Butterflies In Thailand

[IanForbes]

I'm constantly amazed at the number and variety of butterflies in Thailand.

No, not this kind found in the "wilds" of Pattaya, Patpong and Patong beach.

I'm talking about the wild butterflies that inhabit the many wilderness areas of Thailand. Most are found along small waterways and streams where the forest canopy has not been removed for farming. There are myriads of varieties and every season seems to bring new ones. So, you can search the same small streams at different seasons and see something new each time. The same goes for tiny wildflowers if you stop long enough to take a look.

These are just a few of what I've seen on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, but the province of Kanchanaburi is just as rich in flora and fauna.

[IanForbes]

Here are a few more. I like the false eyes on the wing of this species...

Small mountain streams seem especially attractive to these tiny, brilliant blue butterflies, but as soon as they stop they close their wings and you lose the brilliant colour.

[LennyW]

I found this dead one not long ago - it was huge!!! Imagine if that hit you in the face when you were on your motorbike OUCH!!!!

[IanForbes]

WOW! That is a giant, Lenny. Thanks for posting the photo. I've always been fascinated by insects and used to have a collection. Now I just take photo. But, butterflies have attracted many collectors for their beauty alone. The museum of natural history in Washington DC has thousands of different varieties from all over the world.

[seaeagle]

According to my wife, the big one is a Night Moth. Saw one up at Khao Kioew recently, the highest point in Khao Yai. Poor thing was lying on the ground being slowly devoured by ants!

Do you know what the 3rd one down in your second posting is? Again, saw lots of those up in Khao Yai NP.

[Eff1n2ret]

We've added a lot of plants to our garden over the last couple of months, and as those that flower have started to do so, I've noticed a variety of butterflies in the last week or two. I was just thinking the other day that I ought to get a book and start to identify them. Same with the birds.

[WeeGB]

LennyW, we also had some dead butterflies of the same kind as in your photo, up here in Phetchabun, about 6 or 7 years ago. Have kept our eyes open since, (not literally - before some smart rrse makes a comment ) but haven't seen anything similar. They must be a beautiful sight when they're flying.

Going slightly off topic, last year I saw some bees which were dark and light blue stripes, went to get the camera, and of course they'd gone when I came back. Quite big though, about the size of a finger nail.

My wife said she'd seen them before, when she was a young girl, but had never seen them since.

[Birdman]

It's a pity, that, compared to other tropical countries, there are not too many left here.

[MrHammer]

You take good photos Ian, what equipment are you using?

[sanook2me]

This one must be a night moth too... On a sign board up in Khai Yai...

It was huge but there is nothing to show the size...i think about 6 inches across...it was getting agitated as i took the photo so i retreated..(to be honest i was a bit scared of it taking off and dive bombing me or something)

[sharecropper]

Seen on Ko Chang at Christmas:

And elsewhere in Thailand:

[cognos]

In Burnaby, Canada we used to live on Monarch street..and the Monarch butterfly comes to Canada via Mexico, where millions of them congregate in a small area, but they are not as beautiful or exotic as ones on this thread ( I even think the Thai ladies are generally more beautiful and exotic, strange coincidence?? )

[sharecropper]

In Burnaby, Canada we used to live on Monarch street..and the Monarch butterfly comes to Canada via Mexico, where millions of them congregate in a small area, but they are not as beautiful or exotic as ones on this thread ( I even think the Thai ladies are generally more beautiful and exotic, strange coincidence?? )

Maybe they are more like "night butterflies" as Thais call moths. And an apposite description of nocturnal life in Pattaya!

[Roadman]

This one was taken at Phanom Rung temple. I was not able to scale if against anything as it was constantly on the move but it was a big butterfly. Possibly getting near the end of its life if the wear on its wings is anything to go by.

Edited January 2, 2010 by Roadman

[IanForbes]

Thanks for all the photos, gang. I live in British Columbia, Canada during the spring and summer, and spend my winters in Thailand. I'm an outdoor writer and I travel a lot in the wilderness, but I don't see anywhere near the number of butterflies at home that I see in Thailand. In BC we have a large and beautiful tiger swallowtail butterfly, and the occasional huge Luna moth, but not many other exotic looking ones. Cognos remarked on the Monarch butterfly, but their numbers have fallen way down in recent years.

I use a Nikon 200D SLR camera with an 18mm to 200mm lens. It takes good shots if the lighting is okay, but the built in flash leaves something to be desired and packing an external flash is always a hassle. The SLR is big enough as it is. At least with the SLR I can set the ISO higher and get an instant photo the moment I press the shutter. Point and shoot cameras are much lighter but there is a delay when you press the shutter and they don't do well with moving objects.

[LennyW]

The third one down posted by Sharecropper, the military looking one!!, i get quite a lot of them in my garden, they are actually quite fierce looking close up, they have a very sharp rear end???? Anyone know the name of it?

[Moonrakers]

The third one down posted by Sharecropper, the military looking one!!

I thought that as well, maybe a MiG. The one directly below that reminds me of a vulcan bomber.

[Nio]

Very nice photos from everyone

[sharecropper]

The third one down posted by Sharecropper, the military looking one!!, i get quite a lot of them in my garden, they are actually quite fierce looking close up, they have a very sharp rear end???? Anyone know the name of it?

I just Googled it - I think it's an Oleander hawk moth. Heres the link -

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...v%3D2%26hl%3Den

And a link to a photo of its caterpillar stage, which is also an interesting sight -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oleander...Caterpillar.jpg

[LennyW]

Yeah thats definately them, i have had a lot of these caterpillars eating my flowers and trees and boy do they consume a LOT of vegatation, really quite destructive!

[sharecropper]

Yeah thats definately them, i have had a lot of these caterpillars eating my flowers and trees and boy do they consume a LOT of vegatation, really quite destructive!

Do you get them in Pattaya? I took my photo in Jomtien, which probably suggests they have a healthy local population, at the expense of yours and others' gardens!

[LennyW]

Yeah thats definately them, i have had a lot of these caterpillars eating my flowers and trees and boy do they consume a LOT of vegatation, really quite destructive!

Do you get them in Pattaya? I took my photo in Jomtien, which probably suggests they have a healthy local population, at the expense of yours and others' gardens!

I am in Jomtien too, dont know if it is the weather or what but there seems to be more of them lately, and did i say they eat a LOT!! Wow!

[longstebe]

Sorry this took so long to post Ian.

This is similar to LennyW's post.

This butterfly was on our mozzie screen.

[tw25rw]

Sorry this took so long to post Ian.

This is similar to LennyW's post.

This butterfly was on our mozzie screen.

Think it's an atlas moth.

[LennyW]

OK, call me dum, how do you define wheather it is a moth or a butterfly?, is it to do with daytime and nightime? Ian?

[IanForbes]

OK, call me dum, how do you define wheather it is a moth or a butterfly?, is it to do with daytime and nightime? Ian?

Wickapedia would give a better description than I would, but there IS a difference. If I remember correctly it had something to do with their antenna. The moths have fan like antenna, and butterflies have a single strand antenna. Also, butterflies often fold their wings upright when at rest, but I don't think moths ever do. Some of the biggest of these two species are moths. Some moths fold their wings tent-like over their back. Butterflies never do. Now that you've peaked my interest again I'll have to check.

I saw a couple of lovely butterflies at Mt Erawan waterfalls today, but the biggest ones with the most dramatic colours would not stop to be photographed. I only got one good photo and it was a rather drab butterfly that folded it's wings vertically and wouldn't show its true colours..

[WeeGB]

Apologies if any of these appear in other posts.... my computers playing up (as usual), and I can't see the photos at the moment.

These are all taken in our garden in Phetchabun, over the past year or so. The black and yellow one is quite large, about 3-4 inches, and flies very fast, so the photos isn't so good. These usually appear around March/April, so I'm hoping to get a better picture this year.

[IanForbes]

Those are truly lovely, WeeGB. This is the drab little guy I took a photo of at Erawan today..

There was a big dark coloured one with pretty lighter markings on the wings, but it wouldn't sit still long enough to take a photo.

[WeeGB]

Kind of cute face though, Ian, (the butterfly I mean).

Know what you mean about getting them to sit still for a photo - I've missed loads over the years.

Best time for butterflies where we live is the next 3-4 months, if I get any good ones I'll post them on here.

Great topic by the way.

[popmybubble]

Took this in October just outside the caves at Chiang Dao. Seemed quite 'tame' as in it didn't fly away when I got close.