Telicota sp.

[horace2264]

Encountered this Telicota specimen feeding on Leea indica flowers.

Dr Seow, is this T. besta or T. augias?

[Psyche]

This is the same as CJ's female.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/showt...14-Shots/page3

I think they are both probably Telicota besta.
There is also Telicota hilda to consider.

T. augias female veins lightly darkened, ground orange ochreous.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...USROct2004.jpg

T. besta female ; veins lightly darkened, ground ochreous with a greenish tinge.
http://s462.photobucket.com/user/pfl...l?t=1347765712
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GqK3ID-7Ml...sta%2Bbina.jpg
http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/a...atPM034032.png

T. colon female veins lightly darkened ,ground ochreous with greenish tinge (same as T. besta female).
Recognised by the shape of FW spots 4 & 5.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-grsw9HIBWI...n%2Bstinga.jpg

T. hilda female :veins darkened, ground with fuscous (dark) scalings. Favours the hills, but in Samui lowland.

The thing is that the ground is rather dark shaded/dusted for T. besta & the veins are more strongly darkened.
So, there is the possibility of Telicota hilda.

TL Seow: Cheers.

[horace2264]

Thanks, Dr Seow for the ID suggestions.
It might be that CJ took the pic at the same location.
There were quite a few flying around. Will try to take a few shots of the other specimens (male too if present) to obtain more data for verification.

[Commander]

I also shot some at that location. There were quite a few.

Did you manage to check out that Tawny Coster host plant?

[horace2264]

I also shot some at that location. There were quite a few.

Did you manage to check out that Tawny Coster host plant?

Yes, checked out that plant.
There are only a few (very) young plants on site, and the small group of Tawny Coster caterpillars is found on just one of them.

[horace2264]

The following pics show the typical FW brands observed on the males today.

[Psyche]

Post 6.

1st pix is Telicota augias male: Brand is very broad fully occupying all the black space.

2nd is Telicota besta male : brand is placed closer to the cell-bar with dark space between it & the postdiscal spots 1b, 2, & 3.
Note spots 4 & 5 notched & orange extended shortly along the veins in spots 2 & 3, like its close relative T. colon.

Here is another female by Sunny which is very dark dusted. This was also thought to be T. ohara but the HW band's large inner notch discount it.
http://s35.photobucket.com/user/Schi...76386584963552

Note all 3 dark females are very fresh judging from the undamaged cilia.

Here is the freshly eclosed female besta for comparison.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OEM0FaXJUE..._female_01.jpg

TL Seow : Cheers.

[Psyche]

The Telicotas are so confusing that I thought I'll go over again.
The web is full of erroneous images which adds to the difficulty of making a correct comparison.
These observations are for the males only.

Telicota augias male.
Deeper orange than all other species.
HW band, the veins not dark-dusted.
HW band & ground colour do not contrast.
Face (palpi ) & underside of abdomen orange , slightly paler, usually barely contrasting with the orange body.
Abdominal tip without a dark patch/band dorsally.
FW spots ?always with broad overlaps & HW band with strong notch on inner margin (underside).

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hp7OPF_eJ6...as-augias).jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5336/9...aaff7fdc56.jpg

Telicota besta male.
HW band with veins lightly dark dusted.
HW band with strong notch on inner margin ( at vein 4).
Face (palpi) slightly paler .
Abdominal tip with a dark band the end.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...obby%20Mun.jpg
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs41/f/20...y_log1t3ch.jpg
http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/a...atPM034056.png

Telicota linna male.
HW band the veins not dark-dusted.
HW band contrast with the darker ground colour.
HW band with strong inner notch (especially on underside).
Face (palpi) more noticeably paler , contrast with body colour.
Abdominal tip with a dark patch or band.
http://www.samuibutterflies.com/02_i...otalinna.v.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0EK80AsaR7...-Palm-Dart.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0EK80AsaR7...elicota-sp.jpg

TL Seow : Cheers.

[Psyche]

Telicota colon male.
The male is usually readily ID'ed.
HW veins lightly dark-dusted & with a strong inner notch.
FW with small overlap between spot 3 & 4, spots 4 & 5 staggered , not in line.
FW spots 4 & 5 often distorted & all spots strongly concave.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...colon2-KSK.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCIq17YMtX...lon+stinga.jpg


Telicota ohara male.
The Taiwanese ssp. formosanus is different in the darkened veins & dark tinge.

HW veins across band not dark-dusted.
HW with a shallow notch on the band's inner margin at vein 4.
Upperside with space 2 base black & the brand very narrow.
India.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4049/4...6d674279d9.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2668/4...d242822ed8.jpg
Sikkim
http://lh6.ggpht.com/z7r6H5UWsULODN0...6pmd-l2lT=s600
http://lh3.ggpht.com/h1lrstmjC-OhyQ8...DGbmRUXO=s1200
A very worn male, Malaya.
http://m3.i.pbase.com/g4/25/686825/2...3.ARwkT0pa.jpg

It appears most of ID'ed T ohara in the past ,based on the underside are in error although I have been unable to check all out.

Telicota hilda male.
Underside HW darkish , the veins dark-dusted.
HW band with strong notch at inner margin.
Face (palpi) & underside of abdomen rather strongly whitish.


TL Seow

[horace2264]

Thanks, Dr Seow for this extensive compilation of identification information on Telicota spp.
I will definitely refer to this for future references.