With much thanks, Antonio

[Painted Jezebel]

On Monday, I took a day off from Samui, I was getting fed up wi th the increasing number of species Antonio has found on my neighbouring Island of Koh Pha Nang.

Antonio was a wonderful host, taking me to several areas. The Island is certainly much less spoilt than Samui, which may explain some of his findings. I was hoping to see some of the ten currently on my file as missing on Samui, I failed. However, I managed to add to that number by at least 2!

1) A very surprising find, not a great model and very cropped but a new record, nevertheless. Simiskina pharyge deolina. My luck for rarities is still holding!:gbounce: This was a female specimen, as I have a very blurred shot of the totally brown upperdide.
2) What I think is Arhopala antimuta, which, if correct, would be the second new species for the Archipelago.
3) I think this is Pelopidas mathias, but the number of hindwing spots has me wondering.
4) Horrible shot, but if anyone can provide an ID, I would be most grateful, and very surprised!
5) At the time, I thought that this was Arhopala asinurus tonguva, which is common on Samui, and which I saw several on KP. However, there seems something not quite right, but I can not put my finger on it. Again, I am not holding my breath on this one!
6) This is A. asinurus tonguva for comparison.
7&8) A female of what I think is Arhopala atosia. Please correct me if I am wrong.


To add to my pleasure, I also saw two dragonflies new to Suratthani Province, and which I need to add to the paper I am co-writing on the photographic records of Dragonflies in Thailand. Antonio, can you give the address of the location where we saw these, or the name of the road will suffice?

Again, I want to express my deep appreciation to Antonio for a wonderful day. I will be back!!!!

[Silverstreak]

Looks like future KS trip will have to include time for an extension to visit KPN and Antonio!!:smile:

[Silverstreak]

Les ,

Congrates for the finds!

looks like you are searching for the Simiskina in the forum....

I had recently shot a male Simiskina pharyge deolina at Panti Forest but not posted becos I was not sure of its ID.

I managed an upper side shot. Unfortunately C&P4 does not have an upper side plate of the male , luckily it matches with Pisuth's Plate 239 L13 of the species, that confirms its identity.

Cheers!

[Angiud]

Thank you Les, for the nice words and thank you too for the great patience that you demonstrated with my inexperience and with my constant request of information :grin2:

I was also happy to meet you personally and expand my still small knowledge in this amazing field.

Not so much time left to select and post-produce the pictures. This are just the first:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6233178350_2e11154bec.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6233178350/)
The Small-branded Swift (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6233178350/)

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6234844960_4898ec8a89.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6234844960/)
The Wizard (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6234844960/)

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6239/6230606127_55f4725a87.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6230606127/)
The Common Hedge Blue (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6230606127/)

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6217/6230570987_562952b430.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6230570987/)
The Fluffy Tit (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6230570987/)

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6154/6236844755_062f28eab1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6236844755/)
The Tailed Disc Oakblue ? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6236844755/)

[Angiud]

Some more I need some help...

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6225/6236860627_6d8f313269.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6236860627/)
UnID Arhopala (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/6236860627/)

[moloch]

Looks like a fun and productive trip. Those Simiskina look to be beautiful lycaenids.


Again, I want to express my deep appreciation to Antonio for a wonderful day. I will be back!!!!
Did you try any of Antonio's culinary delights? I would imagine that the food would be worth the trip even without butterfly to photograph.

[atronox]

Could the unknown one be Arhopala aurelia? The markings seem to correspond to the fig. in C&P4.

[Glorious Begum]

Looks like future KS trip will have to include time for an extension to visit KPN and Antonio!!:smile:

Will definitely go during full moon. :bsmile:

[Psyche]

1) A very surprising find, not a great model and very cropped but a new record, nevertheless. Simiskina pharyge deolina. My luck for rarities is still holding!:gbounce: This was a female specimen, as I have a very blurred shot of the totally brown upperdide.
2) What I think is Arhopala antimuta, which, if correct, would be the second new species for the Archipelago.
3) I think this is Pelopidas mathias, but the number of hindwing spots has me wondering.
4) Horrible shot, but if anyone can provide an ID, I would be most grateful, and very surprised!
5) At the time, I thought that this was Arhopala asinurus tonguva, which is common on Samui, and which I saw several on KP. However, there seems something not quite right, but I can not put my finger on it. Again, I am not holding my breath on this one!
6) This is A. asinurus tonguva for comparison.
7&8) A female of what I think is Arhopala atosia. Please correct me if I am wrong.

2. It is A. antimuta. The spots on the hindwing tend to be narrow.
3. P. mathias. a fully spotted individual.
4. Aaron have a point. It could be A. aurelia. C&P4 pl. 41/32, but I think it is more likely to be A. agaba. C&P4 pl. 42/9.
The postdiscal bands on both wings are exceptionally dark & contrasted.
On the hindwing the postdiscal spot in space 7 & 6 and the cellend bar form a continuous band.
The hindwing lacks the tornal green patch.
7 & 8. I think it should be A. lurida. The underside is deeper & better contrasted than the light brown of A. atosia.; the postdiscal spot in space 6 is more broad than in typical atosia.; the atosia female have a slightly broader brown border on the hindwing, although this could be variable.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Psyche]

Found a valid pic of A. agaba. So 4 is not A. agaba.
http://www.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/ArhopalaAgabaMUpUnAC1.jpg/112px-ArhopalaAgabaMUpUnAC1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Arhopala_agaba&usg=__MOz-I86fAtABBGkjh0kgu_gEUZI=&h=120&w=112&sz=9&hl=en&start=1&zoom=1&tbnid=ZnQBSGthPrYz6M:&tbnh=88&tbnw=82&ei=kMSWTqmsF4bUrQfJhJj5Aw&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522Arhopala%2Bagaba%2522%26um%3D1%2 6hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1
The forewing band don't match and the postdiscal spot in space 5 is very close or touching the cellend as stated in the key; hindwing also with a slight green tornal patch.

5 is also not A. asinurus as the forewing band is exceptionally wide.
It looks like 4 & 5 are the same species.
Antonio/s post 5 Arhopala is A. asinurus.

TL Seow:cheers:

It looks like Aaron's suggestion of A. aurelia is pretty decent for 4.

[Psyche]

I have tried running no. 4 through the Arhopala key based on 2 assumptions namely that it is tailed and the tornal lobe is not large and projecting.

Note there is a costal spot in space 10 just above the cellend bar.

Key lines 1, 7, 8, 95, 100(tailed), 120, 124, 126, 127(without big tornal lobe), 128- A. aurelia.

A. aurelia is the only one in the alea subgroup with dark contrasty spots and slatey purple shading.
I am quite confident this is correct.
(If tailless line 97 instead of 100 it will lead to antimuta/inonarta.; if with large tornal lobe- line 146 instead of 127 it will lead to cleander. )

Aaron, looks like you are spot-on.

As for 5 the back half which is reddish brown is much abraded. Abrasion has also cause the forewing band to appear very wide.
It is possibly also A. aurelia as the general spots & bands look the same.

TL Seow:cheers:

Addendum. 5 is A. asinarus as the intact portion is not purple-washed and most importantly the hindwing postdiscal band is not dislocated at vein 2.
The forewing band can be rather broad as in the example on your website.
http://www.samuibutterflies.com/02_images/linkbuttons/butterflies/lycaenidae/arhopalaasinarustonguva.jpg

Sunny, S. pharyge is the only Simiskna with the metallic blue tornal mark on the hindwing underside.

[Psyche]

I have been trying to get a lead on the atosia/ lurida puzzle.
Here are examples of atosia from Malaya and Brunei.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ArhopalaAtosiaMalayanaMUpUnAC1.jpg
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=%22arhopala+atosia%22&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=488&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=UiwzYVhvbkhWaM:&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ArhopalaAtosiaAtosiaMFUpUnAC1.jpg&docid=Z1dgtfMoU9ymFM&itg=1&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/ArhopalaAtosiaAtosiaMFUpUnAC1.jpg&w=1800&h=957&ei=YTyYTsyhAo_KrAegpcGgBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=761&vpy=165&dur=2559&hovh=164&hovw=308&tx=129&ty=58&sig=110607905832302340608&page=1&tbnh=139&tbnw=232&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0

This is labelled as A. lurida.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ArhopalaLuridaMUpUnAC1.jpg
The forewing border is broader but Fleming shows an example of atosia with a similar forewing.
The disc appear more restricted but is too broad for lurida.
The underside is very poorly contrasted as in atosia.See C&P4 pl 39/28.
This is just an A. atosia variant.

I am quite satisfied 7-8 is A. lurida.

[Painted Jezebel]

Now I am back in contact, can I say thank you for your hard work in identifying these species, two of which I thought were highly unlikely to be Id'd.

It now appears that I found 3 species yet to be found on Samui. The Arhopala aurelia being the third. UPDATE - Oops! Just realised I had A. aurelia as previously identified by Seow, hiding away in my A. selta file, but for some reason, I had not moved it:embrass: . I hate the alea subgroup!

This makes 12 so far on KP but not Samui. This is getting ridiculous!!!!!:grin2:

I am seriously considering changing my website to include the KP species, and to have it as a showcase for the entire Archipelago. Another monsoon season job, I think.