Author | Lightnews

Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Jun 26

This Green Dragontail has to be up there with one of the most ostentatious butterflies here in Borneo. The transparent sections of the forewing, and those tails!

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Jun 25

After I spotted this extremely rare Allotinus brooksi butterfly in Borneo, I was amazed to find what looked like midges on its underwing. Not just one or two, but a whopping eight!

Not something I've ever seen before!

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Jun 25

Super excited to find the incredibly rare, Allotinus brooksi in Sabah, Borneo!

Over 110 years after this impressive butterfly was first discovered and collected in Sarawak, it was spotted for the first time in 2021, here in Sabah!

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Mar 22

The Five-bar Swordtail from Thailand. Lover of puddles.

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Mar 19

Common Mapwing from the island of Koh Chang, Thailand. You can see where these stunning but flighty butterflies get their name. They're often found taking up nutrients from damp ground near open streams and waterfalls.

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Reposted by Max Anderson

UK Butterflies @ukbutterflies.bsky.social · Feb 18

The immature stages of many Lepidoptera are known to fluoresce when showered with UV radiation - but what is the evolutionary advantage of doing this? An article, by Ben Greenaway, may explain why: www.dispar.org/reference.ph.... Purple Emperor pre-pupation larva and pupa photos below.

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Reposted by Max Anderson

UK Butterflies @ukbutterflies.bsky.social · Feb 17

Between 2014 & 2016, I studied the Chequered Skipper in Scotland. One memorable encounter was watching a larva spin silk between the edges of a leaf. As silk dries, it contracts, and this pulled the leaf edges together to create a protective tube. Amazing! More at www.dispar.org/reference.ph...

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Feb 17

Yes, it also works on Brown Hairstreak larvae. Doesn't work for eggs. Definitely wear UV protective glasses as they protect your eyes and make finding the larvae even easier.

Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Feb 16

This is fluoresence, not reflection. The caterpillar absorbs the UV and re-emits something in our visible spectrum. So in theory, it may function as a defence against predatory birds that can see in the UV spectrum.

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Feb 16

New, innovative approaches have made finding and monitoring Purple Hairstreak larvae far easier. Using UV torchlight can help to better understand the ecology, distribution, population density and dynamics of this incredible species, amongst others!

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Feb 12

Common Pierrot, Southern Laos

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Feb 12

While in Southern Laos last week, I had a look around some Ziziphus jujuba on the side of a path and found some eggs and caterpillars of the Common Pierrot butterfly. Great fun!

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Jan 25

This remarkable Lycaenid butterfly from Northern Thailand is the Fluffy Tit, Hypolycaena amasa. Just look at those outrageous tails!

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Jan 22

Semi-open riparian forest and forest edge habitats here in Northern Thailand are amazing places for butterflies. The abundance and diversity is so refreshing to see.

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Jan 21

Huge congrats Will! Fantastic news!

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Jan 20

We've spent a few days hiking in Northern Thailand, and it's been so rewarding to stumble across some of the most stunning butterflies.

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Jan 18

Behold, the imposing, Indian Purple Emperor. Here in Northern Thailand, they descend to take up minerals from the rocky banks of a stream, starting a fight with almost anything that passes by.

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Jan 6

Common Pierrot, from Northern Vietnam. The adults are pretty chilled out and a bit less flighty than many other Lycaenids tend to be. Stunning little butterfly.

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Jan 6

Certainly is.. the ants seem to completely avoid the adults

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Dec 12

The adults often lay these amazing eggs amongst or near aphids and ants, to save the caterpillar time in finding its first meal. What an astonishing life-history strategy!

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Dec 12

Here's the caterpillar of Bigg's Brownwing butterfly from Vietnam, which feed on aphids. They're often found being carefully chaperoned and inspected by ants, which farm the aphids for honeydew.

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Dec 11

This is Bigg's Brownwing, Miletus biggsii, an amazing butterfly from Vietnam. As a caterpillar, they eat aphids!

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Dec 8

Three Tawny Coster butterflies (Acraea terpsicore) settling in for the evening in Southern Vietnam.

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Dec 7

Unfortunately this doesn't work every time!

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Max Anderson @maxando.bsky.social · Dec 7

They have a really cool behaviour where they use a specialised organ (osmeterium) for defending themselves against predators or pests. They arch backwards and extend the osmeterium to deter the pest.

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