and I found many of the species in an overgrown area in this old
rubber estate*** (near some old sheds that were being demolished). I made a third trip to the
area in November 1984 and found an even greater number than on the two previous occasions. This
colony of
P. lemonias was thriving very well.
However, I have not gone back to Bukit Kiara since then and I understand
from workers who were then clearing the place that the area is off-limits.
If the Perlis Pansy were to bring with it the pronounced dry spells of
Perlis/Kedah to the Klang Valley, we could perhaps see an interesting characteristic of the
Precis species, i.e. the occurrence of seasonal variation. What we usually encounter are
the wet-season forms; the dry-season forms, described as having more sharply angled wings and
cryptic patterns resembling a dead leaf on the underside, occur only during the dry season of
the northern region from December to February.
Another Pansy Butterfly ~ the sexually dimorphic
P. orithya
(the Blue Pansy) ~ was also plentiful at Bukit Kiara, in a clearing along the food path
heading from the old labour line into the estate. Other
Precis species occurring in
Peninsular Malaysia are
P. iphita (the Chocolate Soldier),
P. atlites (the
Grey Pansy) and
P. hierta, which is found only in Langkawi.
*
All species in this group of butterflies have now been placed in the
genus Junonia.
**
That area where we had the nature walk is now occupied by
a park and a large golf course. The national arboretum, I have been told, occupies a
different part of Bukit Kiara.
***
Bukit Kiara was covered by old rubber trees at that
time. Most of Damansara, in fact, was covered by rubber estates and oil palm plantations
at one time, but these had been progressively making way for housing estates and townships to
accommodate the growing population of Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley.