Max Anderson
@maxando.bsky.social
PhD 🦋 Ecologist with a particular interest in butterflies and their early life stages. Currently traveling the world.
This Green Dragontail has to be up there with one of the most ostentatious butterflies here in Borneo. The transparent sections of the forewing, and those tails!
June 26, 2025 at 12:20 PM
This Green Dragontail has to be up there with one of the most ostentatious butterflies here in Borneo. The transparent sections of the forewing, and those tails!
After I spotted this extremely rare Allotinus brooksi butterfly in Borneo, I was amazed to find what looked like midges on its underwing. Not just one or two, but a whopping eight!
Not something I've ever seen before!
Not something I've ever seen before!
June 25, 2025 at 1:03 PM
After I spotted this extremely rare Allotinus brooksi butterfly in Borneo, I was amazed to find what looked like midges on its underwing. Not just one or two, but a whopping eight!
Not something I've ever seen before!
Not something I've ever seen before!
Super excited to find the incredibly rare, Allotinus brooksi in Sabah, Borneo!
Over 110 years after this impressive butterfly was first discovered and collected in Sarawak, it was spotted for the first time in 2021, here in Sabah!
Over 110 years after this impressive butterfly was first discovered and collected in Sarawak, it was spotted for the first time in 2021, here in Sabah!
June 25, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Super excited to find the incredibly rare, Allotinus brooksi in Sabah, Borneo!
Over 110 years after this impressive butterfly was first discovered and collected in Sarawak, it was spotted for the first time in 2021, here in Sabah!
Over 110 years after this impressive butterfly was first discovered and collected in Sarawak, it was spotted for the first time in 2021, here in Sabah!
The Five-bar Swordtail from Thailand. Lover of puddles.
March 22, 2025 at 10:40 AM
The Five-bar Swordtail from Thailand. Lover of puddles.
Common Mapwing from the island of Koh Chang, Thailand. You can see where these stunning but flighty butterflies get their name. They're often found taking up nutrients from damp ground near open streams and waterfalls.
March 19, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Common Mapwing from the island of Koh Chang, Thailand. You can see where these stunning but flighty butterflies get their name. They're often found taking up nutrients from damp ground near open streams and waterfalls.
Reposted by Max Anderson
The immature stages of many Lepidoptera are known to fluoresce when showered with UV radiation - but what is the evolutionary advantage of doing this? An article, by Ben Greenaway, may explain why: www.dispar.org/reference.ph.... Purple Emperor pre-pupation larva and pupa photos below.
February 18, 2025 at 8:18 PM
The immature stages of many Lepidoptera are known to fluoresce when showered with UV radiation - but what is the evolutionary advantage of doing this? An article, by Ben Greenaway, may explain why: www.dispar.org/reference.ph.... Purple Emperor pre-pupation larva and pupa photos below.
Reposted by Max Anderson
Between 2014 & 2016, I studied the Chequered Skipper in Scotland. One memorable encounter was watching a larva spin silk between the edges of a leaf. As silk dries, it contracts, and this pulled the leaf edges together to create a protective tube. Amazing! More at www.dispar.org/reference.ph...
February 17, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Between 2014 & 2016, I studied the Chequered Skipper in Scotland. One memorable encounter was watching a larva spin silk between the edges of a leaf. As silk dries, it contracts, and this pulled the leaf edges together to create a protective tube. Amazing! More at www.dispar.org/reference.ph...
New, innovative approaches have made finding and monitoring Purple Hairstreak larvae far easier. Using UV torchlight can help to better understand the ecology, distribution, population density and dynamics of this incredible species, amongst others!
February 16, 2025 at 1:24 PM
New, innovative approaches have made finding and monitoring Purple Hairstreak larvae far easier. Using UV torchlight can help to better understand the ecology, distribution, population density and dynamics of this incredible species, amongst others!
Common Pierrot, Southern Laos
February 12, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Common Pierrot, Southern Laos
While in Southern Laos last week, I had a look around some Ziziphus jujuba on the side of a path and found some eggs and caterpillars of the Common Pierrot butterfly. Great fun!
February 12, 2025 at 12:43 PM
While in Southern Laos last week, I had a look around some Ziziphus jujuba on the side of a path and found some eggs and caterpillars of the Common Pierrot butterfly. Great fun!
This remarkable Lycaenid butterfly from Northern Thailand is the Fluffy Tit, Hypolycaena amasa. Just look at those outrageous tails!
January 25, 2025 at 2:29 PM
This remarkable Lycaenid butterfly from Northern Thailand is the Fluffy Tit, Hypolycaena amasa. Just look at those outrageous tails!
Semi-open riparian forest and forest edge habitats here in Northern Thailand are amazing places for butterflies. The abundance and diversity is so refreshing to see.
January 22, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Semi-open riparian forest and forest edge habitats here in Northern Thailand are amazing places for butterflies. The abundance and diversity is so refreshing to see.
We've spent a few days hiking in Northern Thailand, and it's been so rewarding to stumble across some of the most stunning butterflies.
January 20, 2025 at 12:23 PM
We've spent a few days hiking in Northern Thailand, and it's been so rewarding to stumble across some of the most stunning butterflies.
Behold, the imposing, Indian Purple Emperor. Here in Northern Thailand, they descend to take up minerals from the rocky banks of a stream, starting a fight with almost anything that passes by.
January 18, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Behold, the imposing, Indian Purple Emperor. Here in Northern Thailand, they descend to take up minerals from the rocky banks of a stream, starting a fight with almost anything that passes by.
Common Pierrot, from Northern Vietnam. The adults are pretty chilled out and a bit less flighty than many other Lycaenids tend to be. Stunning little butterfly.
January 6, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Common Pierrot, from Northern Vietnam. The adults are pretty chilled out and a bit less flighty than many other Lycaenids tend to be. Stunning little butterfly.
Here's the caterpillar of Bigg's Brownwing butterfly from Vietnam, which feed on aphids. They're often found being carefully chaperoned and inspected by ants, which farm the aphids for honeydew.
December 12, 2024 at 1:48 PM
Here's the caterpillar of Bigg's Brownwing butterfly from Vietnam, which feed on aphids. They're often found being carefully chaperoned and inspected by ants, which farm the aphids for honeydew.
This is Bigg's Brownwing, Miletus biggsii, an amazing butterfly from Vietnam. As a caterpillar, they eat aphids!
December 11, 2024 at 3:52 PM
This is Bigg's Brownwing, Miletus biggsii, an amazing butterfly from Vietnam. As a caterpillar, they eat aphids!
Three Tawny Coster butterflies (Acraea terpsicore) settling in for the evening in Southern Vietnam.
December 8, 2024 at 2:25 PM
Three Tawny Coster butterflies (Acraea terpsicore) settling in for the evening in Southern Vietnam.
My wife and I are spending the next year or so travelling around S.E. Asia. We're currently in Southern Vietnam and I've been spending some time relaxing and watching butterflies, like this egg-laying Tailed Jay, Graphium agamemnon.
December 7, 2024 at 8:30 AM
My wife and I are spending the next year or so travelling around S.E. Asia. We're currently in Southern Vietnam and I've been spending some time relaxing and watching butterflies, like this egg-laying Tailed Jay, Graphium agamemnon.