26/04/2026
📸 Flutter Finds: Through the Lens of Kim Alunan
🦋 Chocolate Grass Yellow (Eurema sarilata)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A small yellow butterfly with a distinct dark “chocolate” marking near the tip of the forewing underside. Often seen along forest trails and edges, flying low in sunlit patches. Its caterpillars feed on plants such as Wallaceodendron and Ventilago, and it is found across many parts of the Philippines.
🦋 Common Banded Demon (Notocrypta paralysos)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A small, fast-flying dark brown skipper with a pale band across the wings. Common along forest trails and clearings, where it rests briefly on low vegetation. Its caterpillars feed on ginger relatives such as Zingiber and Curcuma, and it can also be found in gardens near forests.
🦋 Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) [male]
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A medium-sized black swallowtail, with males showing pale spots while females vary and may mimic other butterfly species. Frequently seen in gardens and forest edges, especially around citrus plants. Its caterpillars feed on members of the citrus family, making it one of the more familiar butterflies in the Philippines.
🦋 Faun (Faunis phaon)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A large brown butterfly with subtle yellow tones above and eye-like spots on the underside of its wings. Usually flies close to the ground along shaded forest trails. Its caterpillars feed on palms and related plants, and it is typically found in primary forest habitats.
🦋 Mountain Blue Archduke (Lexias satrapes)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A large butterfly with dark wings highlighted by a striking blue band on the hindwing. It often stays near the forest floor, perching on leaves or the ground along trails. Its caterpillars feed on Cratoxylum, and the species is found in forested areas across the Philippines.
🦋 Orange Gull (Cepora aspasia)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A medium-sized butterfly with white forewings lined in black and bright yellow hindwings bordered with dark margins. It flies quickly along forest edges and open areas, often in sunny lowland habitats. Its caterpillars feed on caper plants, and the species is widespread across the Philippines.
🦋 Tagala Bushbrown (Mycalesis tagala)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A medium-sized brown butterfly with eye-like spots on its wings, often seen when it rests with wings closed. Common in forest edges, trails, and lowland areas, where it flies close to the ground. Its caterpillars feed on grasses, allowing it to thrive in a range of habitats.
🌙 Geometer Moth (Hyposidra leucomela)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A slender moth with pale wings marked by subtle brown patterns, typical of geometer moths. Usually active at night and attracted to light, it rests flat with wings spread during the day. Species in this group are commonly found in forested areas across tropical regions.
🌙 Oriental White Silk Moth (Penicillifera apicalis)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A mostly white moth with faint brown and gray markings and small dark spots on the forewings. It occurs from lowland to montane forests and is often encountered in tropical regions, including the Philippines. Like many moths, it is typically active at night and may be attracted to light.
🌙 Scoopwing Moth (Monobolodes sp.)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A brown moth with gently curved wings, giving it a distinctive “scooped” appearance. It is usually found resting on vegetation during the day and becomes active at night. Members of this genus are associated with forest habitats in tropical Asia.
🌙 Songgon Moth (Acropteris cf. rectinervata)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A brown moth with fine-lined patterns that help it blend into tree bark and forest surroundings. It is often found in lowland forests and may be active during the day or night. This species is known to occur widely across tropical Asia.
🌙 Sumatran Butterfly-Moth (Callidula cf. sumatrensis)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A day-flying moth with dark wings marked by orange bands, resembling a small butterfly. It is often seen in forested areas, where it flies in sunlight rather than at night. Species in this group are found across Southeast Asia, including the Philippines.
🌙 Swallowtail Moth (Cathetus cf. euthysticha)
📍 Mt. Napulak, Igbaras, Iloilo
A small brown moth with patterned wings and slightly pointed or scalloped hindwings. Its wing shape gives it a resemblance to swallowtail butterflies. It is typically active at night and rests on surfaces during the day.
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This project is supported by the National Geographic Society and The Nature Conservancy.
We also thank Ma’am Leana Lahom-Cristobal of Philippine Lepidoptera for verifying the moth identifications.
Reference:
Badon, J. A. T. (2023). A naturalist’s guide to the butterflies of the Philippines. John Beaufoy Publishing Ltd.
The Moths of Borneo. https://www.mothsofborneo.com. Accessed April 22, 2026.
