Malaysia, Fraser's Hill

[Loretta]

Stunning Moloch! Absolutely stunning! Keep them coming!

[Silvrav]

Just awesome varieties! Thanks for sharing moloch...

[moloch]

Thanks, Loretta and Silvrav,

Fraser's Hill is a popular place with the lep photographers. Diversity and numbers of butterflies are high. The most spectacular species that I observed was the Rajah Brooke's Birdwing. These are huge swallowtails with black and glistening green wings and with patches of red on their bodies. They are a gorgeous in flight. Unfortunately, I only saw them flying over but they will stop to puddle at times.

Here are some of the others that I encountered:

Black-tipped Archduke (Lexias dirtea) -- male and female. These have dark clubs on their antennae.






Archduke (Lexias pardalis) -- similar to the above species but with yellow clubs on their antennae.




Common Earl (Tanaecia julii) -- Brown butterflies with blue-edged lower wings seems to be a common pattern in Malaysia.





Blue Admiral (Rhinopalpa polynice) -- resembled Mourning Cloaks in form, size and behaviour.




Commander (Moduza procris) -- in flight, a little like Sister or Admiral Butterflies in the mountains of southern California.





Redspot Duke (Dophla evelina) -- big, powerful Nymphalids.



Branded Yeoman (Paduca fasciata)



Map-wing (Cyrestis maenalis) -- one of several species found in Malaysia.




Dark Blue Jungle Glory (Thaumantis klugius) -- these are Asian members of the morpho tribe. They behave a little like Owl Butterflies and are crepuscular.



Malay Tailed Judy (Abisara savitri) -- a metalmark



Spotted Sawtooth (Prioneris thestylis) -- a large and beautiful pierid.



Redbase Jezabel (Delias pasithoe) -- another beautiful pierid. This was a common species but they tended to remain high in the canopy.




Orange Emigrant (Catopsilia scylla)




Lesser Gull (Cepora nadina)




Psyche (Leptosia nina)




Danaidae were also common. One of my favourites was the huge Tree Nymph whose wings seemed to be too large for the body. They just floated along effortlessly with hardly a wingbeat.





Yellow Glassy Tiger (Parantica aspasia)




Chocolate Tiger (Parantica agleoides)




Great Helen (Papilio iswara)




Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon)



The Quaker (Neopithecops zalmora)

[Wolf777]

I never imagined I would feel this way about butterflies, simply amazing. It's things like these that make me appreciate the beauty of life. Thanks for the awesome posts moloch.

[moloch]

Thanks, Wolf.

Here are a few shots from Kuala Lumpur. KL is a big, modern city that appears to be booming. There is so much building underway. My wife and I stayed at Hotel Istana right in the city centre and I would highly recommend it. It is easy to walk at from there to see the various sights such as the amazing Petronas Towers (or KLCC building).




There was a park at the base of the towers and I wandered over here since it was about the only patch of green in the city centre. I saw a few birds and about 15 species of butterflies in the gardens.


Shining Starling:



I found a board and "flipped" this to find a frog and toad:




Dragonflies:






To my tastes, Malay food is the best of all. It is so much better than the western food that we normally eat. This was Nasi Lemak, what I ate for breakfast on most days:



Regards,
David

[Wolf777]

Really like those dragonfly pics, you know you are so blessed to be able to visit all these places and it seems you really enjoy it. That city looks clean, how are the polution levels, will you say it's "cleaner" than most other large cities you've seen?

[Silvrav]

Moloch, that breakfast looks like frog? hehe.. How is the local cuisine?

[moloch]

Thanks, Wolf and Silvrav.

Wolf, I do enjoy the trips and would travel all the time if I could. I hope to get back again in Feb or Mar next year but it depends upon work. KL is a clean city and it is rapidly changing. When we were there, I heard that Malaysia's goal is to be one of the top 20 trading nations by 2020 and it certainly appears to be well on the way. To me, it is another example of the wealth of the world shifting from the western countries to the east. It certainly appears to be booming. Also great to see was the three very different cultures of the population all living and working side-by-side. The malays make up about 50% of the population and are muslim. Chinese and Indians make up most of the remainder and they each have their own religions. The day that we arrived, there was a hindu parade through the centre of KL. When I went to stores, I might have been served by a muslim girl or chinese or indian, again, all working together without apparent problems. I don't know what it would be like day-to-day but from a quick trip, the people appeared to be aware and tolerant of each other's customs.


haha, Silvrav. No frog but several types of fish, prawns and the wonderful chicken rendang!


Regards,
David

[Chameleons]

I would agree that Malaysia is a wonderful country. I lived there for 3 years and travelled to there a lot while living in Singapore. As with all places there are issues and living in Malaysia prepared us well for South Africa and the various 'eccentricities' found there, e.g. indifferent and inane bureaucracy, as well as a police force that supplements its salaries with gifts from the public. The multi cultural aspect does work well and it is a pleasure to work and live there. There are some familiar issues, however: ownership must be a certain % bumiputra (i.e. malay) and management ratios exist that mean that there are figureheads in some companies while the actual management is done by a lower level of a different ethnic group. My UK company nearly pulled out after several years when we were told that we had to have a 70% Malay ownership but fortunately, as in SA, there are ways to comply without complying, so long as you know a well positioned person. (I left before that was resolved, so I don't know the final outcome). In other words shades of the SA BEE scheme. It doesn't work in Malaysia and .....

If you get a chance to visit Malaysia I would strongly recommend it. It is a superb country, with fantastic food and friendly, generous people. I drove all over the country and down forest tracks in my 4*4, mostly on my own. I never once felt threatened but on the one occasion my car had a problem was quickly assisted by an old Malay man. We intend to visit again as soon as possible, even if only for the food. Just a 10 day eating fest would be worth the flight... and then there is the jungle.... and the beaches....and the islands.....the wildlife......Book now!
David

[Wolf777]

Thanks for the info guys. Malaysia is one of the top places I dream of visiting one day, it just sounds so perfect in many ways.