Khao Sok National Park -Thailand 2013

[Angiud]

Just a fast one-day trip at Khao Sok, because of a call I've received from a friend, hotel owner, instructed by me to call if a Rafflesia would bloom.

For me now is high season time and sadly I cannot move from my island (I cannot join Nelson in Krabi too, aarrgghh) but I've made an exception to try to photograph for my first time the rare and elusive Rafflesi kerrii. I think everybody know the natural history of this wonderful and unusual flower, otherwise a useful wikilink (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafflesia).

But before a very few species I got on the way (a +2 for me)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8403397991_3a6ccfe821_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8403397991/)
The Eyed Cyclops - Erites argentina delia (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8403397991/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8471/8403614987_e4a41bf110_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8403614987/)
The Dark Yellow-banded Flat - Celaenorrhinus aurovittatus cameroni (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8403614987/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8476/8404735526_76d09a2a53_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8404735526/)
The Yellow Flat - Mooreana trichoneura trichoneura (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8404735526/)

and a not so common skipper

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8353/8404787035_71caff17dc_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8404787035/)
The Yellow-band Palmer - Lotongus avesta (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8404787035/)

[Angiud]

Here we go with his majesty the flower:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8472/8404398887_3a17bf04f1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8404398887/)
Rafflesia kerri (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8404398887/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8336/8405482476_d10dbe6f89_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8405482476/)
Rafflesia kerri (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8405482476/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8374/8404777471_b6bb1233fc_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8404777471/)
Rafflesia kerri - 2 small buds on a vine root (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8404777471/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8044/8405849492_eab76d7eed_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8405849492/)
Rafflesia kerri - A bud almost ready to bloom (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8405849492/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8405832310_73128d0827_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8405832310/)
Rafflesia kerri- Detail of the flower (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8405832310/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8405858902_4f5dae373d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8405858902/)
Rafflesia kerri - Another detail of the unusual flower (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8405858902/)

Just to say almost 2 km of step climb, sometimes with ropes, not so easy for my age and my (over) weight :sweat:

But a flower in full blooming and almost 50/60 buds. A wonderful site!

[butterfly_effect]

Wow you shot the yellow flat there as well.

Great shots! That Rafflesia looks much bigger than the one (and also seems different) from the one I saw at Gopeng many years ago.

[Painted Jezebel]

Congrats on the Rafflesia. I take it you took the ladder off the road up to the Rafflesia trail. I will give that one a miss, too steep in my frail condition!:grin2: Your hard work in constantly asking to be contacted about the plant paid off. Well done!

Even more so, wonderful to see a Lotongus avesta, never seen it before, and nice to know it is in the area.

[bluefin]

Congrats on your pluses, Antonio.:cheers:

[Bluebottle]

Nice shots , Antonio :cheers:
It is a Yellow Flat session !

[WillFolsom]

Antonio: Quite an experience. All those hungry tourists will keep you busy during the off-season. So keep working hard so we can see your photos later in the year. Gracie. William

[Angiud]

Resurrect an old thread for a new, short visit a Khao Sok. The weather was not at its best and the forest soaked and not so busy.
Anyway got a few + :cheers:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5480/9706950068_6389ce6287_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9706950068/)
The Malay Dartlet - Oriens paragola (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9706950068/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2828/9708975832_e057a39caa_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9708975832/)
Unidentified Skipper (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9708975832/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5537/9715170096_84d2428604_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9715170096/)
Halpe sp. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9715170096/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2828/9711934765_bcb663dc93_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9711934765/)
The Grass Bob - Suada swerga (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9711934765/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5444/9711933563_01c7aa9be5_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9711933563/)
The Tailed Yellow Owl - Neorina crishna archaica (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9711933563/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5345/9705742315_b56ce67707_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9705742315/)
The Banded Swallowtail - Papilio demolion demolion (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9705742315/)

[Angiud]

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5545/9705745201_cc16501fdb_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9705745201/)
2 Banded Swallowtails puddling (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9705745201/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7308/9706497107_9ef966a58c_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9706497107/)
The Black and White Helen - Papilio nephelus annulus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9706497107/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7406/9709729178_3c469a7f6e_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9709729178/)
The Pointed Palmfly - Elymnias penanga (chelensis?) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9709729178/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7293/9709736774_eca8156f3d_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9709736774/)
Great Duffer and Tailed Yellow Owl (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9709736774/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5536/9709733516_e4eb60b7bc_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9709733516/)
The Great Duffer - Discophora timora perakensis (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9709733516/)

[Angiud]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7458/9714849956_59067dd043_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9714849956/)
The Cyclops Bushbrown - Mycalesis mnasicles perna (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9714849956/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7336/9711614231_e931a58e51_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9711614231/)
The Dark Evening Brown - Melanitis phedima abdullae ?? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9711614231/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3817/9711611441_504dbb44bb_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9711611441/)
The Intricate Jester - Symbrenthia hypatia chersonesia (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9711611441/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2888/9714843330_cc0214b878_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9714843330/)
The White-banded Oakblue - Arhopala ijaensis (?) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9714843330/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5336/9715056966_f605bc362c_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9715056966/)
The Pointed Ciliate Blue - Anthene lycaenina miya (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9715056966/)

[Painted Jezebel]

Nice to see you are back. Sorry about the weather, but if it is any consolation, it has not been much better here!

Love the Jester shot.:thumbsup::thumbsup: So much better than what I managed at Krung Ching.

I have a doubt about the Discophora species. I think it might be D. necho engamon (Blue Duffer), the submarginal area of the forewing looks blueish to me.

[Angiud]

I have the same doubts about the Duffer, they look very similar to me.

[Psyche]

It looks like it is correctly D. timora.

D. necho have larger spots the upper one without the half-moon inner margin seen in D. timora.

LC's D. necho
http://m2.i.pbase.com/g1/25/686825/2/129248152.zdSOHk8d.jpg

D. timora.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/ama/50470001.html

TL Seow:cheers:

[Angiud]

Thank you Dr. Seow!

Any input on the 2 Hesperiidae?



Here the last pictures:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7356/9722020902_2e5c56f2b4_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9722020902/)
The Yellow Archduke - Lexias canescens pardalina (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9722020902/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7357/9718795135_fa7a66a791_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9718795135/)
The Dark Posy - Drupadia theda thesmia (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9718795135/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5536/9718798257_ae47482c50_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9718798257/)
Koruthaialos sindu female (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9718798257/) ID by Psyche

[Psyche]

Post 8.

Sipper 1.
Salanoemia fuscicornis.
The arrangement of the spots matched that of this species although spot 3 is shorter. The 2 subapical one big ,one small is also typical.
Note the antennal club is black contrasting with the shaft. Fuscicornis = dark 'horns' .

Skipper 2.
Halpe arcuata.
The underside HW is almost unicolorous. H. veluvana is more ochreous & strongly marked.


TL Seow:cheers:

[Angiud]

A underside shot of the Salanoemia fuscicornis, just to be sure:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/9729531912_667dc9e6ab_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9729531912/)
Salanoemia fuscicornis (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/9729531912/)

[Psyche]

The underside raised more confusion than confirmation.
The strong backlight & the wear have rendered the HW wing featureless.

However a recheck still show no other match.

The long antenna with a long gradual club is typical of the Plastingia group which Salanoenia belongs.

No match for Halpe. Antenna shorter with a thick club, often orange-tipped or marked with white.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4126/5089090221_f205dbe78d_z.jpg

All Isma species except three, namely I. iapis. protoclea. & cronus have a spot in FW space 1b in both sexes.
I. cronus have no cell spots.
I. iapis & protoclea have a pale patch on the shorter antennal club.
http://m0.i.pbase.com/g1/25/686825/2/132544830.i0h0eBka.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/lcgoh/image/132544829/original.jpg

No match also for Zographetus, Ge geta female, etc.

No valid image of S fuscicornis on the web.

TL Seow:cheers:
PS post 14. Karuthaialos sindu female. Palpi 3rd segment stubby ( long in rubecula female).
A 2nd larger spp K. frena (possible in Thailand) broader orange band , upper outer margin do not dipped in.

[Angiud]

Thank you Dr. Seow for the exhaustive explanation :cheers:

[Angiud]

Only one day, the 14th December, the forest is still not so rich of insects. But I managed to find something:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2840/11393755634_5903b15c4a_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11393755634/)
The Southern Nawab - Polyurahebe chersonesus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11393755634/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7365/11393911735_bfbfb8a10c_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11393911735/)
The White-banded Oakblue - Arhopala ijaensis, upperside (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11393911735/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8503/8266772202_361e1107db_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8266772202/)
The White-banded Oakblue - Arhopala ijaensis, an old shot, just to remember the beautiful species (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8266772202/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3826/11411208074_ee7924a7f1_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411208074/)
A fresh Straight-banded Fivering - Ypthima fasciata torone (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411208074/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2866/11411270524_5195bd523f_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411270524/)
The Common Red Forester - Lethe mekara gopaka (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411270524/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/11411349425_3e93493536_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411349425/)
The White Imperial - Neomyrina nivea hiemalis (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411349425/) - Just a record shot, heavily cropped, never come down from the canopy :(

[Angiud]

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5486/11413044734_a37fe8aef3_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11413044734/)
Unidentified Skipper (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11413044734/) - Help appreciated by a lazy photographer

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5515/11411724753_d5a58ae0f4_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411724753/)
The Angle Cyclops - Erites angularis angularis (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411724753/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5550/11411361876_4b27268fd1_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411361876/)
The Royal Assyrian - Terinos terpander (robersia or intermedia?) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411361876/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/11411493005_7c1b7f7010_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411493005/)
The Rounded Sunbeam - Curetis sperthis sperthis (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11411493005/) - Absolutely not sure about this ID

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3745/11413036816_3baee0112a_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11413036816/)
The Larger Harlequin - Taxila haquinus haquinus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/11413036816/)

[Psyche]

Post 20.

Skipper should be Caltoris cahira male.
FW prominent upper cellspot indicating 2 cell spots present.
HW dark chocolate ,without red or purple tint.

Curetis sperthis is right.
Ground black dotted; FW band parallel to termen (outer margin).

TL Seow :Cheers.

[moloch]

Gorgeous photos, Antonio. I really enjoyed these.

Regards,
David

[Banded Yeoman]

White Imperial!! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

I really liked the arhopala shots.
You must be very lucky to have gotten that gorgeous upperside!! :cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

Only a single photo from a recent day trip to this park, so not worth a new thread.

This should be the upperside of either Curetis regula or C. tagalica jopa (black striped legs). I do not know if there is sufficient of the underside to determine. I know Antonio took the underside of this specimen, but, knowing his exacting standards, I do not know if he kept it or not!

[Angiud]

Voila':

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/13528898563_143c2166da_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/mBv9cM)

[Psyche]

Post 24 & 25.

Same male , right FW with a narrow tear.
It is C. tagalica jopa.
The HW black border is quite broad. In C. regula it is reduced to a narrower width.
The underside band is also more irregular.

TL Seow:Cheers.