UFO in CCA

[horace2264]

Shot this UFO butt which resembled a Common/Dark Posy at first sight.
At first I thought damages to its hindwings had caused the dark appearance, but a closer examination on camera LCD showed that this was not the case.

The butt remained on high perches throughout and very alert to any closer approach. In the end all I managed are distant shots affected by handshake and wing-induced blurs.
The two pics are cropped from the originals, and showed both left and right sides of the wings.

Any idea of its species ID?

Horace

[Silverstreak]

Wah Piang ! Looks like a new species!

Very unique fore and hind wing markings, nothing resemble it in the checklist!


Likely to be Drupadia ...

[horace2264]

Wah Piang ! Looks like a new species!

Very unique fore and hind wing markings, nothing resemble it in the checklist!


Likely to be Drupadia ...

Right now, I do not have access to C&P4. Can this species be found in your copy of C&P4?

Horace

[Silverstreak]

Horace,

Thumbing thru CP cannot find any to match those marking on the fore wing and that dark patch on the hind wing!

Right now, I do not have access to C&P4. Can this species be found in your copy of C&P4?

Horace

[horace2264]

Horace,

Thumbing thru CP cannot find any to match that dark patch on the hidn wing!

Thanks, Sunny for checking C&P4. Looks like we have to look at other sources for its ID.


Horace

[Commander]

You've shot what is most likely an aberration of a Dark Posy. Though it occurs in nature, aberrations are relatively rare, where in the process of metamorphosis, something goes wrong and the butterfly turns out looking quite different from its usual appearance.

Some years ago, Steven Neo captured an aberrant Peacock Royal on Tekong Island. It had both of us what the heck it was, and were excited about discovering a new species. When I sent the picture to Col John Eliot, he identified it as an aberrant individual.

Now, if only one of us will one day be able to shoot a gynandromorph in Singapore!

[Peacock Royal]

I have never seen this before at CCA. Well captured, Horace.
Quite a pristine specimen and my first impression is that the shape of the wings looks a bit different also.