Nature Observer: Trip to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

The last field trip of the year was to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve yesterday morning. As it was a weekday, the bus did not pass by at the main gate of the Reserve. Instead, I took a walk to the main entrance via the Keranji Nature Trail.

This baby snail was a common sight on the vegetation along the trail. It might be the Common Land Snail (Quantula striata). [Update: Helicarion perfragilis]

I was wondering whether these jelly-like transparent eggs discovered under a leaf were the eggs of the snail above or from some other creatures?

A pointed object on the edge of a leaf turned out to be a caterpillar. The eggs mentioned above were found underneath this same leaf of a young Bay Leaf plant.

A rather common tiny planthopper (Family: Ricaniidae) that can be easily mistaken to be a moth.

One of the highlights of this trip was this Hawkmoth caterpillar that was seen feeding on the leaf of the Seaside Clerodendrum.

While walking on the boardwalk toward the entrance of the Reserve, I chanced upon this butterfly resting under the leaf of the Water Jasmine. It should be the Jacintha Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina jacintha).

Just a few more metres down the boardwalk was the second highlight of this trip ---- sighting of this newly emerged Common Mormon (Papilio polytes romulus) drying itself on a Lime plant. The empty chrysalis could be seen at the background.

Re-forestation was going on at a small patch of land just before the entrance. An early instar caterpillar was seen on a newly planted Malayan Ixora, one of the re-forested plant. [Update: Caterpillar of the day-flying moth, Pompelon marginata.]

A Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis vulgaris macrina) stopped by on the leaf of the Weeping Fig.

This brown red-eye skipper was seen on a Simpoh Air plant might be the Coconut Skipper (Hidari irava).

The Simpoh Air plant seemed to be a good landing patch for skippers. Another skipper, Chequered Lancer (Plastingia naga), was found on another of this plant not too far away down the track.

Although this insect looked like a cotton-stainer bug, its colour was rather pale when compared to the usual cotton-stainer bugs. [Update: Physopelta gutta]

This colourful shield bug (Calliphara nobilis) is commonly seen on the leaves of mangrove trees. However, this one had landed on the leaf of Buffalo Grass just by the side of the track.