Butterflies of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore, and its vicinity

Abstract

A survey of butterflies has been undertaken within the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR), Singapore, and in the adjacent well-vegetated areas that form a buffer to BTNR, namely Hindhede Park, Singapore Quarry and the Dairy Farm Nature Park. Sampling was mainly though observations and photographic records along the transects in BTNR, and through baiting (mainly at Dairy Farm). More butterfly species (85) were recorded from the buffer areas, which have more open, sunnier secondary forest with more conspicuous food sources for adult butterflies, than there were from BTNR (63). Despite the high plant species richness at BTNR, the butterfly diversity observed within the forest transects was rather low. The greater butterfly diversity at Dairy Farm Nature Park is attributable in part to higher abundance of nectar sources (flowering trees and bushes, including many non-native plants growing along the forest edge and along open trails and footpaths). However, there are likely to be more species within BTNR, such as in the tree canopy, that were beyond the sampling scope of this survey.

Synthesis of results from the Comprehensive Biodiversity Survey of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore, with recommendations for management

“…We now not only record occurrences of species but also place emphasis on quantitative counts (Cai et al, 2019;Cheong, 2019;Karam & Chong, 2019;Khew & Tan, 2019;Koh & Court, 2019;Li et al, 2019;Lim, 2019;Teo & Thomas, 2019), document ecological interactions (Ascher et al, 2019;Cai, 2019;Cai et al, 2019;Cheong, 2019;J.K.I. Ho et al, 2019;Khew & Tan, 2019;Khoo et al, 2019;Koh & Court, 2019;Lim, 2019;Seow-Choen et al, 2019), carry out DNA-barcoding (Grootaert & Foo, 2019;J.K.I. Ho et al, 2019), and link biotic and abiotic factors (Cai, 2019;Chatterjea, 2019;Nyugen & Cai, 2019).…”

“…1). Nature parks provide complementary ecosystems to those in BTNR as observed in the survey results on butterflies and bees (Ascher et al, 2019;Khew & Tan, 2019). Nature parks can also take pressure off the core areas in BTNR that are more sensitive to the impact of humans visiting.…”

“…During the 2014-2018 survey, 63 species of butterflies were found within BTNR and 85 species in the adjacent nature parks (Khew & Tan, 2019). Of the 63 species within BTNR, 27 or 43% were not found in the nature parks, particularly shade-loving species of Nymphalidae.…”

“…Continuous flowering of both native forest-edge shrubs like Melastoma malabathricum L. and non-native weeds such as Asystasia gangetica (L.) T.Anderson subsp. micrantha (Nees) Ensermu may be crucial for the maintenance of insect populations in the years between mass flowering of the forest canopy (Ascher et al, 2019;Khew & Tan, 2019)). Planting a greater diversity of plant species with nectar to suit the specific demands of adults and caterpillars of butterflies will increase their long-term survival (Khew & Tan, 2019), particularly in nature parks but not in BTNR as some of the plants could be non-native species.…”

Introduction to the Comprehensive Biodiversity Survey of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore, 2014–2018

“…Map of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore, with a grid system of coordinates issued to the researchers so that results from the different teams can be compared and integrated in future (Source: NParks). spiders by Koh & Court (2019), butterflies by Khew & Tan (2019), moths by Karam & Chong (2019), bees by Ascher et al (2019), orthopterans by Tan (2019), stick insects by Seow-Choen et al (2019), saproxylic beetles by Cheong (2019) and springtail-catching flies by Grootaert & Foo (2019). A survey of the freshwater environment by Nguyen & Cai (2019) and Cai (2019) has provided the aquatic background for papers on freshwater decapods by Khoo et al (2019), fishes by Li et al (2019), and dragonflies by Cai et al (2019).…”