Butterflies

Posted On 4 April 2025

Last Updated on 4 May 2026

Butterflies have been fluttering across Singapore’s landscapes long before skyscrapers took over the skyline. These winged wonders come in all shapes, sizes, and dazzling colours, bringing a quiet beauty to gardens, parks and forest edges.

Though they may seem shy—often darting away just as you get close—they reveal their charm if you pause and watch. A little patience often reveals them resting on flowers, sipping nectar, or basking in the warmth of the sun.

With over 300 species flitting around our little green island, our butterfly-spotting adventures have barely just begun. Here are a few of these lovely winged wonders we’ve had the joy of encountering during our hiking escapades.

Family Nymphalidae

Subfamily Danainae

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)

Sighted: Bidadari Park, Bishan Park

Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis vulgaris)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Dark Glassy Tiger (Parantica agleoides)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Striped Blue Crow (Euploea mulciber)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Spotted Black Crow (Euploea crameri)

Sighted: Jelutong Tower

King Crow (Euploea phaenareta)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Subfamily Heliconiinae

Rustic (Cupha erymanthis)

Sighted: Botanic Gardens, Pulau Ubin

Common Leopard (Phalanta phalantha)

Sighted: Bishan Park, Botanic Gardens, Pulau Ubin

Royal Assyrian (Terinos terpander)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore)

Sighted: Lorong Halus, Upper Peirce Reservoir Park

Common Yeoman (Cirrochroa tyche)

Sighted: Botanic Gardens

Malay Cruiser (Vindula dejone)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor

Julia Heliconian (Dryas iulia)

Sighted: Botanic Gardens, Lorong Halus

Subfamily Nymphalinae

Chocolate Pansy (Junonia hedonia)

Sighted: Bidadari Park, Botanic Gardens, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor

Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana)

Sighted: Bishan Park

Grey Pansy (Junonia atlites)

Sighted: Bishan Park, Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya)

Sighted: Bay East Garden, Upper Peirce Reservoir Park

Autumn Leaf (Doleschallia bisaltide)

Sighted: Bishan Park

Malayan Eggfly (Hypolimnas anomala)

Sighted: Pulau Ubin, Thomson Nature Park

Subfamily Satyrinae

Palm King (Amathusia phidippus)

Sighted: Botanic Gardens

Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra)

Sighted: Botanic Gardens, Labrador Nature Reserve, Sentosa

Tawny Palmfly (Elymnias panthera)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor

Smooth-eyed Bushbrown (Orsotriaena medus)

Sighted: Bidadari Park, Chestnut Nature Park

Dark-branded Bushbrown (Mycalesis mineus)

Sighted: Tampines Eco Green

Burmese Bushbrown (Mycalesis perseoides)

Sighted: Hindhede Nature Park

Long Brand Bushbrown (Mycalesis visala)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor, Thomson Nature Park, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Dingy Bushbrown (Mycalesis perseus)

Sighted: Upper Peirce Reservoir Park

Malayan Five-Ring (Ypthima horsfieldii)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Lornie Nature Corridor, Thomson Nature Park, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Common Five-Ring (Ypthima baldus)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Common Four-Ring (Ypthima huebneri)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Subfamily Morphinae

Common Faun (Faunis canens)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, MacRitchie Reservoir Park

Saturn (Zeuxidia amethystus)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Subfamily Charaxinae

Plain Nawab (Polyura hebe)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park

Subfamily Limenitidinae

Malayan Jester (Symbrenthia hippoclus)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park

Grey Sailer (Neptis leucoporos)

Sighted: Bukit Timah Hill, Jelutong Tower

Short Banded Sailer (Phaedyma columella)

Sighted: Botanic Gardens, Dairy Farm Nature Park

Common Sailer (Neptis hylas)

Sighted: Changi East Drive

Chocolate Sailer (Neptis harita)

Sighted: Jelutong Tower

Knight (Lebadea martha)

Sighted: Jelutong Tower, Lornie Nature Corridor

Malay Viscount (Tanaecia pelea)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor, Thomson Nature Park

Malay Baron (Euthalia monina)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park

Green Baron (Euthalia adonia)

Sighted: Bishan Park, Botanic Gardens

Common Baron (Euthalia aconthea)

Sighted: Botanic Gardens, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Lornie Nature Corridor, Pulau Ubin

Horsfield’s Baron (Euthalia aconthea)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Common Archduke (Lexias pardalis)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Chestnut Nature Park

Black-tipped Archduke (Lexias dirtea)

Sighted: MacRitchie Reservoir Park

Yellow Archduke (Lexias canescens)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Commander (Moduza procris)

Sighted: Pulau Ubin, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Common Lascar (Pantoporia hordonia)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Malayan Lascar (Lasippa tiga)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Jelutong Tower, Lornie Nature Corridor

Burmese Lascar (Lasippa heliodore)

Sighted: MacRitchie Reservoir Park

Perak Lascar (Pantoporia paraka)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor, Windsor Nature Park

Malay Staff Sergeant (Athyma reta)

Sighted: Jelutong Tower

Colour Sergeant (Athyma nefte)

Sighted: Jelutong Tower

Lance Sergeant (Athyma pravara ssp. helma)

Sighted: Windsor Nature Park

Subfamily Apaturinae

Purple Duke (Eulaceura osteria)

Sighted: Jelutong Tower

Family Lycaenidae

Subfamily Polyommatinae

Cycad Blue (Luthrodes pandava)

Sighted: Botanic Gardens, Lornie Nature Corridor, Pulau Ubin

Ancyra Blue (Catopyrops ancyra)

Sighted: Bidadari Park

Gram Blue (Euchrysops cnejus)

Sighted: Changi East Drive

Pea Blue (Lampides boeticus)

Sighted: Changi East Drive

Common Hedge Blue (Acytolepis puspa)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Common Cerulean (Jamides celeno)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Dark Cerulean (Jamides bochus)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Common Line Blue (Prosotas nora)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Lornie Nature Corridor

Tailless Line Blue (Prosotas dubiosa)

Sighted: Bishan Park

Pointed Line Blue (Ionolyce helicon)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, MacRitchie Reservoir Park

Rounded Six Line Blue (Nacaduba berenice)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Dark Malayan Sixline Blue (Nacaduba calauria)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Opaque Sixline Blue (Nacaduba beroe)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor, MacRitchie Reservoir Park

Large Fourline Blue (Nacaduba pactolus)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Jewel Fourline Blue (Nacaduba sanaya)

Sighted: Bukit Timah Hill

Common Ciliate Blue (Anthene emolus)

Sighted: Kent Ridge Park, Lakeside Garden

Silver Forget-Me-Not (Catochrysops panormus)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Malayan (Megisba malaya)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Quaker (Neopithecops zalmora)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Tiny Grass Blue (Zizula hylax)

Sighted: Bishan Park, Botanic Gardens, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Kent Ridge Park, Lakeside Garden, Lornie Nature Corridor

Lesser Grass Blue (Zizina otis)

Sighted: Bishan Park, Kent Ridge Park

Pale Grass Blue (Pseudozizeeria maha)

Sighted: Kent Ridge Park

Jewelled Grass-Blue (Freyeria putli)

Sighted: Upper Peirce Reservoir Park

Elbowed Pierrot (Caleta elna)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor

Subfamily Theclinae

Fluffy Tit (Zeltus amasa)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Common Tit (Hypolycaena erylus)

Sighted: Kent Ridge Park, Lornie Nature Corridor

Dark Tit (Hypolycaena thecloides)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Common Posy (Drupadia ravindra)

Sighted: MacRitchie Reservoir Park

Dark Posy (Drupadia theda)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Branded Imperial (Eooxylides tharis)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Lornie Nature Corridor

Great Imperial (Jacoona anasuja)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Common Yamfly (Loxura atymnus)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Copper Flash (Rapala pheretima)

Sighted: Bishan Park

Malayan Red Flash (Rapala damona)

Sighted: Bishan Park

Suffused Flash (Rapala suffusa)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Indigo Flash (Rapala varuna)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Chocolate Royal (Remelana jangala)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Peacock Royal (Tajuria cippus)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Scarce Silverstreak Blue (Iraota rochana)

Sighted: Jelutong Tower, Kent Ridge Park

Shining Plushblue (Flos fulgida)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Plain Plushblue (Flos apidanus)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Rosy Oakblue (Arhopala allata)

Sighted: MacRitchie Reservoir Park

Tailed Disc Oakblue (Arhopala atosia)

Sighted: MacRitchie Reservoir Park

Bright Oakblue (Arhopala sublustris)

Sighted: MacRitchie Reservoir Park

Major Yellow Oakblue (Arhopala major)

Sighted: Hampstead Wetlands Park

Aberrant Oakblue (Arhopala abseus)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Centaur Oakblue (Arhopala centaurus)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor, Pasir Ris Park

Acacia Blue (Surendra vivarna)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Cornelian (Deudorix epijarbas)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Subfamily Curetinae

Malayan Sunbeam (Curetis santanae)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park

Subfamily Miletinae

Pale Mottle (Logania marmorata)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Apefly (Spalgis epius)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Bigg’s Brownie (Miletus biggsii)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Family Pieridae

Subfamily Coliadinae

Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe)

Sighted: Bidadari Park, Bukit Timah Hill, Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Chocolate Grass Yellow (Eurema sari)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Hill Grass Yellow (Eurema simulatrix)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Dairy Farm Nature Park

One-spot Grass Yellow (Eurema andersoni)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Tree Yellow (Gandaca harina)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Orange Emigrant (Catopsilia scylla)

Sighted: Pulau Ubin

Lemon Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona)

Sighted: Lakeside Garden, Pulau Ubin

Mottled Emigrant (Catopsilia pyranthe)

Sighted: Bishan Park, Botanic Gardens

Subfamily Pierinae

Psyche (Leptosia nina)

Sighted: Pulau Ubin

Painted Jezebel (Delias hyparete)

Sighted: Tampines Eco Green

Chocolate Albatross (Appias lyncida)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Striped Albatross (Appias libythea)

Sighted: Bishan Park, Lornie Nature Corridor

Cabbage White (Pieris canidia)

Sighted: Bishan Park

Family Papilionidae

Subfamily Papilioninae

Common Mormon Swallowtail (Papilio polytes)

Sighted: Bishan Park, Botanic Gardens, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Hindhede Nature Park, Thomson Nature Park

Common Rose Swallowtail (Pachliopta aristolochiae)

Sighted: Botanic Gardens, Kent Ridge Park, Lornie Nature Corridor

Great Helen Swallowtail (Papilio iswara)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Common Mime Swallowtail (Papilio clytia)

Sighted: Chinese Garden

Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus)

Sighted: Bishan Park, Botanic Gardens

Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Lesser Jay (Graphium evemon)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon)

Sighted: Bidadari Park, Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Common Birdwing (Troides helena)

Sighted: Kent Ridge Park

Family Riodinidae

Subfamily Riodininae

Malayan Plum Judy (Abisara saturata)

Sighted: Sentosa

Lesser Harlequin (Laxita thuisto)

Sighted: Bukit Timah Hill, Windsor Nature Park

Family Hesperiidae

Subfamily Hesperiinae

Banded Demon (Notocrypta paralysos)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park

Chocolate Demon (Ancistroides nigrita)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor

Grass Demon (Udaspes folus)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor

Yellow Vein Lancer (Pyroneura latoia)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Chequered Lancer (Plastingia naga)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Lesser Dart (Potanthus omaha)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lakeside Garden

Ganda Dart (Potanthus ganda)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Common Dartlet (Oriens gola)

Sighted: Bidadari Park, Lornie Nature Corridor, Windsor Nature Park

Yellow Grass Dart (Taractrocera archias)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Yellow Palm Dart (Cephrenes trichopepla)

Sighted: Bishan Park

Dubious Flitter (Quedara monteithi)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Palm Bob (Suastus gremius)

Sighted: Botanic Gardens, Lornie Nature Corridor, Windsor Nature Park

White Palm Bob (Suastus everyx)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Chestnut Bob (Iambrix salsala)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Small Branded Swift (Pelopidas mathias)

Sighted: Bishan Park, Kent Ridge Park, Lornie Nature Corridor, Tampines Eco Green, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Formosan Swift (Borbo cinnara)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Contiguous Swift (Polytremis lubricans)

Sighted: Kent Ridge Park, Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Peirce Reservoir Park

Full Stop Swift (Caltoris cormasa)

Sighted: Kent Ridge Park, Lornie Nature Corridor

Oriental Straight Swift (Parnara bada)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Subfamily Coeliadinae

Common Awl (Hasora badra)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park

Brown Awl (Badamia exclamationis)

Sighted: Jelutong Tower

Great Orange Awlet (Burara etelka)

Sighted: Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Subfamily Pyrginae

Common Snow Flat (Tagiades japetus)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Lornie Nature Corridor, Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Large Snow Flat (Tagiades gana)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Ultra Snow Flat (Tagiades ultra)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park

Family Uraniidae

Subfamily Uraniinae

Tropical Swallowtail Moth (Lyssa zampa)

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park

Urapteroides astheniata

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park

Family Drepanidae

Teldenia unistrigata

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Family Geometridae

Subfamily Geometrinae

Dysphania glaucescens

Sighted: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

Subfamily Ennominae

Heteralex rectilineata

Sighted: Jelutong Tower

Fascellina chromataria

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Subfamily Sterrhinae

Scopula actuaria

Sighted: Upper Peirce Reservoir Park

Traminda mundissima

Sighted: Bidadari Park

Family Erebidae

Subfamily Erebinae

Triangular-striped Moth (Chalciope mygdon)

Sighted: Upper Peirce Reservoir Park

Subfamily Arctiinae

Clouded Tiger Moth (Creatonotos transiens)

Sighted: Lornie Nature Corridor

Hübner’s Wasp Moth (Amata huebneri)

Sighted: Bishan Park

Nyctemera lacticinia

Sighted: Lakeside Garden

Subfamily Boletobiinae

Gesonia obeditalis

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Family Lecithoceridae

Long Horned Moth

Sighted: Upper Peirce Reservoir Park

Family Choreutidae

Subfamily Choreutinae

Metalmark Moth (Saptha beryllitis)

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Family Sesiidae

Subfamily Sesiinae

Pseudosesia sp.

Sighted: Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

Family Noctuidae

Subfamily Agaristinae

Episteme vetula

Sighted: Dairy Farm Nature Park