Ghosts Of The Malayan Forests
by
Simon Chan Kee Mun, November 1998
Do not let the title fool you. It is not a story about
the supernatural or a tale of horror but one of wonder and amazement.
Simply stated, it is an article about the perpetual attraction we humans
have with one of nature's most beautiful creatures on Earth.
Have you ever seen a ghostly apparition under the forest canopy? Some
recall seeing faraway objects akin to pieces of paper floating about at
the fringe of the forest. Yet others think that the objects are just seeds
of some primeval forest trees with enormous wings so that they could be
carried by the wind to some distant land. Little do they realise that it
really is a butterfly of immense wingspan, exceptional grace and delicate
beauty.
 Even though I have seen it no doubt countless times now, I am still awed
by it. The way it glides from avery high altitude descending all the way
down to the forest floor. The manner in which it hovers before settling on
a flower to feed on the nectar. And especially, the gracefulness with
which it flaps its wings. Spectacular seems to me the best word to
describe its presence for to see one in flight is a breath-taking event in
itself. Those who have seen it for the first time swore that it was the
most beautiful sight they have ever witnessed for a long time. As one
naturalist who had the good fortune of viewing it 'live' succinctly puts
it, and I quote: 'It is poetry in motion, the sunset beyond the horizon'.
In fact till today, I could still remember vividly the initial moment I
saw it. Here's what happened:
It was the long school holidays in December 1980. As nature lovers, my
elder brother and I would go hiking in the forest every chance we got.
This time around, we were on our way to the Gombak forest reserves of
Selangor for the first time to study the multitudes of flora and fauna we
heard so much about.
We were approaching the foothill of the Gombak mountain range . The place
was very well-wooded and the trees were dense. And then it happened. From
the tallest tree among a clump of trees I saw it for the first time. It
appeared as a white apparition floating down like a piece of tracing paper
full of black markings. Only then did I understand why the locals called
it 'surat', meaning letter. Later it was joined by another much smaller
than it. Both of them then started to flap their wings and glide in unison
as if they were doing a scene rendition of the Swan Lake. Closer
inspection revealed that the second one was the male evident by the more
elongated and narrow forewings whereas the female possesses much broader
forewings. They were at this courting game for almost half an hour, during
which time the female was clearly exhausted from the 'chase'. stopping
every chance she can get to settle on leaves to rest. The male on the
other hand was still hovering above her ! as if casting a shadow, the tip
of his abdomen extruding some yellow hairs . When in gliding mode, you
could see clearly its long dangling abdomen and four outstretched legs. I
suspect those extended legs acts just like the undercarriage of an
airplane to stabilise itself. Then both of them disappeared into the shade
of the forest, never to be seen again that day. It is my impression that
they wanted privacy for their tryst.
This remarkable butterfly goes by the common name of Common Tree Nymph
with a rather nice sounding scientific one of Idea stolli logani.
In Peninsula Malaysia, there are altogether four different species of this
Nymph butterfly. However in Singapore, only the former remains and they
can still be seen flying in the Central Catchment forest reserves. Their
numbers have decline somewhat over the years due to loss of habitat as a
result of deforestation and I suspect changes in the climate and
temperature brought about by the recent recurrence of haze.
The best time to view them is when the forest trees are flowering during
the months of November to February. Last year we managed to record a total
of 18 individuals around a flowering Eugenia tree in the Sime forest.
For a glimpse of this remarkable butterfly, please contact me at
9-724-3106 after office hours for a privately organised butterfly walk cum
research into its caterpillar foodplant. I may not guarantee a sighting
but as they say 'no venture no gain'.
|
