Greening of Eco-Link @ BKE A Safe Passage for Wildlife The completed Eco Link spanning across the BKE Way back in 1986, when the roads engineers of the then Public Works Department designed the Bukit Timah Expressway (or BKE as we acronym-mad Singaporeans know it by), their emphasis was to create an efficient transport link from the Causeway to downtown Singapore. Back then, probably the most efficient route took the expressway right through the Central Catchment, splitting the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve from the rest of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. Elbowed Pierrot (Caleta elna elvira) one of the species observed Over the decades that passed, nature observers lamented the fragmentation of the two major high biodiversity nature areas by the BKE. Animals separated by the BKE remained on the two sides and were unable to cross the expressway without the risk of being killed by vehicles. The expressway became an insurmountable barrier. Lesser Harlequin ( Laxita thuisto thuist...
Butterflies Galore! The Grass Demon ( Udaspes folus ) This skipper's caterpillars feed on a range of "ginger" plants and is a widely-distributed butterfly in Singapore. Its host plants include Cheilocostus speciosus (White Costus), Costus lucanusianus (African Spiral Flag), Hedychium coronarium (White Ginger Lily, Butterfly Ginger), Zingiber officinale (Ginger), Curcuma longa (Tumeric), of this the last two are used as spices in Asian food and also for their medicinal qualities. The Grass Demon is a predominantly dark brown with white markings on its fore- and hind wings and is unlikely to be mistaken for any other Hesperiidae species. This pristine individual was photographed by ButterflyCircle member Anthony Wong last weekend at a park connector. The Grass Demon is shown here, perched on the red buds of one of its caterpillar host plants, the White Costus.
Butterflies Galore! The Great Orange Awlet ( Burara etelka ) This fast-flying skipper exhibits crepuscular* behaviour and is more often seen in the early hours of the day or late in the evening. With a wingspan of 50-60mm, it is a large species, by Hesperiidae standards, with only the Gangara and Erionota spp surpassing it in size. Males are predominantly brown on the upperside and unmarked, whilst the females are deep iridescent blue above. The undersides are orange-brown with pale orange cellular streaks. This individual was photographed by ButterflyCircle member Huang CJ at around 7:30am when the butterfly was attracted to a flowering Syzygium tree in a nature park. Besides being encountered feeding at flowers, the Great Orange Awlet has also been observed puddling at damp streambanks at times. *Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight, that is, during dawn and dusk.
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