STOMPer Jun spotted this weird spiky bug near Block 780 at Yishun Ring Road at 2pm today.
Said the STOMPer:
"This bug is creepy.
"I was near Block 780 at Yishun Ring Road at 2pm today.
"That was when I spotted this bug.
"It looked very weird and I no idea what it is."
This is the pupa of a butterfly known as the painted jezebel (Delias hyparete metarete), a species commonly found throughout much of Singapore.
Pupae of painted jezebel;
(Photo by Green Baron)
Adult painted jezebel;
(Photo by Siyang)
Adult painted jezebel;
(Photo by federickho)
The caterpillars feed on a common species of mistletoe (Dendrophthoe pentandra).
Caterpillars of painted jezebel;
(Photo by Siyang)
More information on the painted jezebel and its life cycle can be found at the following links:
Butterfly Interest Group
Butterfly Circle Checklist
Butterflies of Singapore
It is quite unfortunate that with many people, the presence of insects only seems to trigger fear and repulsion. And it seems as if even butterflies, those most charismatic and loved of all insects, have no place in our urban green spaces, except in specially provided butterfly gardens and trails. If only people understood that butterflies are just a conspicuous but tiny proportion of a larger insect community that rely on urban vegetation for survival, and that a garden does not need to be neatly pruned and manicured and slathered in toxic pesticides and fertilisers to be full of life and diversity.
