Heliophorus ila?

[Nawab]

Is this Heliophorus ila? Is there any reliable method to differentiate H. epicles, H. indicus and H. ila morphologically?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/157512...posted-public/
Heliophorus.jpg

[Psyche]

The Heliophorus are extremely difficult.
There is little information

Probably Heliophorus indicus.UpF no orange/red cross band or purple-shot.

As the female is even more confusing I will leave it alone.

H. epicles ;Male Up. usually purple shot male with some orange/red cross band streaks ;HW marginal red band at least 3 spaces.
UnH space 3, 4, & 5 red band half shaded with white.
Un Up views.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/me...fbabede7-2.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/me...fbabede7-1.jpg

https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/me...unte_ah962.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/me...unte_ah963.jpg

H. indicus. Up often dark ;red cross band absent; UnH space 3 ,4 ,5 more heavily white shaded.
Variable amount of scattered black spots.HW red often only two spaces.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/me...ndhi_ar531.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/me...ndhi_ar532.jpg

https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/me...d5fb02b1-4.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/me...d5fb02b1-5.jpg

H. ila ; Up. purple shot ,FW no red cross band; HW red marginal band reaching vein 6.
UnF red marginal band not reaching apex (ssp nolus & chinensis ,possibly Indian ssp pseudonexus as well.)
UnF almost completely spotless.
HW with white shading of red band extensive.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...CC_3043to4.jpg
ssp chinensis.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/itchydogimages/8457716536


TL Seow: Cheers.

[Nawab]

Thank you, Dr. Seow. I was wondering if the lunulate marks ID keys still hold validity as in this thread: http://www.butterflycircle.com/showt...eliophorus-ila

[Psyche]

Thank you, Dr. Seow. I was wondering if the lunulate marks ID keys still hold validity as in this thread: http://www.butterflycircle.com/showt...eliophorus-ila

I have gone thru this a couple of times & largely forgotten what I wrote before.

I realised the lunulate mark ( submarginal) on the FW does not work as it depends on whether the margin al FW band is narrow or broad.
If narrow (as seen by the dark spot in space 1b) then the lunule/chevron is straightened or flattened.

Likewise HW red band does not protrude in H. ila malaya from P. Malaysia but elsewhere this spot protrude.

So I am abandoning these two features.

H. epicles in India can be reliably ID'ed by the red HW band being only half shaded white in space 3, 4, & 5.

This leaves the underside of H. indicus & H. ila being nearly identical.
H. indicus seem to have scattered black dots on the FW & H ila seem to have a clean UnF.


TL Seow: Cheers.

[Nawab]

That really helps a lot. Thank you so much again!