Travel Stories

The Philippines is a haven for butterflies and it is virtually impossible to tour the country without seeing some beautiful specimens. Delicate and a symbol of hope, there’s an alien, other-worldly quality to these colorful flutterers. So below we take a closer look at some of the Philippines' most stunning arthropods that will be sure to brighten up your day.

1. photo by Pavel Kiriliov (via Creative Commons)

   Rajah brooke birdwing butterfly

   These giant butterflies are hard to miss due to their size and colourings; males have bright cherry red necks paired with dramatic black wings with feather-like neon green accents. And females are a brown colour with white colourings in place of the males' vibrant green. Although she may not be as vibrant as her male counterpart, the female butterfly holds all the power during courting. For instance, the males will chase the females mid-air and she decides to rebuke his advances or to concede.

   When she's ready to lay her eggs, she takes careful consideration as to which plant to choose. Once she spots it, she can lay up to 50 white eggs which hatch soon after consuming the food plant in sight before pupating and transforming into an adult butterfly.

   If you'd like to take a peek at these fascinating bugs, make sure to look around during your Palawan trip – specifically near puddles in rain forests as males need to intake mineralised water in order to start puberty and fully transform into an adult.

   
   

2. photo by Charles J. Sharp (via Creative Commons)

   Malay lacewing

   Very few butterflies are beautiful in their caterpillar form but the Malay Lacewing is a stunner in both stages. Once hatched, approximately five to six days after the mother lays the eggs, these caterpillars are a translucent orange with dramatic mini black spikes. And as they grow, they turn darker and their spikes become more like tendrils reaching towards the sky that would make the most hardcore punk envious.

   But that's not all; this caterpillar goes through a few wardrobe changes before finally pupating and emerging as a lovely black, white and orange Malay Lacewing. For instance after each moult, this little guy changes colour. It goes from being orange to Bordeaux to a deep purple and then finally a bright cherry.

   If you'd like to see this caterpillar and the adult Malay Lacewing, be sure to visit Roxas City in Capiz, Philippines. These little guys will be in the forest and the caterpillars will be noshing on passion flowers. But be careful, they're poisonous so don't touch.

   
   

3. photo by Matt Rudge (via Creative Commons)

   Scarlet mormon

   Endemic to the Philippines, the Scarlet Mormon is also a looker in both the caterpillar and adult stages. For instance, while in the worm form, the markings on these guys mimic that of a small green snake and for bonus points, when threatened, they even release a small red appendage that mimics the tongue of a snake as well.

   In the adult form, these butterflies are jet black with blood red accents throughout. Want to take a closer look? Be sure to visit Sorsogon City in the Philippines and look near citrus trees and lightly wooded areas. And remember, if you think you see a green snake, it could just be the caterpillar so make sure to look closely at a respectful distance and you may be in for a treat.

   
   

Butterflies and tourism

Butterfly enthusiasts understand that these creatures thrive when in their natural habitats and it's more fun to watch and observe when they are flying free. But due to mass tourism, some local vendors have created a market selling taxidermy butterflies in cases as tourism trinkets. Oftentimes, these butterflies are illegally caught and killed and as a result, year after year the population dwindles. Please think twice before purchasing souvenirs of this variety so that the Philippines can preserve these species for future generations.

Palawan is a hotspot for butterflies so if you want to see plenty of these winged beauties plan your trip with the Palawan tour experts now.