Acerbas anthea pista in Cambodia!!

[MrGee]

I saw this butterfly back in June but, for various reasons that I now regret, I only sent it to Les, who helps me enormously with idenitification, yesterday.

He and I are now quite excited!

Les has idenitified it as Acerbas anthea pista, which should not be here in Cambodia. I have seen it only the one time.

http://www.rainbowlodgecambodia.com/butterflies/pics/Acerbas anthea pista.JPG

[Psyche]

I am puzzled as this should be A. martini.

The compelling feature is that in A. anthea, the white hindwing band extend as a break in the middle to the termen dividing the brown border into two parts.
Even if subspecies pista was to lack this feature, there are two other corroborative features.
1. The hindwing is strongly white-margined in anthea.(Only slightly at the tornus in martini.)
2. The brown border is evenly wide in anthea.(The border broadens towards the tornus in martini.)

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

The subspecies in Malaysia and Java has the white band extending to break the brown border, this is Acerbas anthea anthea. That in Thailand (Ranong) does not, and this is the ssp. here. There are two very faint white spots on the hindwing in 2 & 3 in ssp. pista, and these are present, just.

The white band is evenly broad in A. martini, but indented at 1b in A. anthea, as in the photo. Also, there is a small white basal streak in A. a. pista (not A. a. anthea), seen in all pics I have, but not shown in any pic of A. martini.

The photo matches exactly the pics I have of Acerbas anthea pista.

[Psyche]

The subspecies in Malaysia and Java has the white band extending to break the brown border, this is Acerbas anthea anthea. That in Thailand (Ranong) does not, and this is the ssp. here. There are two very faint white spots on the hindwing in 2 & 3 in ssp. pista, and these are present, just.

The white band is evenly broad in A. martini, but indented at 1b in A. anthea, as in the photo. Also, there is a small white basal streak in A. a. pista (not A. a. anthea), seen in all pics I have, but not shown in any pic of A. martini.

The photo matches exactly the pics I have of Acerbas anthea pista.

This is an eye-opener. Thanks.
I have located a pic from Phuket.
The band is similar but the 'break' is retained.
http://www.hkls.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/051811_1802_Reportofthe62.jpg

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

The typical A. a. anthea has been found as far north as southern Surat Thani Province, Thailand, and A. a. pista appears to have a very restricted range, having been found only around Ranong and probably S. Myanmar, until now. There is a third ssp., A. a. luzona, only found in the Philippines.

A. a. pista, Evans 1949, is still recognised as a valid ssp., however, I do not know how many specimens have been found, so there are doubts in my mind as to whether it may just be a local aberration. I have no proof of this, it is simply a little niggle I have in my head.

Whatever, the finding of an Acerbas species in Cambodia considerably extends the range of this Genus, as none had been found north of the Thai peninsular before. So well done, Gee.

[Psyche]

Do hold the champagne.

A. anthea had been recorded from Cat Tien, Vietnam recently.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=0h&oq=&ie=UTF-8&q=%22acerbas+anthea%22#q=%22acerbas+anthea%22&hl=en&prmd=imvns&ei=eyCFTtijKMTQrQfRhJncDA&start=20&sa=N&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=deb5123aaf20d8ca&biw=1280&bih=488

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

Do hold the champagne.

A. anthea had been recorded from Cat Tien, Vietnam recently.

TL Seow:cheers:

Bottle back on ice!:cry:

Thanks for the info, I have bookmarked the list (an excellent additional resource) as there are many new records there which will assist in future Cambodian IDs. I notice that no ssp. is mentioned. I wonder if they are looking into this, both Cambodia and Vietnam are somewhat distant from previous records.

Gee, not quite as great a find as we thought:thumbsdow , but a first record for Cambodia, nevertheless. It also has ramifications for Thai butts, as you are so close to the Thai border, at Trat. Needs to be looked for in that and neighbouring provinces.

[MrGee]

Sorry, only just seen the recent posts - no notification for some reason.

Anyway, it would be interesting to know where in Vietnam and which subspecies they found.

I am still excited about a first in Cambodia! :dance3:

[MrGee]

I have had another sighting (that makes three) so it is definitely here and not just a fluke.

http://www.rainbowlodgecambodia.com/butterflies/pics/Acerbas%20anthea%20pista%203.JPG

This time is was right here at Rainbow Lodge and in scrubby, secondary growth.