An interesting, aberrant Arhopala

[atronox]

Thanks everyone for all the input. I shall just leave this as "cf. muta" since its exact ID will probably never be determined.

Dr Seow, the one in the wiki link seems misIDed; it should be muta

[Psyche]

Thanks everyone for all the input. I shall just leave this as "cf. muta" since its exact ID will probably never be determined.

Dr Seow, the one in the wiki link seems misIDed; it should be muta

You are right. The upperside is closest to A. muta female.
I think this have been discussed before.

A. hypomuta ;FW postdiscal spot 4 dislocated & shifted out from spots 5 & 6.
HW with spot at base of space 6 (not always present).
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y9dabOUmO0...0/DSC_0188.JPG
http://nlliew66butterflies.blogspot....-hewitson.html

Note the underside HW of A. hypomuta is a fairly good match.
The dislocation at vein 2 is wide; green metalmark long (but broken ).


TL Seow :Cheers.

[Banded Yeoman]

I chanced upon this shot by CJ in Panti forest (2013) and I'm certain that this is Arhopala avathina.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/showt...013&highlight=

The original caption:

Arhopala ___? (Subject was really tiny)

It meets all the criteria clearly.

- The size description is enough to narrow it down to a muta-subgroup species.
- HW post-discal band completely dislocated at vein 2. It can now only be muta, moorei, metamuta or avathina.
- Sub-marginal spots dark and unsually well defined, even in this worn individual.
- FW post-discal spots 3 and 2 more or less in line, spot 2 slightly shifted inwards compared to 3; post-discal band shape corresponding with holotype.

The green tornal metalmark is broad but this marking is often variable.

[Psyche]

post 9.

It is not Arhopala avanthina but something equally interesting.


The diagnostic ID for A. avanthina is that the FW basal cellspot is absent.
In the image all three cellspots are present. ie. one at cellend, one at mid cell & the 3rd basal (actual position is sub-basal).

Arhopala kurzi have 1. all three cellspots present, 2. HW postdiscal band widely dislocated at vein 2, & 3. FW postdiscal spot 3 (ie. in space 3) elongate towards base (variable).
All three criteria are met here.
https://singapore.biodiversity.onlin...doptera-000440


TL Seow: Cheers.

[atronox]

The diagnostic ID for A. avanthina is that the FW basal cellspot is absent.
In the image all three cellspots are present. ie. one at cellend, one at mid cell & the 3rd basal (actual position is sub-basal).

Could this be variable? D'abrera figures a specimen with the basal cell spot

[Psyche]

Could this be variable? D'abrera figures a specimen with the basal cell spot

The key in C&P4 is quite specific in this differentiation.

Still , this should be easy to test.

The upperside FW border is a thread in the male A. kurzi.
https://singapore.biodiversity.onlin...doptera-000440

The upperside border in A. avathina is much wider , 1mm.
https://m.singapore.biodiversity.onl...doptera-000436


TL Seow: Cheers.

[Banded Yeoman]

Dr Seow, Aaron, thanks for your views on this one. I continue to learn.

The feature of fw basal spot missing is unhelpful in my limited opinion. Even the holotype of A. avathina clearly shows fw sub-basal spots - and if the characteristic truly was regarding the basal spot, which is sometimes discernable in very pristine examples of muta, kurzi etc, it is often too faint to use as a distinguishing feature.

I would be hesitant to id this one as A. kurzi.

It now becomes clear that even in A. kurzi, the sub-marginal spots are rather dark and defined. From all valid A. kurzi specimens that I've seen, however, the forewing band is distinctively broken at each vein for spots 4, 5 and 6. These are specimens with upperside confirmation.

A. avathina, in the holotype from Singapore, displays fw post-discal spots very well aligned. This is also seen in CJ's shot (post 9).

Dr Seow, your point of separating these 2 species by upperside is definitely the most solid method. They prove to be very similar on the underside.