Are these Jamides malaccanus?

[Painted Jezebel]

Here are three specimens which I have in my J. malaccanus file. However, there are breaks in the markings, which suggest I may have one or more wrong.

They are in increasing order of broken striae.

[Psyche]

These are difficult ones to ID.
There are 2 similar species malaccanus & parasaturatus.

1 & 2 should be J. malaccanus male & female.
3 have the striae more misaligned but topside exposes space 4, 5, & 6 of the right hindwing.The large & dark inner & outer submarginal spots is more in accord with J. malaccanus.
I would leave them as J. malaccanus.

There are many errors on the net eg. Wilkipedia have the correct male malaccanus but the female is a member of the elpis subgroup.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ja...sMFUpUnAC1.jpg

TL Seow

[Painted Jezebel]

Thanks, Seow. It was specimen 3, photographed today, that got me a bit concerned. I also have a photo of a specimen from Nakhon Sri Thammarat province which has all the striae absolutely perfectly in line, so I did start to wonder.

[Psyche]

I found the confirmation for pic 3.
C&P4 states in its key that the female of malaccanus have the veins lightly dark dusted in the distal third of the wing.
A check with the images in C&P4 and Fleming indeed shows that in malaccanus the veins are distinctly darkened between the marginal & submarginal spots whereas in parasaturatus they are much less so.

In pic 3 the topside veins visible are vein 5 & 6 , and they are strongly black whereas in parasaturatus they would only be slightly darkened.

We can conclude that pic 3 is indeed a female J. malaccanus.

TL Seow

[Psyche]

I have located the correct upperside/underside images of the males of malaccanus & parasaturatus for future reference.
http://www.boldsystems.org/views/tax...p?taxid=296319

The one on the left with the broken right forewing is malaccanus.
ID points ; deeper blue; dark border along termen; hindwing with dark 'spots especially near tornus.

The one on the right is parasaturatus.
ID points ; lighter blue; dark border towards apex; hindwing without the dark 'spots'.

TL Seow

[Psyche]

Just one definite parasaturatus have beeb found on the net.
This is Federick's shot from the Panti forest, Johor.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0EK80AsaR7...malaccanus.jpg
Note the differences. (Topside pale blue visible.)
1. Submarginal striae on forewing becoming obsolete towards the apex. (Evenly defined throughout in malaccanus.)
2. Striae blue-tinged due to translucency effect , ie. Glassy Caerulean.( Hindwing striae strongly white in malaccanus.)

This is a Malayan example of malaccanus for comparison.
http://malaysianinsects.web.fc2.com/...malaccanus.htm

TL Seow