Help required from Samui!

[Painted Jezebel]

There are three photos I have which I can not identify for certain.

Photo 1 is Arhopala selta, as shown on the Samui 2012 thread, but it is shown again here to illustrate the difference from photo 2. Please note the location on the hindwing of the postdiscal spot in space 6. In A. selta, it reached the postdiscal spot in space 5, but in the second one, it does not. Is this just a standard variation, or a different species in the always difficult alea subgroup? (my feeling if it is a different sp. then it is probably A. aroa aroa or A. normani.)

Photo 3 is a continuation of my eternal, and still unfulfilled, quest to find a Telicota species on Samui. This was too large for a Potanthus, and yet does not look like Cephrenes aculle. The photo does not show enough to allow an identification to species level, I expect, but if I know I do have a Telicota here, I would now know where to look!

Photo 4, I can not decide whether it is a female Gerosis limax dirae, or a Gerosis phisara phisara. The mark at the end of the forewing cell suggests the former, and I know the hindwing white markings are more extensive in the female G. limax, but I have not seen any picture of the female to be sure it is this.

[Psyche]

1 & 2 should be A. selta.
In particular forewing spot 3 & 4 are very broad, & the termen is rounded.
A. aroa have spot 6 very narrow at the bottom; postdiscal band & submarginal band well apart on both wings(eg between spot 3 & submg band.)
A. normani have the 2 bands always very close on both wings; forewing termen mid-portion straight.

3. Telicota colon female.
C. acalle have very faint spots on the underside.
In both Cephrenes species the subapical spots are joined continuosly to the main band.
Note shape of spots 3, 4, & 5.

4. Gerosis limax.
Cell end streak. G. phisara have only a dot(C&P4 show one which is slightly aberrant- 2 dots on the right side.)

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank you very much, again.

I suspected the Gerosis sp. was as you said, and the Arhopala will save me a lot of needless chasing, as I can disregard the spot location in space 6!:)

It is great to know that I do have a Telicota here, which I always suspected, but could never find. Now to get a better shot!

[Psyche]

I actually wanted to take another scrutiny of the 'dwarf athada', but can't find the thread.
I have to concur that a midget athada is highly unlikely (though possible).

As for the Telicotas, it will be quite surprising if species like augias & besta are absent from KS.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

Would we have a complete population of 'dwarf' A. athadas? I must have seen at least 50 of them on that day, not a single proper sized one!

T. augias has been found on Koh Phan Ngan, but not here, yet. I am at a loss how I had not found a single Telicota species in 5 1/2 years here until last week. I always thought they should be here.

[Psyche]

Would we have a complete population of 'dwarf' A. athadas? I must have seen at least 50 of them on that day, not a single proper sized one!


I don't these two, which I am fairly confident are A. selta.

There was another thread in which I thought the pic matches A. athada well though you have stated it was small.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

I actually wanted to take another scrutiny of the 'dwarf athada', but can't find the thread.
I have to concur that a midget athada is highly unlikely (though possible).

TL Seow:cheers:

Found it at last. It is on post #36 of the Samui 2012 thread, on this forum.

[Psyche]

Thanks. Got the pic here.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=18602&d=1335599119

It still looks very much like A. athada but should be an alea sg. member.

Now with a better picture & understanding of the alea sg. members, it can be narrowed down.

Those with hair-brown underside are as below. (excludes A. aurelia & evansi which have a slatey or purple wash.)

3 with spot 6 wide at the top & noticeably narrower at bottom are:
A. sublustris, milleri, & aroa (also with rounded forewing.)

2 with the postdiscal & submarginal bands consistently very close on both wings are A. phanda & normani.

1 with rounded forewing & spot 6 widely overlapping the cellend bar, A. selta.(all examples of A. selta actually does not have spot 6 widely overlapping the cellend bar.)

This leaves the last one in which spot 6 hardly or barely overlaps the cellend bar,& forewing termen mid-portion straight, A. phaenops.
To compound the difficulty, its upperside looks identical to A. athada.


TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank you, but, sorry, I am a bit confused. Is it post 36 on the Samui 2012 thread, or no.2 on this thread that is A. phaenops or photo no. 2 on this one?

Also, do I need to forget about the relationship of space spot 6 to space spot 5 and only concentrate on the relationship of spot in space 6 to the end cell spot?

[Psyche]

Thank you, but, sorry, I am a bit confused. Is it post 36 on the Samui 2012 thread, or no.2 on this thread that is A. phaenops or photo no. 2 on this one?

Also, do I need to forget about the relationship of space spot 6 to space spot 5 and only concentrate on the relationship of spot in space 6 to the end cell spot?

The link to the pic is no. 4 from post 36 on the Samui 2012 thread .
I meant this pic. should be A. phaenops.

C&P4 key states the relationship of spot 6 with the cellend bar not spot 5 for separating selta from phaenops.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank you for the clarification. I suspected that was what it was, but was not absolutely sure.

The location where I found it is not where I have found A. selta in the past.