Arhopala Collection for ID

[Yano]

The weather beeing not friendly, I am forced to stay at home, so finally trying to identify the Arhopala photos (not so many) I've taken this year in Singapore.

Dear Seow, will you help ID the attached? The upperside was purple (not green).

Yano

[Psyche]

You have shot Arhopala delta which I don't think was taken before.

The key lines to follow in C&P4(Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula) if you have the book are Line 1, 7, 8, 9, 23, 45, 55, 59, 60, 62.

It had been rrcorded in Singapore though.

TL Seow

[Yano]

Dear Seow,
Thank you so much for the ID.
Only this morning I noticed it did not look like any of the Singapore Arhopala photos and was waiting for your reply. I just checked the "Fleming" and notice there is an "S" mark under Arhopala delta indicating it was recorded in Singapore. I'm so excited to record it again!!
I think I will buy the C&P4 as a Christmas present to myself.
Yano

[Psyche]

I think I will buy the C&P4 as a Christmas present to myself.
Yano

A jolly good idea.

I did a check as I recalled an A. delta somewhere.
Federick did shot this back in Nov. 2007., last pic.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/forum...ead.php?t=6046

A. delta (key line 62) & A. allata(key line 61) are closely similar, and if you were to compare your shot with Flemng L179(allata) and L188(delta) it would appeared to be allata especially with all the smaller spots and the faded appearance.
However, the forewing magin is rounded and in Federick's pic the postdiscal band is clearly dislocated at the lowest visible point (at vein 4).

TL Seow

[Painted Jezebel]

It seems I would have got the last one (A. delta) correct, (that is what I got to when using the keys, but did not feel confident enough to say so). That makes a change!

Attached is one specimen that is giving me trouble.

It has the spot in 11, which suggests a member of the Alitaeus group. However, there are two things that worry me.
1)The forewing postdiscal band is much, much wider than any specimen from this group that I have seen before.
2) Forewing postdiscal spot 4 is not as far shifted distad from 5 & 6, as normal.

[Psyche]

The shift in postdiscal spot 4 is too little as its inner margin is not stepped with spot 5 and the pale marginal line is unbroken.

I did try both lines 101 and 120 as well as line 153.

The closest match is A. aurelia ignoring the spot in space 11. The darkly contrasted colouration and broad band seems to match.

There were a few aurelia IDs in the past that may turn out to be evansi.

TL Seow
PS. Looking at A. aida the degree of shift distad of spot 4 is quite variable and can be quite small eg. pl. 41/14. Thus following line 101 it can only be A. aida despite the band being broad.
PS2. I forgot. A. havilandi also need to be considered.

[Psyche]

I did a check of the Arhopalas, and the spot in space 11 practically IDed it as a member of the alitaeus group as you indicated earlier.
Only a few other with distinctive markings, eg. democritus have this spot.

The members with a slatey glaze and stronger contrasted markings are A. aida, havilandi, alitaeus, & sintanga.Both havilandi & sintanga are confined to Borneo & southern Malaya. In any case they look quite different.
A. alitaeus is obviously different with its rounded spots.
A. aida from Ko Samui looks quite different too.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...aMFUpUnAC1.jpg

Two possible members of group in Yutaka website, A. atrax & A. alax are found well up north.
I am just at a loss what this should be at the moment.

TL Seow
PS. A. atrax & alax do not seem to be in the alitaeus group.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...xMFUpUnAC1.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/monsoon...oi/4288022972/