Danum Valley - July 2013

[Psyche]

According to funet the Bornean ssp. is the nominate P. memnon memnon , although Fruhstofer have described memnoides 1903 from Borneo.
http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/...x.html#machaon

Under P. memnon memnon is female form laomedon Cramer.
The description of f-laomedon matches well.

http://www.archive.org/stream/novita...e/314/mode/1up

As for the Charaxes, I think they are the same, since in peninsular Malaysia there are also 2 forms, one with the steely grey sheen.


TL Seow

[Glorious Begum]

Thank you very much Dr Seow.

[bluefin]

Nice series of pictures Guys.

[Painted Jezebel]

Last of my Lycaenidae.

LD15) Nacaduba species from this year.
LD16) Nacaduba sp. from 2010. This was id'd as N. berenice at the time.

The two appear different, particularly in the shape of the forewing submarginal spots in spaces 1b and 2, which are rectangular in this years photo, and more oval in that of 2010. As far as I can see, only N. berenice, kurava and the endemic normani are found in Sabah as far as Six-lines go.

LD17) I thought this was Celastrina lavendularis, but I could not see that it is found in Borneo when trying to find the ssp. There is Celastrina philippina philippina, though and two Acytolepis species.

[moloch]

It might have been quiet compared to your usual trips, but you guys have found lots of interesting species. Great photos!

Regards,
David

[Psyche]

Last of my Lycaenidae.

LD15) Nacaduba species from this year.
LD16) Nacaduba sp. from 2010. This was id'd as N. berenice at the time.

The two appear different, particularly in the shape of the forewing submarginal spots in spaces 1b and 2, which are rectangular in this years photo, and more oval in that of 2010. As far as I can see, only N. berenice, kurava and the endemic normani are found in Sabah as far as Six-lines go.

LD17) I thought this was Celastrina lavendularis, but I could not see that it is found in Borneo when trying to find the ssp. There is Celastrina philippina philippina, though and two Acytolepis species.

LD15 should be Nacaduba berenice.
The marginal spots are flat-sided. The submarginal spots somewhat resembles beroe , but dark striae in FW band strong & base not distinctly darkened.
A bit of the dull lavender upperside can be seen.

A beautiful example of N. beroe from Fraser's Hill
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6186/...62cac367_b.jpg

LD16 should be Nacaduba normani.Correction: ID doubtful as N. calauria is also found in Borneo.
Both series of spots very dark; FW marginal spots large & bulging; HW marginal spot 3 rounded.
Federick posted a couple from his Kinabalu trips which I ID'ed as N. calauria not realising N. calauria is not recorded from Borneo.
N. calauria range from India thru Sumatra, Java to Sulawesi & Ambon.
It is replaced in Borneo by N. normani which has also found its way into Sulawesi.
The other 6-line blues, berenice, kurava, & beroe can be discounted.

LD17 should be Acytolepis ripte.
There is a small white-edged triangular spot at the base of HW space 7 (none in Celastrina) ;antennal tip black (white in Celastrina ).
The FW cell has a ill-defined white-edged rectangular spot (perspective-distorted) with a black smudge below (FW cell clean in puspa).
LC's perfect example from Meliau.
http://www.pbase.com/lcgoh/image/136052355

Celastrina lavendularis, widespread from India to Papua is replaced in Borneo by C. philippina (probably 2 ssp overlapping in the Philippines.).
Main difference on upperside. Only underside difference seen is lower end of HW cellend bar close to postdiscal spot 2 in lavendularis.
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ey4y-tknm/philframe.html

TL Seow

[Psyche]

LD16.

A check with Butterflies of Sulawesi indicate N. calauria is present in Borneo as well. Funet shows a ?Borneo for ssp malayica, but Yutaka confirms it. (Fleming does not indicate Borneo).
The description for N. normani is not available.
However a process of elimination will indicate this is most likely N. normani.

N. berenice & N. calauria.
FW submarginal spots narrow , not forming a neat band; inner margins irregular; submarginal spot 4 & 5 usually pointed.

N. berenice : FW marginal spots flat -sided, or not bulging ; HW marginal spot 3 flattened.
N. calauria : Peripheral spots often very dark; FW marginal spots large & bulging; HW marginal spot 3 rounded.

N. berenice icena (ssp akaba can be seen at Phillipine site, however the female there appeared to be beroe from the topside appearance.)
2 males and a female . Note 2nd male matches LD15.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0EK80AsaR7...a+sp+@+DFP.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0EK80AsaR7...Line+Blue).jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...a/nacuduba.jpg

N. calauria malayica.Male & Female. Note LD 16 is quite similar except the FW submarginal spots are also large & bulky.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...obby%20Mun.jpg
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...20-%20Khew.jpg

N. kurava & N. beroe.
FW submarginal spots tend to form a regular band with a rounded or neater inner margin; submarginal spots 4 & 5 often rounded.

N. kurava : FW submarginal band neater; dark striae in postdiscal band present in the male;HW submarginal spot 6 usually large & quadrate.
N. beroe : Male submarginal band less neat with flared edges ;dark striae in postdiscal band vague; dark base; Female difficult to separate.

Two examples of N kurava nemana (same ssp in Borneo) males from Malaya & Singapore.
http://m7.i.pbase.com/g1/25/686825/2...7.aU9kgK7D.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0EK80AsaR7...acaduba-sp.jpg

N. beroe neon male See link in previous post.

As you can see LD16 does not really matched any of the other 4 species.
So the suspicion that it is N. normani is very strong.

TL Seow

PS. N. normani have become a pest on cocoa Theobroma cacao, so it should be quite common in Sabah.

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank very much for the detailed explanations, Seow.

My last two.

LD18) An Idmon species. The width of the orange band suggests I. latifascia, but then it makes me question on the id of the Idmon I saw in Maliau, http://www.samuibutterflies.com/expe...monlatifascia/, identified as that species at the time. I now wonder if it was the Bornean ssp. of I. obliquans.
LD19) My best guess is the underside of Pemara pugnans, but I am not sure.

As this is my last post on this thread, that I know of anyway, I would like to express my gratitude to LC for organising the trip, and for putting us up overnight, before and after the Tawau-KL flight, and to Marcus and Antonio for their entertaining companionship.

[Angiud]

The Dark Veined Jay - Graphium bathycles


The Elbowed Pierrot - Caleta elna


The Common Tawny Rajah - Charaxes bernadus repetitus


Oriens gola


The Bandless Bushbrown - Mycalesis maianeas


The Banded Grass Yellow - Eurema nicevillei nicevillei


And, dulcis in fundo:


The Bornean Plush - Sithon micea

A beautiful, strange endemic species of Sabah.

IMHO the first, or one of the few, pictures of this uncommon (rare?) Lycaenid. I've found only this drawing:

MiceaHew1869.JPG

[Psyche]

Thank very much for the detailed explanations, Seow.

My last two.

LD18) An Idmon species. The width of the orange band suggests I. latifascia, but then it makes me question on the id of the Idmon I saw in Maliau, http://www.samuibutterflies.com/expe...monlatifascia/, identified as that species at the time. I now wonder if it was the Bornean ssp. of I. obliquans.
LD19) My best guess is the underside of Pemara pugnans, but I am not sure.

As this is my last post on this thread, that I know of anyway, I would like to express my gratitude to LC for organising the trip, and for putting us up overnight, before and after the Tawau-KL flight, and to Marcus and Antonio for their entertaining companionship.

LD18. You are right here . This is the bona fide Idmon latifascia (=wide band). The Meliau individual is female (abdominal tip) which has wider & clearer band than the male I. obliquans.

LD 19. Agreed it is P. pugnans. The longer & gradual all black antennal club, colour shape all matched except for the missing black smudge around the subapical spots but this is variable.

LD 15. After looking hard at this I thought could this be actually an N. kurava variant as the FW submarginal spots are almost bandlike.
After looking at the Philippine ssp which comes closest to that of Borneo , I feel it is correctly N. berenice.
The inner margin is much more interrupted at the veins; spots 4 & 5 more pointy(peaked) at the middle ;HW postdiscal spot 6 not quadrate.
The upperside can be seen as a dull pale lavender. (Violet blue in N. kurava male.).

The Philippine N. berenice. (Note the female berenice appeared to be a beroe female; I think it is wrongly placed.)
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ey4y-tknm/philframe.html

TL Seow

PS. Antonio! Congrats on the rare shot of Sithon micea:cheers:
Now, if only someone has a confirmed pic of N. normani.