Fraser's Hill and Butterflies

Hey ya'll 

Just got back from my short day trip to Fraser's Hill today, which is about time because we have been talking about making this trip for over a year already!!! Turns out, there really isn't much to do in Fraser's Hill, not even to eat, for the shops were sparsely located and many were not even open. Of course, for someone like me, this is never a problem when the location is set against the mountain forests (for where there are trees and flowers, there is sure to be insects and butterflies) but for my parents (who drove us up) ... well, I suppose you could say that they enjoyed each other's company very, very much. 

Fraser's Hill has always been known among entomologists in Malayisa, as a haven for butterflies and moths (and with good reason too!) for the delicate and beautiful insects were everywhere! No sooner than after the clouds parted and revealed the sun that the butterflies started coming out in droves!!! Common grass yellows (Eurema hecabe) and various shiny blue Lycaeniids numbered among the more numerous of them but if one were patient (and what is there to do but sit and enjoy nature anyway?) one might perhaps catch the glimpse of the trailing tails of the female great mormon (Papilio memnon), or perhaps the striking blue-green wings of the common blue bottle (Graphium sarpedon). Of course, heading into such a paradise for butterflies and moths, you might imagine that I came prepared!!! And all afternoon I swung my net: swish! Swish! Swish! and caught myself quite a number of butterflies. Most of these I released (I was not there to hunt as much as I was for recreation) but I did keep a number of the more unusual/less common of my catches. 

In any case, I think I will wait until the butterflies have all spread and dried before showcasing their pictures one by one, but perhaps for now this will suffice as a teaser of sorts!!! 

In addition to butterflies, I also took the opportunity (of being so close to nature) to hunt for Nephila spiders as well. Unfortunately, I had no luck, but I did manage to find two smaller orb spiders with beautiful markings on their abdomens which I suspect may be Orchard spiders (Leucauge sp.). More updates on those later as well. 

Cheers,
Cyren