :thinking:

[bluefin]

Nelson: That's some pretty great shooting! What a way for me to start the day! I'll come back again this evening for my "treat" that I enjoy each evening! William

Glad that you like it Will. :cheers:


Nice nice. May have to make a trip there one day. Any Lantern bug ?

LC, will be posting shots of the rest of the critters in this thread, including the LB. :)

[WillFolsom]

Nelson: I enjoyed this posting and your other posting, which included a lot about local conditions. Keep up the great work. William

[bluefin]

Nelson: I enjoyed this posting and your other posting, which included a lot about local conditions. Keep up the great work. William

Thanks William, the Blog that you have read through belongs to Ellen.
I am juz providing some pictures. :)

I am not so much of a writing person. :bsmile:

[bluefin]

A couple more posting to wrap up the series. :)
I am not really sure of the ID of some of these critters.


1.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8467/8401672791_da4283e44e_c.jpg


2.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8235/8402472848_6f3305e558_c.jpg


3.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8097/8402476570_9f14a336a9_c.jpg

[bluefin]

Spider A

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8499/8402805020_1ac776d57e_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8048/8401514941_e2d9140fa6_c.jpg


Spider B

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8184/8401797701_6799ac6846_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8375/8402897952_f3fcf0cb28_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8083/8401806797_8e60f9f923_c.jpg


Spider C

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8493/8401806327_ed6d80ba81_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8334/8402893742_770030f5ae_c.jpg

[bluefin]

These geckos are hugh, measuring about 10inch and its call is extremely loud and interesting.


Gecko A

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8077/8401158761_eca8145905_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8334/8401151577_c03650dbfc_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8401351695_a10e9ac50c_c.jpg


Gecko B

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8471/8401372963_56e391faf9_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8402464260_e70515c438_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8046/8401200003_69395ee4e1_c.jpg

[bluefin]

And lastly the lanterns descend.


Pyrops karenia

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8184/8401817253_917df1361d_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8470/8401814081_15fa39f0f1_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8098/8402998932_c757e99d86_c.jpg



Pyrops shiinaorum shiinaorum It choses to remain high up the tree. :-(

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8376/8401910957_f2643ef250_c.jpg

[Great Mormon]

The second picture of the gecko is really cute! It's saying cheese!

[butterfly_effect]

A more accurate sound would be a very cartoonish and loud HELLO! I'm not kidding....

Anyway, the article on the Lantern bugs and Geckos are up... the environment pics I posted give a very good clue on where you can find them... hahaha...so Lantern bug fans, you can go crazy over the numbered trees!

http://wanderingbutterflyeffect.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/phantom-strange-and-dark-creatures-of-phanom-bencha-lantern-bug-and-gecko-special/

[Painted Jezebel]

The large gecko must be the Tokay (Gekko gekko), though there is more orange and less blue than normal. They are common in house roofs (I have one living in mine). They are also quite nasty individuals, not afraid to bite and chew someone's finger for some time, and they can draw blood. They are also noisy, as you realised, and dirty. Everyone I know makes an extreme effort to keep them out of the house, itself.

The usual sounds they make are 3 loud chirps followed, in reducing decibels, by "Gecko..... Gecko..... Gecko" though it can sound like Hello. The Thais say that if "Gecko" is repeated five times they will be lucky, however, for Farangs (Foreigners), it has to be repeated seven times for them to be lucky. Needless to say, it is usually 5 or 6 only!

The Agama lizard (2 & 3) must be Calotes emma, note the spines above the eyes. There are two ssp. in the peninsular, C. emma emma (Forest Crested Lizard) found in S. peninsular and Malaysia to Perak, and C. emma alticristatus (Northern Forest Crested Lizard), found in Penisular Thailand northwards through Indo-China. The colouring of the first is usually green and grey, so I suspect the latter which can be very variable in colouration, including an orange head when it is stressed.

I think the first one may be a juvenile of the same.

[butterfly_effect]

That's so amazing! Can't believe they can be so aggressive!! How do people keep them out of the house? Is there a way to do so? So interesting~!

You are spot on about the sounds! Well they chirped about 3 times only while I was awake. Perhaps Nelson had both of them chirp about 14 times on him while he was chasing them with his camera all night. HAHA

[butterfly_effect]

Using your lead for the Tokay gecko, I found a clip on youtube which is spot on the sound here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF0gmHAG3cw

LOL! So it is a Tokay... I read that some people use Tobacco to make them drowsy and get rid of them. Some of the online sources said that if a Tokay bites you the only way to get it off is to submerge it in water and it'll have to let go to breathe! O_O

[Painted Jezebel]

That's so amazing! Can't believe they can be so aggressive!! How do people keep them out of the house? Is there a way to do so? So interesting~!



No, not aggressive as such, purely defensive (they also hiss with a very wide gaping mouth as a warning), unless I am an insect and they will eat almost anything! Kept out of the house by having mosquito netting on the windows and keeping outside doors shut!:)

[guldsmed]

Yeah they only bite when you grab them. I did that with a Smith's/Large Forest Gecko in Endau Rompin. It fell to the diner table (luckily between not in the dishes) while I was having dinner with the National Park Director and some other staff. I got two nice curved rows of pinpricks in my hand for the effort :bsmile:

Very nice write up and pics!

I would like to go there next time in Krabi, I have only been to Khao Nor Chuchi (which is also nice!).

[Psyche]

I thought I remembered the Tokay as sounding a very loud TOKeh , TOKeh, TOKeh , which is how it got its name.

They are reputed to have medicinal properties, curing many things including Aids.
Large live ones had been sold for several thousand Malaysian Ringgits each.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Psyche]

The plight of the Tokay Gecko.
http://www.traffic.org/home/2011/11/16/tokay-gecko-trade-boom-in-south-east-asia.html

TL Seow:cheers:

[butterfly_effect]

My goodness... but there's a chance then we might start seeing them in other countries other than Thailand because these are very hardy creatures and there's always a chance of trafficked species escaping and becoming an invasive species.

[Painted Jezebel]

The species is found naturally throughout eastern tropical Asia. I am surprised you do not appear to have it in Singapore! Despite the trade, it is a very common species, and is found living happily in cities such as central Bangkok.

[guldsmed]

Luckily I do not think it is very easy to overexploit to (local) eradication, it is fast, quite shy and much more often heard than seen :) .

Off cause if incentives (prices) are high enough anything is possible :-(

[butterfly_effect]

So far I've not seen or heard the tokay here. It'd be interesting to see it, if it really is here!

[Commander]

So far I've not seen or heard the tokay here. It'd be interesting to see it, if it really is here!

Probably not in Singapore.

But I've encountered it in Langkawi before. If you feel generous (or rich) go book a night at the Datai Resort (http://www.thedatai-langkawi.com/ppc/), you will have a good chance of seeing (or at least hearing) the Tokay.

The other place that I've also seen it and took photos of one up on a high beam, was at the Allamanda Resort at Phuket.

:)

[Psyche]

Tokays are rare in peninsular Malaysia.
In urban areas its menacing & scary looks is likely to get it killed.
The local populace also have a penchant for keeping cats.
These agile & adept hunters are capable of taking flying swifts from rooftops.
When a cat pounces it is usually curtains for any unwary lizard.

However, we have a lot of Towkays.:bsmile:
For those in the dark.

Tokay
On all fours & tailed.
Blue-grey & with orange spots.
Loud commanding vocal.
Handle with care.

Towkay
Upright & tailless.
May wear garish blue with polkadots.
Loud authoritative vocal.
Best handle with care.

TL Seow:cheers:

(Towkay: Hokkien for head of family/household aka big boss.)

[Grass Demon]

Thank you Dr Seow. This is rare humour from you:bsmile: .

[WillFolsom]

Nelson, sorry it is hard to keep up with all the news. Is Ellen now a part of the BC community? If yes, she has a great partner! William

[Blue Jay]

Tokays are rare in peninsular Malaysia.
In urban areas its menacing & scary looks is likely to get it killed.
The local populace also have a penchant for keeping cats.
These agile & adept hunters are capable of taking flying swifts from rooftops.
When a cat pounces it is usually curtains for any unwary lizard.

However, we have a lot of Towkays.:bsmile:
For those in the dark.

Tokay
On all fours & tailed.
Blue-grey & with orange spots.
Loud commanding vocal.
Handle with care.

Towkay
Upright & tailless.
May wear garish blue with polkadots.
Loud authoritative vocal.
Best handle with care.

TL Seow:cheers:

(Towkay: Hokkien for head of family/household aka big boss.)
:bsmile: :bsmile: :bsmile:

[Blue Jay]

Fanatstic shots of the other creatures. Agree with Anthony that the second gecko shot is very cute. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: