ID of an Arhopala

[horace2264]

A NUS research associate shot this in the Central Catchement Area and asked me to help with the ID.

Dr Seow, any idea or suggestion on its ID? :)

[Psyche]

This is an interesting one.

Key line 1, 7, 8, 95, 100, 120, 124, 126,
All very straight forward here.
Now the difficult part.
Line 127 (without projecting tornal lobe) or 146 ( with projecting tornal lobe)

If you trace the inner(dorsal) margin of the hindwing upwards, it goes round the tornal lobe, & continues along the dark brown line to the tail.
The dark brown line marks the margin of the hindwing & above(or to the outside)the whitish area is the cilia.
It becomes obvious that the tornal lobe is quite prominent & projecting.
(It is not two lobes combined. The corner of the opposite hindwing where the lobe is can also be seen.)

So we follow line 146 to line 147 - which is Arhopala cleander.
It looks like a perfect match.
I know A. cleander has not been recorded in Singapore.
Previous records were misID'ed A. athada.
(Correction: A. athada were misID'ed as A. zambra not A. cleander.)

It will be great to have a male upperside for confirmation.

TL Seow:cheers:

[horace2264]

Many thanks, Les and Dr Seow for the ID assistance. :)

It would be great to confirm this as a +1 to the Singapore's checklist with further work on the adult specimens and documentation of its early stages. :thinking:
For a start, I would have to check with the NUS research associate on the location of the shot.

[Psyche]

With a better understanding of the Arhopalas I am taking a 2nd look of this pic.
It has always been a headache to decide between the alea & cleander subgroups in the Cleander Group of Arhopala.

The cleander sg. members are large & have a prominent tornal lobe, while the alea sg members are smaller without a prominent lobe.

Most observers are unable to corelate size unless they have seen Arhopala frequently.
It also seems impossible to decide if a tornal lobe is projecting or not in a pic.

The better guide is to look at the position of the submarginal band and the postdiscal band in space 3 & 4 on the hindwing.
In the cleander subgroup they are always well apart.
In the alea subgroup they are usually close together.

In this pic, the two bands(series of spots) are practically touching indicating it is an alea sg member.
Spot 6 is wide at the top & much narrower at the bottom ruling out A. phanda & A. normani.

It is thus either A. sublustris or milleri.
ID in the key of these two is based on the upperside.

In looking through 2 pics of A. sublustris & 2 of A. milleri (C&P4 & Fleming) the only constant difference is that the uppermost costal spot 9 of the forewing postdiscal band is in line in milleri & shifted inwards in sublustris.

Here spot 9 is not shifted in suggesting it is the much rarer A. milleri, that is if this observation is correct.

TL Seow:cheers:

[horace2264]

I have been seeing this UFO Arhopala species these few days in the same area of the Central Catchment where the pic shown in post #1 was taken.
Today, I managed to run into one which was rather tame (see pic).

Hopefully we will now be able to confirm its ID.

Dr Seow, this specimen has the size of an A. major or a bit smaller, definitely smaller than a typical A. athada.

[Psyche]

I have been seeing this UFO Arhopala species these few days in the same area of the Central Catchment where the pic shown in post #1 was taken.
Today, I managed to run into one which was rather tame (see pic).

Hopefully we will now be able to confirm its ID.

Dr Seow, this specimen has the size of an A. major or a bit smaller, definitely smaller than a typical A. athada.


This one is more typically A. sublustris.
Note on the FW spot 9 on the costa is shifted slightly inwards.
On the HW, spot 6 is not near spot 5, ie the gap between spot 5 & cellend bar is wider(variable trait); postdiscal spots & submarginal spots are typically close.

Compare Fleming' plate 92, L211A milleri with the post 1 pic on FW spot 9 & HW spot 5-cellend gap.

Likewise, compare Fleming's Plate 65, L211B sublustris with this pic.

TL Seow:cheers:

[horace2264]

This one is more typically A. sublustris.
Note on the FW spot 9 on the costa is shifted slightly inwards.
On the HW, spot 6 is not near spot 5, ie the gap between spot 5 & cellend bar is wider(variable trait); postdiscal spots & submarginal spots are typically close.

Compare Fleming' plate 92, L211A milleri with the post 1 pic on FW spot 9 & HW spot 5-cellend gap.

Likewise, compare Fleming's Plate 65, L211B sublustris with this pic.

TL Seow:cheers:
Thanks, Dr Seow for the ID. :) I will need to consult the libray's copy of the Fleming's book to check on the features mentioned.
In time to come, Khew will have the set specimen for us to view the upperside as well. :)

[Psyche]

Thanks, Dr Seow for the ID. :) I will need to consult the libray's copy of the Fleming's book to check on the features mentioned.
In time to come, Khew will have the set specimen for us to view the upperside as well. :)

You can also compare the position of FW spot 9 & HW spot 6 with C&P4's Plate 67, no 10 sublustris & no. 11 milleri.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Commander]

Thanks, Dr Seow for the ID. :) I will need to consult the libray's copy of the Fleming's book to check on the features mentioned.
In time to come, Khew will have the set specimen for us to view the upperside as well. :)

Interesting upperside. This is a male. Thin margins and dark purple blue.

[horace2264]

You can also compare the position of FW spot 9 & HW spot 6 with C&P4's Plate 67, no 10 sublustris & no. 11 milleri.

TL Seow:cheers:
Thanks, Dr Seow for the pointer. :) Do look more like A. sublutris than A. milleri.


Interesting upperside. This is a male. Thin margins and dark purple blue.
Thanks, Khew for the upperside info which confirms that it is a male. :)

[horace2264]

Khew,
This specimen (pictured in post #5) was identified by Dr Seow as Arhopala sublustris, and it has the same markings as those Arhopala we saw in BTNR.
As you can see from post #7 and #9, you already have it in your voucher collection. May be you can take some pictures of this mounted specimen for closer scrutiny.