TERMITES PT.2!!!

Hey ya'll

*read the original post here*

so we've finally spoken to the manager of the unit about our little isopteran (that's the Latin term for termites, by the way) problem and it seems that there is nothing we can do about it for the time being as the exterminators are all off on leave for the Chinese New Year! How unfortunate because now we will have to wait until next week to take care of the destructive insects and... in our tropical climate and weather, a few days can bring much devastation when it comes to termites. On the bright side, though, we learnt that the insects are not based off of Ray's apartment unit but have in fact come from outside. Indeed when the Maintenance Guy arrived, he pointed out several mud trails (the termite's own highway) that lead to the wiring access panel that pretty much gives them full run of the entire building.

Of course I'm hoping this only galvanizes the manager into quicker action because, well... if our room on the 11th floor is experiencing the "beginning" of this termite attack well... I can't even begin to imagine what the rooms on the other 10 floors are looking like now! The other good news is that we seem to have arrested their entry into the unit temporarily because Ray and I head off to DIY and got ourselves some termite poison and sprayed lightly into the wooden cracks in the skirting where they have been sneaking in from the outside. Suffice to say the stuff is extremely potent (we had to be so careful in using it) and it seems to poison them whenever they try to take a bite out of the wood (even some 4 days after the original spraying date!!!) and we've had termites emerge from the crack groggily only to die several steps later. I think they've given up because for now all termite activity seems to be limited to the outside, where the windows and electronic access panel are. 

Termites dying as they enter the premises

Termite workers guarded by soldiers (the ones with the larger orange heads) working outside.

Now, I consider myself a very merciful guy (usually) when it comes to most creeping crawling pests... but these insects have caused me no end of consternation so you will excuse me if I am wishing for nothing more right now than their speedy and ultimate destruction... of course if there were a more peaceful way (for example, if they were to just pack their bags and leave with a congenial "goodbye!") I'd be all for it. But as it stands... I sure hope my next update on the TERMITES!!! post will be littered with the corpses of deceased isopterans.

Cheers,
Cyren


We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics

The Mystical See.kay.da

Hey ya'll! 

Been buzy reconnecting with your cultural roots this Chinese/Lunar New Year? Well, here's a little something that might usher you slowly further along the way!!!

Now, I am sure that many of us are familiar with the cicada; an insect that lives most of its life as a wingless nymph that sucks tree sap under the ground, which emerges (usually after a period of 2-5 years) as winged adults that somehow find their way into our lawns and homes. Even for those of us who have not actually seen a cicada, though, I am sure we would be more than familiar with the shrill buzzing sounds they make as they vibrate their wing muscles in search of potential mates! In fact the word cicada may be traced to Latin origin meaning "Tree Cricket", or modern Greek tzitzikas which are both (the latter being onomatopoeic) references to the sounds they make.  Unknown to many, however, is perhaps the cicada's relation to Asian mythology and mysticism. 

Cicada I found outside of my uncle's house in Ipoh, Perak (Malaysia)

 Emerging from their winter hibernation between the roots of trees, the coincidence of the adult Cicada's arrival and the season of Spring is often seen to be further symbolic of the Cicada's association with the cycle of life. Leaving behind a shell that looks very much like its adult-winged self, the cicada was a poetic reminder for the Chinese and Japanese of the bodies the dead left behind before their ascended to a greater mode of existence. The Tang Priest of the Chinese classic Journey to the West, for example, was also called the Golden Cicada in reference to this fact as it represented the various transformations the human being must go through during reincarnation before the soul could break through the illusory barriers of the material world and ascend to a state of Nirvana and Enlightenment. It is not surprising then that the cicada has traditionally been viewed as an auspicious insect by Japanese and Chinese alike and was once even a popular motive for amulets, pendants and the ornaments of hats worn by high-level officials.  

Ayuthia spectabilis from Sabah, Borneo (Malaysia)

I sure hope finding one today means that my bout of ill-fortune has finally begun to turn itself around!!! I even let the insect go instead of catching it and adding it to my collection just to be safe. And that's how desperate I am!

Cheers,
Cyren

Stay with the one who makes you happy, not the one you have to impress

TERMITES!!!

Hey ya'll

Ray is back and that would normally be great news... however, the welcome back celebrations were halted by the presence of most unwelcome invaders in our home. If you think a roach infestation is bad (No, we don't have a roach problem!)... you have not dealt with a termite problem! They can be so tenacious, these little insects (which would be admirable under most circumstances) and they eat almost anything that is organic that they can sink their little mandibles into! As of now we have lost a book shelf, a dictionary and several good story books to them... and I have no idea what to do!!! They really could not have decided to come and infest us at a more inopportune time... I doubt there is still an exterminator open during the Chinese New Year and what's more... we can't exactly LEAVE the problem alone and hope it will rectify itself! Termites are notoriously fast at damaging wood products in tropical climates and I really do not want to risk them spreading to the opposite side of the room where the comics and other important documents are currently being stored in plastic containers! I'm truly at my wits end here...CNY was supposed to be a break... which turned out to be a farce because I was NEVER buzier... so I thought what with it ending and all I can finally get some rest but it turns out that (ironically) the amateur entomologist is being bugged, by unwelcome bugs.

the termite queen, looking like something from the movie ALIENS... where the hell is Ellen Ripley when you need her! 

Not so cheerful,
Cyren

"It was a Black and Yellow butterfly!!!"

Hey ya'll 

Ray said something to me earlier this morning which I thought was extremely strange. I was going through my butterfly collection, adding the newly spread specimens to the display cases when he observed, that since I have introduced him to the world of butterflies, he is slowly beginning to see the differences among them.  Sure, he was able to tell the difference between, say a swallowtail and a nymphalid butterfly but for the longest time many of the individual species within each families seem to elude him.   Well, to be honest I didn't quite know what to make of the statement.  In my opinion, it is the magnificent wings of lepidoptera, with their swirling patterns and vibrant hues that are the most distinct part of their body. Consequently it seemed to escape my comprehension how someone, could look at various species of butterflies and not seem to understand the actual extent of the biodiversity involved!!!

It wasn't until much later that I realized that to the casual observer... this might in fact be true!!! In all my experience as an amateur lepidopterist and a butterfly enthusiast, I have often been approached by people to identify strange and butterflies they have seen on some of their trips. Now, I suppose it would be prudent of me to out and say it right now that many lepidopterists learn to recognize butterflies through a combination of factors. Wing pattern and coloration being one of them, yes, but other things as well such as the shape, flight patterns etc. For the casual observer, however, butterfly recognition is almost always limited to size and color! Needless to say, this is not always a very reliable indication because, while some species might be readily identified with some generic description like "It was an extremely large black and yellow butterfly!" (In our geographical location it is most definitely Troides sp... most probably Troides helena) other descriptions like "small white butterfly" could be referring to any large number of "small, white butterflies" there are out there.

But then again, I suppose a casual observer usually isn't particularly interested in getting the species' identified down to a "t". In fact, I suppose it just thrills them to know of such things sometimes. Usually many are satisfied when I send them off with a tentative identification. I suppose that makes them happy, and it makes me happy that they are happy (or indeed, even taking an interest in such things to begin with!!!)  Meanwhile, for the lepidoperist who is trying to make a species count of butterflies in a particular area, it can be quite frustrating. Thank goodness I have Google images to help me with that these days!!! In the meantime, I wanna post a shout out to Brittanie of Insect's Galore!!! Thanks for cheering me up on twitter these past couple of days!!! Also I think anyone who comes here regularly should also make a stop at her blog!!! It's really a gem, and some of the pictures she uploads are simply amazing!!! 

Cheers,
Cyren

I know how pain can grow when the rock you hold onto, is a love miles away.

Happy Chinese New Year

Ray here! On behalf of Cyren and myself, we would like to wish all you dear readers

Happy Chinese New year!!!

Let's welcome the year of the DRAGON

Lime Swallowtail / Papilio demoleus

Hey ya'll

Just a quickie! Thought this would make a lovely picture of one of the butterflies I'm more accustomed to raising! In the meantime I've never been busier (being a virtual maid to the holidays) as there is just so much to do. Chinese New Year really is a lot of work!!! What with the house cleaning and the customary visits and all that. Phew! Since when did holidays become such a workout.

Meanwhile~ Gong hei fatt choy everybody!!!!

Ray Says: Bioterrorism

Has any of you heard of the term bioterrorism? Unlikely, unless you play games like Resident Evil which centers around bio-warfare through the use of viruses and bacteria. I will get back to that in a bit.

Bioterrorism is not your typical terrorist attack. It doesn't necessary require the use of bombs, explosives or any other weaponry that you would normally find in the news. No. According to Wikipedia, bioterrorism is a form of terrorism involving a deliberate release of biological agents. These terrorists intentionally release infectious organisms to the targeted population, rendering mayhem and mass destruction. The process is gradual.

The scary thing about this act of terrorism is that you never know when it will hit you. Of course with bombs and explosives, you will hear it within a couple of miles away. However, bioterrorism or biowarfare is subtle and discreet. The virus or bacteria released could result in typical symptoms of common flu or other minor ailments. When it hits, we wouldn't realize it instantly and we would just carry out our daily routine, infecting others in the process. When the infection reaches its maturity, it would be too late as thousands of others have already contracted it. Stopping it would be futile. Though it has nothing to do with bioterrorism, the film, Contagion, proves how easily a virus is transmitted by mere touch or inhalation.

There are a number of cases of bioterrorism throughout the last few decades, none were as serious till the extent of total eradication of human population. That is why, if one wants to get a good picture of how devastating bioterrorism can be, I introduce Resident Evil. Yes yes, the games and movies have zombies in them but I'm also interested in the idea how a single virus (T-virus to be exact) can cause the downfall of a metropolitan city (the fictional Raccoon City). The rising dead is just added excitement to the series but the franchise did show the horrors of what would become if bioterrorists were to use biological agents to attack a place. As soon as the virus or bacterium hit us, we are already dead.

Sorry about the morbidity but I do like myself a good zombie franchise as entertainment. Fans of the franchise are lucky because an array of RE goodies are released this year. First off, you have Resident Evil: Operational Raccoon City. After you're done with the game, you can buy some popcorn and relax as you watch the latest sequel of the RE movie franchise - Resident Evil: Retribution in 3D. Just between you and me, they are not doing the movie franchise any good. Thus, I propose a reboot. After that, you can enjoy yourself with another RE game - Resident Evil 6. An interesting note for RE 6: there's a viral campaign going on and one of them is this video (link).

Click all the links above and it will direct you to the respective videos. Hope I make a fan out of you ;)

Common Mormon / Papilio polytes (female)

Lizard in my Pot

Hey ya'll 

It's been awhile and while I certainly have a lot of butterfly posts stored up in my 'drafts' section just waiting to be published, I thought of sharing this funny anecdote with you instead. I was supposed to make rice today, nothing fancy about it... just plain white rice. Problem was, it's been quite awhile since I last made rice and so even though I knew the general principal of it, I wasn't sure how much water needed to go into the rice pot. Trying to play it safe I decided to go with one inch of water over the layer of rice. Turns out, one inch was way too much because when I next checked to see if it was done, the rice was.... well, somewhere in between rice and porridge, that is to say it was pretty sticky! But no harm done, I just cooked the rest of the dishes and we had a delicious dinner of prawns, omelet and very sticky in-between-rice porridge (which really wasn't that bad!). 

Problem is... we're infested with lizards right now. Under the fridge, in between the cabinets...they're everywhere! Always have been for the past couple of years../ and I suppose, we've been housemates for so long that the little guys have started to get extremely comfortable living with us. Meanwhile, while we were having dinner, I suppose this is my fault because I forgot to close the lid on the near empty rice pot and our little housemate must have lost his grip from the cabinet overhead and fell right in! Normally I'd say lizards are natural acrobats and can climb on almost any surface, but I suppose the fall must have dazed this one because it didn't leave. In fact, not till I was about to wash the pot later did I notice it in there. 

I tried shaking my pot to see if he would climb out but I realized then that he had gotten quite stuck, trapped in the hardening mire that was my sticky in-between-rice porridge. I suppose most people would have freaked out at this but me being, well... me, I felt more sorry for it than anything and spent quite awhile removing the bits of hardening porridge from his limbs so I could extricate him from his predicament. I was quite gentle, I think, and he rewarded me by not shedding any appendages into the pot. Before long the lizard was out, no worse for the wear but in slight need perhaps of a good wash.

Upon Weiyan's insistence, we have named him Gummy, before promptly releasing him back into the household. 

Cheers,
Cyren.

Ray Says: Camel Love

It seems like 2011 was just yesterday and now, it's already the third week of January. Time sure doesn't wait for anyone to enjoy their holiday. Speaking of that, I went to Shenzhen, China recently. Supposedly, it was my dad's present for my birthday but it was his company trip which he used as an opportunity (or excuse) to give me something. Since arrival, I did not enjoy one bit of it due to the inhibition of my dad and brother and I couldn't even celebrate my birthday with my loved one (you know who you are :P). Plus, all my travel planning went to waste.

Regardless, one particular venue did make it worthwhile even though the time staying there was limited. It's called Window of the World or in Mandarin - 世界之窗 It's one of Shenzhen popular attraction. As you can see from the pictures, all the famous landmarks across the world are here. Some of them are cheap knockoffs of the real thing but hey, it was the closest for me to see all the wonders of the world (it's my dream to travel around the world).

The entrance to the theme park - the Eiffel Tower stood as the tallest monument overlooking the whole place

The Lourve Pyramid welcoming us to the theme park

So I had tons of picture of all the great landmarks taken but I ain't gonna post them here. However, one thing made my visit all the more memorable there.

Tada!

Ain't it the cutest thing you ever see. It was to me. She was a beauty. True enough, camel has their name originated from Arabic word, ǧml, meaning beauty. As most people know, these desert ships can travel far and wide throughout the scorching desert for days without collapsing. But they tend to eat whatever they think is food. Take my map of the park and bottle for examples. It almost took a bite out of them.

It's anyone's guess where I found them displaying the lovely beast. Egypt! At least, it was the park's version of Egypt. There were 4 Egyptian landmarks and one of them was the famous Pyramids of Giza. I didn't get to go into the pyramid as they didn't build an entrance to it. Plus, the desert area was off-limits. One could only look fro afar. I would like to see the real Pyramids next time if possible.

Back to the camel, it was my very first time riding it. Though the location wasn't exactly right, I couldn't care less and without even asking about the price of riding one, I just went directly up to it and pet it. It didn't take in notice of me petting it and it just stood there, majestically. I was awed by it. In addition, it was tamed and lovable. Once I got on it, I just didn't want to get off, even with my dad pestering at me.

So there you go, that was my first time encountering the desert mammal. It really made my day then cuz the rest of my day sucked. Long shall I wait for my next encounter with the beast again.

The dude behind is my bro, just to be clear =D

Ray Says: When saying goodbye

Recently or just now if you want to be specific, I received the most distressing news of the new year. My pet Diana died. I barely had it for a year and it left me and Cyren just like that without even a word, not that it could speak. To matter worse, I didn't even get to say goodbye. It died in Cy's house while I'm all the way at East Malaysia. All I have are the pictures below to remember him by.

Diana, the name of my mantis, was found together by me and Cy and with respect to the Roman Gods, we decided to name him Diana (we expected it to be a girl initially). Cy knows how to tell the gender. I just trust him. Anyway, these little critters usually live up max a year but mine died less than that (roughly 5 months or so). The reason behind this might revolve around the food I fed him and the climate I kept him in. It seemed like just yesterday it crawled up my Lego empire. Life's too short.

Here's two photos of my first and beloved mantis:

Resting on a Lego tree, thinking that it's a real one

Stalking a geisha with a big belly

I'm gonna miss how it made a home out of my Lego shelter. Good thing I caught another one a few weeks back. (Her) name is Athena =D hopefully it is a girl. lolx

Goodbye, for now.

What do you do when you're at your wits end? When your soul seems stretched so thin that it seems like it is going to break. What do you do when you're calling out in the darkness, when everyone can hear but no one seems to listen. I need help, but even when I turned to the one place I thought I might find it, I was rebuked. I don't know what to do anymore... where to go, who to turn to. Is it really so hard to understand? Or is it just that nobody wants to try... why should they, anyway? I used to be strong. When I was strong, I minded the weak. Did what I could to make them strong... but now that I am weak, how is it that everyone I turn to still thinks I'm strong?  Maybe... maybe they just can't see how weak I am. And right now, I am weak. Today I realize how far I've fallen. Today, I am weak... and while the rest of the world still thinks that I am strong, I wither away, slowly, within the shell of power that I have constructed for myself. It is befitting, in some ways... for I have deceived so many to the point that I have deceived myself. And that is all I have to say about that.

Meanwhile, what does one do when one has run out of things to say? One goes away.

Goodbye everyone. For now. 

Swallowtails and their Food Plants

Hey ya'll 

It is general knowledge, that the caterpillars of each butterfly species will generally only feast on the leaves of specific host plants, but while the host plants of each lepidoptera species may indeed be as varied as the actual number of flora there are in the world, it does not escape my notice that many butterflies from within the same family actually share similar, if not same, larval food plants as one another. Many of the black bodied swallowtails that I have been raising for some time now, for instance, feed on various species of rutaceae (citrus) plants. Indeed this was something I discovered through something of an accident when a batch of Papilio demoleus (lime butterfly) eggs I was raising hatched a handful of Papilio polytes (common mormon butterfly) larvae as well, which led me to speculate that some wild common mormon female must have deposited her eggs upon the same host plant as the lime butterfly. Indeed, over the years I have experimented on various swallowtail larvae and found out that a large majority of Malaysian butterflies from the family papilio will indeed feed on rutacea, even though their eggs were originally deposited on host plants of other origins. Below are a list of some of the swallowtails I have raised which feed on such:

Lime butterfly (Papilio demoleus)

Common mormon (Papilio polytes)

Great mormon (Papilio memnon)

Red Helen (Papilio helenus)

Great Helen (Papilio iswara)

Needless to say this makes it easier for me to breed these insects as citrus plants are relatively easy to obtain in our country and similarly easy to cultivate. As it stands, I have about ten healthy citrus trees growing in the front yard today which is a reassurance that I will never run out of food for the voracious little larvae! 

Newly eclosed red helen swallowtail (Papilio helenus)

Red helen swallowtail (Papilio helenus) with Common mormon male (Papilio polytes)

As a contemplative end-note, though, I wonder if this is any indication that many of these butterfly species do indeed share a common ancestor, the most basic form of papilio which fed on rutaceae that then diversified as its members spread across various locales and regions across the globe. As I have not much intellectual background on such matters, I can only speculate for now and hope that some day I will come across in my musings, some piece of information that would shed light on the subject as such.

Meanwhile, Term is starting soon which means my first day as a university teacher looms ever closer. Having not yet received even the syllabus for the semester, I am more than a little apprehensive although part of me likes to be optimistic and think... well, I've done all of these subjects before, and aced them with flying colours... how bad could it be? Wish me luck everyone!

ps. Ray will be leaving China today for Sibu, which is in East Malaysia. I heard there's been floods so I hope it won't be too much of an inconvenience.

Cheers,
Cyren.

The Yam Hawk Moth (theretra nessus)

Hey ya'll

Just getting things out of the way, I wanted to upload pictures of this very impressive and large hawk moth I found resting over the door to my house a couple of months back.

I've identified it as the Yam hawk moth (theretra nessus) with a little help from my friends but I must say that I  know little to nothing else about the insect's life history. Perhaps with a little more time and research I can find out more on this beautiful moth. 

Anyway, I hope 2012 has been treating everyone well. For me things could not have been more stagnant which is perhaps the unfortunate stage during those in-between moments in everyone's lives. Pupae moments, I like to call them, for they remind me of nothing more than the inactive pupation stage of many insects that go through complete metamorphosis.

Speaking of complete metamorphosis, it is quite unfortunate that almost all my caterpillars seem to be afflicted with a particular ailment that makes them pupate improperly (they fall off the cremaster during pupation which causes them to become deformed) and many more do not make it even to the pupation stage, seemingly shriveling inside their old skins as they attempt to molt. Any entomologists out there able to enlighten me on what's going on here??? 

cheers, 

Cyren

To those who wait...

The first time I ever saw the banded swallowtail (Papilio demolion), I didn't even know what it was! Well, of course I knew it was a butterfly, and a swallowtail at that but specifically, I had never before seen nor heard of the species name. Indeed, it was only by chance that I happened to be trekking ahead that day and stopped to pull a leaf out from between my toes that I spotted the beautiful butterfly hovering upon a lantana. Naturally my net came out, but it was too fast for me, and I did not manage to catch it. It wouldn't be until recently about four to five months later that I would come by the butterfly again. They say that good things come to those who wait...

But not always...

Turns out even after months of searching the only specimen I managed to get was this exceptionally old and battered one. But I suppose this just means that the wait hasn't quite ended yet. Meanwhile I am guessing Ray can totally relate to this as I hear his trip to Hong Kong is not quite what he expected it to be... but I guess that's all part and parcel of life. We never quite get what we want, if only so that we will constantly be motivated to try and get more... for what else do we live for if not to fullfill our desires, however intrinsic or extrinsic they may be. Now if you'll excuse me, it's almost 12 and I have to make an international call to wish my beloved Happy Birthday!

cheers, 

Cyren.

Helena's Birdwing (Troides helena)

Hey ya'll!!!

It's been a most rejuvenating one month and I daresay the break was much needed. But now that it's over I feel refreshed and quite ready to come back and get the blog in order although, I must say that I appreciate your kind sentiments over the week regarding some of my more insightful blog posts, as well as Ray's light-hearted attempts at entertaining your senses. In the meantime, one month away means I've had tons of specimens piling up and lots of things I would like to share, but as I am getting many of those specimens in order, perhaps you will permit me to share this magnificent butterfly I've only started to spread today.

Helena's birdwing butterfly (Troides helena)

Now if you've been a regular to my blog, I suppose you will realize from its striking yellow and black coloration that this butterfly is no stranger to my collection or even the species on my breeding list, but what made this specimen in particular so magnificent, I suppose, was her size! For many butterflies, the females are the larger of the two genders, often dwarfing the smaller (but usually brighter colored) males but this particular birdwing dwarfed even the other females of her species.

A picture of the butterfly in its "natural" resting position with my hand for size comparison. And, (not meaning to brag or boast), but I have fairly large hands.

After spreading her wings properly with tracing paper and pinning them down to dry, I  realized that she was almost as large as a small mask, the kind that covers only half of the face for a masquerade. Perhaps I'll take a picture of her against my face when she's done for a further size comparison! 

But speaking about birdwings, perhaps you may recall some posts back that Ray and I made a trip to the forest research institute of Malaysia (FRIM) some weeks ago to (among other things, insect related mostly) dip our feet into the waterfall... well, on our way out, as we were walking towards the canopy walkway, we stumbled upon a trellis upon which an aristolochiae (pipevine) was creeping. To my amusement, we found a large number of troides larvae feasting there and stayed there for a bit observing the prolific caterpillars for the first time in the wild.

Troides helena larvae. 

The caterpillars were not as agreeable to being 'disturbed' as the ones I raise back at home and many of them reacted defensively when I twisted the leaves to get better shots of them with my camera, inverting their foul-smelling omesteriums (the fleshy antenna-like organ behind their heads) as you can see in the picture above. I would have loved to harvest some pupae to add new genetic material to my own home-grown batch but all the ones we could find were already hatched and seeing as how many of the unhatched ones were infected by fungi thought it wise to leave them as they were instead. 

Troides helena pupae and ova (egg)

Anyway it was definitely quite an experience, because I always like to observe butterfly species that I raise at home in their natural habitats in the wild. It's not quite the same as looking at them in a tupperware or one of my plastic terrariums somehow. Perhaps, when Ray comes back from Hong Kong and we make another trip into the forest I'll pay the vine another visit and see how they are all doing.

Cheers,
Cyren.

Ray Says: Lego Residential

As part of my New Year resolution and my dream to build a Lego community, this is what I could conjure up for now (with limited pieces). When I was little, I was spoiled by my daddy with Legos. He would buy loads for me whenever we traveled to Kuala Lumpur. Lego sets were rare sights back then in Sibu.

Since my first set of Lego, I have this crazy dream of building a Lego community whereby my little minifigures would stay and I would pretend they are real and I'm their ALMIGHTY GOD!! WHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Ahem...like Toy Story, I believe in my heart that these tiny figures are alive and they need my help to build them houses to stay in. I can only do so much for now but hopefully, in the near future, I can create a whole valley of houses or a city for them to travel. Of course, there will be a mountainous area whereby my reverie as an adventurer imposed onto one of the figures would come alive.

Anyway, enough nonsense of my fantasy. Below is the latest building I created. It's cramped, I agree but the figures would have to make due for now. I call this building Botanical Research Facility

The Entrance

Upper front view

Upper back view

Back View

Side view