Bukad Project

Last August 22, Bukad Project joined the 13th BIOTA Bicol Regional Convention and Scientific Sessions at Sorsogon State University. 🦋🌸

Through the parallel session More Than Meets the Eye: Connecting Butterfly Development, Ecology, and Conservation, we explored butterflies from cells to ecosystems—connecting metamorphosis and development with the plants, habitats, and environmental conditions they depend on.

We’re grateful to BIOTA Bicol for the invitation and the opportunity to share our advocacy with fellow biology educators and learners. 🌿

📸 Flutter Finds: Through the Lens of Do-an Baldoza
📍 Baler, Aurora

🦋 Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon)

A medium-sized butterfly with striking bluish-green bands across its black wings. It flies swiftly through forests but is also commonly seen in parks and gardens. Its caterpillars feed on trees in the laurel family, and the species is widespread throughout the Philippines.

🦋 Common Jay (Graphium doson)

A medium-sized swallowtail with black wings crossed by bright blue-green bands. It is a fast, graceful flyer commonly seen in forests, gardens, and other wooded habitats. Its caterpillars feed on a variety of plants, including magnolias, annonas, and cinnamon relatives.

🦋 Common Mormon (Papilio polytes)

A medium-sized black swallowtail, with males showing pale spots while females vary and may mimic other butterfly species. Frequently seen in gardens and forest edges, especially around citrus plants. Its caterpillars feed on members of the citrus family, making it one of the more familiar butterflies in the Philippines.

🦋 Lime Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus)

A medium-sized butterfly with distinctive cream and black markings that resemble a leopard-like pattern. Common in gardens, farms, and urban areas, it is often seen around citrus trees. Its caterpillars feed on citrus and related plants, making it one of the most widespread swallowtails in the Philippines.

🌙 Lorquin's Atlas Moth (Attacus lorquinii)

One of the world’s largest moths, this impressive species has broad reddish-brown wings with transparent patches and markings that resemble a snake’s head. It inhabits Philippine forests, where these patterns help deter predators. Adults do not feed and live only long enough to reproduce.

🦋 Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon)

A medium-sized butterfly with vivid green spots scattered across its black wings. It is a fast flyer commonly found in forests, gardens, and urban green spaces throughout the Philippines. Its caterpillars feed on a variety of native and cultivated trees, including annonas, magnolias, and cinnamon relatives.

Have butterfly photos? Send us a DM to be featured. 💚

References:
Attacus lorquinii, the big treasure from Philippines. https://www.timetobreed.com/attacus-lorquinii-from-philippines/. Accessed July 12, 2026.

Badon, J. A. T. (2023). A naturalist’s guide to the butterflies of the Philippines. John Beaufoy Publishing Ltd.

Hardy, Peter & Lawrence, James. (2022). Butterflies of the Philippines.

iNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed July 12, 2026.

Nature comes in many forms. 🦋

Here’s one of them.

Meet a bilateral gynandromorph—a butterfly with both genetically male and female tissues. This remarkable Great Yellow Mormon (Papilio lowi) displays distinct male and female characteristics on opposite sides of its body, creating its striking split appearance.

The more we learn about butterflies, the more we discover that nature is often more diverse than we expect. 🌈

References:
Beauty of the Dual-Sex Butterfly by Katie Pavid - https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/beauty-dual-gender-butterfly.html

Butterfly Gynandromorphism: A Tropical Surprise! by Isobel Andrewartha - https://otagomuseum.nz/blog/butterfly-gynandromorphism-a-tropical-surprise/

Going Through Life as Half She, Half He by Patricia Edmonds - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/basic-instincts-gender-butterfly

Hardy, P. B., & Lawrence, J. M. (2017). Field guide to butterflies of the Philippines. Siri Scientific Press.

PAGASA has raised an El Niño Alert, with hotter and drier conditions becoming more likely in parts of the country over the coming months.

But what could this mean for butterflies? 🦋

While scientists are still learning how different species respond, healthy habitats can help butterflies better cope with challenging conditions.

🌿 What butterfly-friendly plants are growing in your area?

Let us know in the comments.

References:
K. C., Sajan, Sapkota, Anisha, Butterfly Fauna of Central Panama During an El Niño Period: Preliminary Insights on Diversity Patterns, Psyche: A Journal of Entomology, 2025, 2097097, 18 pages, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1155/psyc/2097097

Sharp, A.C., Boyle, M.J.W., Bonebrake, T.C. et al. Stronger El Niños reduce tropical forest arthropod diversity and function. Nature 645, 946–951 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09351-x

Images:
Philippine Mormon - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/67492810

Common Jezebel - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/348056495

Monarch - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/363836054

Philippine Batwing - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/369910609

Emerald Peacock Swallowtail - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/372776243

Golden Birdwing - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/358835321

Last May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity, Bukad Project joined the launch of Project Connect at La Mesa Ecopark. 🦋🌿

Through a Flutter Session in the park’s butterfly garden, participants learned how butterflies are connected to the plants and ecosystems around them, and why these insects matter for biodiversity conservation.

Thank you to La Mesa Ecopark and Manila Water Foundation for including us in this meaningful celebration of biodiversity and environmental stewardship.

📸 Flutter Finds: Through the Lens of Manuel Afable
📍 Baguio City

Documented through the lens of Manuel Afable, these butterflies offer a glimpse into the diversity of species that can be encountered in and around Baguio City.

🦋 Golden-tailed Hairstreak (Cheritra orpheus)

A small butterfly with orange-brown wings and distinctive long tails on the hindwings. It is usually found in forests but may also visit nearby gardens and parks to feed on flowers. Its caterpillars feed on plants in the laurel, bean, and loosestrife families.

🦋 Three-spotted Grass Yellow (Eurema blanda)

A small yellow butterfly with black wing margins and three distinctive spots on the underside of the forewing. Common in open and disturbed habitats, it often flies alongside other grass yellow species. Its caterpillars feed on plants in the bean family.

🦋 Common Leopard (Phalanta phalantha)

A bright orange butterfly marked with numerous black spots and lines across its wings. It is commonly encountered in lowland areas and other open habitats. Its caterpillars feed on Flacourtia species, a group of small trees and shrubs.

🦋 Painted Jezebel (Delias hyparete)

A medium-sized butterfly with striking yellow, white, and black wings, accented by bright red spots underneath the hindwings. It can be found in gardens and forests but is often more abundant in wooded habitats. Its caterpillars feed on mistletoe plants.

🦋 Ita Bushbrown (Mycalesis ita)

A brown butterfly with subtle eye-like spots on its wings, often seen flying close to the ground in forested areas. Brighter in color than many other bushbrowns, it may occasionally bask on leaves with its wings open. Its caterpillars feed on grasses.

🦋 Lorquin's Satyr (Ptychandra lorquinii)

A fast-flying forest butterfly known for the metallic blue flashes visible on the wings of males during flight. It is commonly seen along forest trails and sometimes in nearby gardens. Its caterpillars feed on bamboo and other grasses.

🦋 Dark-banded Bushbrown (Mycalesis mineus)

A medium-sized brown butterfly marked with a series of eye-spots along its wings. Common in forest edges, trails, and lowland habitats, it usually flies close to the ground. Its caterpillars feed on grasses and related plants.

🦋 Common Dartlet (Oriens cf. gola)

A tiny dark brown skipper marked with orange bands across its wings. It flies low among grasses and can be found in forests and nearby lowland habitats. Its caterpillars feed on grasses, making it well adapted to a variety of environments.

🦋 Aramis Bushbrown (Mycalesis aramis)

A brown forest butterfly with subtle wing markings that help it blend into shaded surroundings. Endemic to northern Luzon, it is locally common in montane forests and wooded areas. Like many bushbrowns, it spends much of its time flying close to the ground.

🦋 Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)

A medium-sized orange butterfly with black-and-white markings near the tips of its forewings. Commonly seen in gardens, grasslands, and open areas, it is one of the most familiar butterflies in the Philippines. Its caterpillars feed on milkweed relatives, whose chemicals help protect both caterpillars and adults from predators.

Have butterfly photos? Send us a DM to be featured. 💚

This project is supported by the National Geographic Society and The Nature Conservancy.

References:
Badon, J. A. T. (2023). A naturalist’s guide to the butterflies of the Philippines. John Beaufoy Publishing Ltd.

Hardy, Peter & Lawrence, James. (2022). Butterflies of the Philippines.

iNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed May 28, 2026.

𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗔-𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗔 𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗟: Celebrating Marinduque — The Butterfly Capital of the Philippines

Did you know that Marinduque is home to around 600 butterfly species, locally known as “𝘽𝙞𝙡𝙖-𝘽𝙞𝙡𝙖"? With nearly one-third of the Philippines’ 927 butterfly species endemic to the country, the island province is renowned for its rich butterfly population and significant contribution to biodiversity conservation.

The Bila-Bila Festival was created to honor this natural treasure and to promote Marinduque as the Butterfly Capital of the Philippines. Originally celebrated every December 8 during the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the festival is now held during the vibrant month of May.

Butterfly farming has flourished in Marinduque since its introduction in the 1960s, becoming a successful backyard industry for many local families. Today, the province contributes about 85% of the country’s butterfly and pupa exports — a testament to its thriving biodiversity and environmental stewardship.

To further protect these delicate creatures, the local government of Boac enacted the “Tree Farming and Butterfly Propagation Ordinance of 2002,” officially declaring the municipality a sanctuary for all butterfly species and promoting environmental preservation. This initiative also helped pave the way for the colorful Bila-Bila Festival we celebrate today.

During the festival, the streets of Boac come alive with dazzling butterfly-inspired costumes, vibrant decorations, street dancing performances, kite flying activities, and even butterfly releases into the wild. Every corner of the town transforms into a beautiful tribute to nature and culture.

Beyond their beauty, butterflies are also important bioindicators. Their presence reflects a healthy ecosystem and rich biodiversity. As pollinators, they play a vital role in preserving the balance of flora and fauna in the Philippines, which is recognized as one of the world’s megadiverse countries.

The Bila-Bila Festival is more than a celebration — it is a reminder of the importance of protecting nature while embracing the unique culture and heritage of Marinduque.

To read more of our butterfly series, search #𝗙𝗹𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 on our page.