A new record for KPG and the South of Thailand

[Angiud]

It's true, sometimes you have to check just around your home. Yesterday I've found a colony of this tiny butterfly I never care before, just thinking it was some Lesser or Pigmy Grass Blue. But taking the first photo I understood it was another species:


The Black-spotted Grass Blue

Lycaenidae, Lycaeninae: Chilades putli

Thanks to my friend Les, I learn that this butterfly is recorded until Pattaya at the Southermost part of Thailand, so this record move almost 700 Km South the distribution. Today there is a big storm, so I cannot go again to check the field where this colony lives, I hope tomorrow to check there again.

[WillFolsom]

Antonio:

What is "KPG"? Also, how is the flooding in Thailand? Starting to go down?
A lot of Nikon equipment is produced in Thailand and the floods there and the earthquake/sunami in Japan have slowed things down a lot.

William

[Painted Jezebel]

William, KPG is Koh Pha Ngan (also written as Ko Phangan), the sister island to Koh Samui. We are only a 30 minute boat ride away. However, in less than a year, Antonio has already found 11 species there that I have not come across on KS after 5 years of looking!

The floods up north appear to be going down, though it will take months for everything to be back running to full capacity. Down on the Peninsular, where we live, we have escaped so far, but our rainy season has just started, or so it appears, the weather has been very wierd this year!

Antonio:

What is "KPG"? Also, how is the flooding in Thailand? Starting to go down?
A lot of Nikon equipment is produced in Thailand and the floods there and the earthquake/sunami in Japan have slowed things down a lot.

William

[moloch]

Congrads, Antonio!

[Painted Jezebel]

I forgot to mention, The Black-spotted Grass Blue, is Famegana alsulus. The usual English name for C. putli is the Small Grass Jewel.

[Angiud]

Antonio:

What is "KPG"? Also, how is the flooding in Thailand? Starting to go down?
A lot of Nikon equipment is produced in Thailand and the floods there and the earthquake/sunami in Japan have slowed things down a lot.

William

Sorry William, KPG is the acronym for Koh Phangan and I hope you all become used to it because I expect to write a lot about KPG butterflies
About the flood, is receding almost everywhere, although the deflux is slow. Still some minor supply problem (1 month I cannot find my dietetic Pepsi Max, which I'm addicted)

Antonio, congratulation on the new find !!!

Looks like you have really gotten the " Butt Flu "!!

Cheers!

LOL, but for sure! When I see my pictures of just six months ago I can understand it!

Congrads, Antonio!

Thanks Moloch, and congrats to you for the amazing pictures of your Queensland trip!

[Angiud]

I forgot to mention, The Black-spotted Grass Blue, is Famegana alsulus. The usual English name for C. putli is the Small Grass Jewel.

Good thank you!, I'm going to change the common name everywhere!

(and I hope to kindly disappoint you again with some new find ASAP!)

[Painted Jezebel]

Chilades putli was previously Freyeria putli. Quite why Freyeria is now included in Chilades, I don't know, but Yutaka has it as Chilades, and that is good enough for me, he usually keeps up to date with these things.

I have now updated my site for this species. Pattaya is the southernmost record I have been able to find, but it is possible that someone may have come across it closer to home and not mention it. This species is so small that it is quite possible that it has been overlooked in the past.

I will be looking more carefully at the tiny blues here. I need to find a new colony of Famegana alsulus anyway, since the only one I knew here has been built upon!

It's true, sometimes you have to check just around your home. Yesterday I've found a colony of this tiny butterfly I never care before, just thinking it was some Lesser or Pigmy Grass Blue. But taking the first photo I understood it was another species:

Thanks to my friend Les, I learn that this butterfly is recorded until Pattaya at the Southermost part of Thailand, so this record move almost 700 Km South the distribution. Today there is a big storm, so I cannot go again to check the field where this colony lives, I hope tomorrow to check there again.

[Silverstreak]

Antonio, congratulation on the new find !!!

Looks like you have really gotten the " Butt Flu "!!

Cheers!