Orange Skipper Collection I - Telicota spp

[Sky Blue]

BJ, I m quite sure this will be a +1

[Painted Jezebel]

Having realised that my No 2 was Potanthus confucius, I have been in a quandry. I already had a photo of this species, which I now realise was obviously wrong.

It has the orange spots conjoined from spaces 2,3 to 4,5 and from 4,5 to 6,7 on the forewing upperside, but there is no spot in space 7 on the hindwing. There are only three Potanthus species without this spot found in Thailand, P. rectifasciatus, P. pamela and P. pallida, but none of them have the conjoined forewing spots.

I have come to the tentative decision that this may be Taractrocera archias quinta. I would be very grateful for your thoughts, especially from anyone who has had direct experience of this species.

275

[Commander]

The Taractrocera genus has a unique characteristic of not having the usual apiculus of the Hesperiidae. In your shot, there is a hint of this 'hook' on the right antennae of the specimen, which rules out Taractrocera.

Do you have another shot showing the antennae more clearly? Particular the tip of the club?

[Painted Jezebel]

The Taractrocera genus has a unique characteristic of not having the usual apiculus of the Hesperiidae. In your shot, there is a hint of this 'hook' on the right antennae of the specimen, which rules out Taractrocera.

Do you have another shot showing the antennae more clearly? Particular the tip of the club?

You may have realised from my original wording that I was not particularly confident with my tentative ID of this one.

Sorry, taken with my old box brownie, so pic is very heavily cropped, and the only one I have. However, enlarged as far as poss, which shows what you mean to anyone who does not know the apiculus.

This leads me to ask, what is it then, as I've discarded all the Potanthus?