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Thread: White Royal (Pratapa deva relata)

  1. #1
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    Default White Royal (Pratapa deva relata)

    Dr Seow, please help to confirm if this Pratapa deva relata is a female? Why are the black borders on the upperside appear to be patchy?

    Loh Mei Yee

  2. #2
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    The patchy black border are just developmental defect.

    However the upperside with the blue patch & broader black borders on both wings strongly suggest the female of Pratapa icetoides.

    See C&P4 plate 46 for the females of both P. deva & icetoides.
    Also.
    http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4h/83240020.html
    http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4h/83260010.html
    http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4h/83260001.html

    P. icetoides should have ochreous shading of the FW costal base & a more continuous postdiscal line. HW orange patch always large.
    Borneo.
    https://static.inaturalist.org/photo...1617/large.jpg
    https://www.jamiun.com/category/macr...ides-calculis/
    Thailand.
    https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-conte...2-1080x675.jpg
    This is labelled as P. icetoides (female) ssp icetoides Thailand.
    https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-conte...-icetoides.jpg




    It seem most examples of P. deva in Singapore have lightly shaded ochreous costal base.
    Perhaps the Singapore population is now largely hybrid.
    http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...te-Royal)..jpg
    http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...16_02_2011.jpg
    http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...20-%20Khew.jpg


    Thailand. P. deva.
    Male. ? ssp.
    https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-conte...atapa-deva.jpg
    Female P. deva relata
    https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-conte...eva-relata.jpg
    https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-conte...a-relata-3.jpg



    TL Seow: Cheers.
    Compare uppersides with

    Female P. deva relata
    http://yutaka.it-n.jp/pict14h/83240020_221.jpg

    Female P. icetoides (ssp. icetoides)
    http://yutaka.it-n.jp/pict14h/83260001_211.jpg
    Last edited by Psyche; 25-Mar-2022 at 10:32 PM.

  3. #3
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    The larva and the pupa stages of the White Royal female shot by Mei Yee are shown below.

    WhiteRoyal_L4_larva.jpgWhiteRoyal_pupa.jpg

    They match those of P. deva's early stages featured in the Hong Kong book (A Photographic Monograph on Hong Kong Butterflies, volume 2, p.220) and Thailand's web page at https://wingscales.com/Lycaenidae/Pr...a#early-stages

    The early stages of P. icetoides featured in Thailand's web page at https://wingscales.com/Lycaenidae/Pr...s#early-stages show very different looking larva and pupa from those of P. deva.
    Horace

  4. #4
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    I will leaves this as a form of Pratapa deva relata female.
    I see no examples of males from Singapore that could be undoubtedly P. icetoides.


    The female of P. icetoides is consistently bluer with wide black borders.
    This differences can also be seen in the Bornean Lycaenids by Otsuka plate 57.


    I am also wary of Life-histories in which the butterfly that eclosed is not shown.
    In some case a field shot is added (which can be a different species).


    Finally comparing larvae can sometimes be tricky.
    eg. The larva of Papilio demoleus in Australia looks like nothing from here.
    http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.co.../demoleus.html



    TL Seow : Cheers.

  5. #5
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    Thank you, Dr Seow
    Loh Mei Yee

  6. #6
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    I did further cross checking & I feel that the two species are very similar in Singapore & easily confused.

    Pratapa deva relata.
    Underside FW costa base not or barely shaded ochreous variable.
    Male upperside bright metallic blue.
    Female pale lavender blue with narrow black border.
    http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4h/83240020.html

    Male.
    http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...race%20Tan.jpg
    http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...race%20Tan.jpg
    Female.
    http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...lson%20Ong.jpg
    Female in S. thailand.
    https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-conte...eva-relata.jpg
    https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-conte...a-relata-3.jpg



    Pratapa icetoides calculis.
    Underside FW costa base distinctly shaded ochreous.
    Upperside male darker blue , Female deeper blue with wider black borders on both wings.
    http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4h/83260010.html
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratap...Un_480_AC1.jpg

    Female.Note this is a female, the HW is rounded, upperside blue; in the male the cell area is black.
    http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...Sunny-Chir.jpg
    http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...te-Royal)..jpg
    Another female with more rounded FWs.
    http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...16_02_2011.jpg




    TL Seow: Cheers.
    Last edited by Psyche; 27-Mar-2022 at 07:39 AM.

  7. #7
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    Correction : all are Pratapa deva


    It appears the markings & colours can varies widely in both species.

    But all correct examples of Pratapa deva have grey eyes.

    https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yzw2AzY2d...WR_adult_1.jpg
    https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/butt...e-35145922.jpg
    http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...16_02_2011.jpg


    & all correct examples of P. icetoides have black eyes.
    https://www.jamiun.com/wp-content/up...rmarksmall.jpg
    https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oNXQ71J_r...0/DSC_1689.JPG
    https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-conte...-icetoides.jpg


    TL Seow: Cheers.
    Last edited by Psyche; 03-Apr-2022 at 07:58 PM.

  8. #8
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    Thank you for the update, Dr Seow
    Loh Mei Yee

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