Hop over to nationalbutterfly.org.sg to vote for your choice from the six nominees by end-April.
The Nature Society (Singapore) campaign webpage states:
“The main component to the campaign will be the vote to select our National Butterfly. Singaporeans and Permanent Residents will be given the opportunity to choose their National Butterfly – one which best represents the spirit of Singapore! Six species have been shortlisted by a panel of experts for the public to vote on.
We perceive that the National Butterfly will be an ICON for butterflies of Singapore. It will also serve as a voice for other lesser studied but important insects like bees and beetles that share the same habitat and contribute towards our environment.”
Mingko likes the common rose because it bears the national colours and many of us love the painted jezebel, which looks like a water colour painting, and reasonably common and thus accessible. It is doing well after the dry period and exceptionally so this year. Everyone in Singapore should know this butterfly.
I myself voted for the black and white Idea (common tree nymph) because this is a lovely denizen of our precious forests and seems to float like cloud in the dappled groves of our nature reserves. I first met Idea during an undergraduate field trip and have been enchanted ever since.
If you are a teacher, the webpage hosts a powerpoint resource pack you can download to provide students with some appreciation for butterflies in Singapore.
Photos by Tea Yi Kai.
Otterman speaks... 