Kaeng Krachan NP, Thailand -3

[Yano]

I really enjoyed the photos of the 5 BC members who visited Kaeng Krachan NP in early March.
Many thanks for shoring the photos many were of species I haven't seen yet.
And thanks Seow for the IDs which provid precious knowledge for understanding the butterflies there.
I would like to add some photos I managed to take on March 16 and 30 at the same location.
1) Ethope diademoides hislopi
2) Lethe chandica
3) Papilio paradoxa
4) Amathusia sp.
5) Euthalia teuta goodrichi (female)
6) Loxura atymnas
7) Graphium agetes
8) Polyura delphis and Neorina crishna

It is getting very hot now in Thailand.
Fed, it seems June is still a good time to visit Keang Krachan.

Yano

[Painted Jezebel]

Nice to see some species we, not surprisingly, missed, thank you. I am delighted, even if a bit suprised, that we have managed to get some species you had not seen yet. Gives you more reasons, if you needed any, for continuing your visits to this wonderful area.

Your photo of the female Euthalia teuta raises some questions in my mind as to whether we have the right subspecies in our second thread after our visit. To my mind, it looks much lighter than the females I know of E. teuta gupta, and appears more like the female E. teuta rayana.

Seow what do you think? Yutaka shows a large gap around Petchaburi (Kaeng Krachan) in the ranges of the 4 subspecies found in Thailand.

If I am right, Antonio, you may want to change photo A02 in post one on the second thread.

[Psyche]

The female looks like ssp goodrichi than ssp rayana.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lim2/721440020.html

In ssp rayana the whitish FW potdiscal area is almost macular (spots-like) & the HW discal spots continue strongly downwards.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lim2/721440030.html

Ssp. rayana type location Langkawi, Gunung Raya(Mt. Raya). There is a mixed population in the south of Thailand.

Yano, It looks like you have found a new species for Thailand.
The Amathusia is A. perakana.

This species is identifiable by the HW subdiscal pale brown band (Just to the inside of the broad dark brown discal band) with a detached 'head' at the upper end.
The band itself may be narrow & dissected or broader (as here), but the upper end is an isolated spot.

TL Seow:cheers:
PS Les' pic of A. perakana from Fraser's Hill.
http://www.samuibutterflies.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/IMG_4148.jpg

[Painted Jezebel]

Re E. teuta, yes, points taken.

I agree with Seow about the Amathusia perakana. Congratulations. Whenever you see an Amathusia species in the forest, it is always worthwhile trying to get a photo. The two species I have found on my travels, A. ochraceofusca and A. perakana were only found not to be the common A. phidippus when I got home!

Seow will correct me if I am wrong, but with the exception of A. phidippus, all species of this genus are purely forest species. Familiarity with the coconut loving A. phidippus tends to lead to complacency when seeing this genus in the wild, and missing opportunities.

PS- Well done on the rarely captured upperside of the Ethope diademoides (White Diadem). I am having a bit of trouble deciding which ssp. it is. Geographically, it should probably be the nominate ssp. but the difference between the two ssp. is the size of the hindwing postdiscal spots, and yours appear smaller to me, and suggests E. diademoides hislopi, but that may just be perspective.

[Psyche]

It is Ethope diademoides hislopi.
There is a noticeable black gap between the submarginal dots & the postdiscal spots on the HW.
In the nominate ssp, this gap is obliterated.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Yano]

Wow!! Many thanks Seow for the IDs.
I have revised accordingly.

Les, Yes certainly I have many reasons to keep visiting Kaeng Krachan.

Yano

[Painted Jezebel]

It is Ethope diademoides hislopi.
There is a noticeable black gap between the submarginal dots & the postdiscal spots on the HW.
In the nominate ssp, this gap is obliterated.

TL Seow:cheers:

But Yutaka and Pinratana both show the nominate ssp. with this gap!

[Psyche]

But Yutaka and Pinratana both show the nominate ssp. with this gap!

Not so.
In ssp hislopi the HW postdiscl & submarginal spots are separated by a black space in space 2 & 3, ie. the postdiscal spots are smaller.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/sat/40540010.html

In ssp. diademoides the postdiscal & submarginal spots are close with hardly any space between them, ie. the postdiscal spots are large.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/sat/40540001.html

TL Seow:cheers:

[Peacock Royal]

Yano, Congrats for recording a new species - A. peranaka for Thailand.:gbounce: - So difficult to distinguish the subtle difference between our local and this species.
So June is still a good time. :gbounce:
But I am undecided yet as I understand that Kaeng Krachan is really far and out of the way from Bangkok.

[Painted Jezebel]

Not so.
In ssp hislopi the HW postdiscl & submarginal spots are separated by a black space in space 2 & 3, ie. the postdiscal spots are smaller.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/sat/40540010.html

In ssp. diademoides the postdiscal & submarginal spots are close with hardly any space between them, ie. the postdiscal spots are large.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/sat/40540001.html

TL Seow:cheers:


Thank you. I see what you mean. There is a gap in both, but smaller in ssp. diademoides than in hislopi. The word 'obliterated' got me confused, but that is not difficult these days!:)

[Psyche]

I think the ID for the Amathusia as A. perakana can only be tentative.

Although A. perakana is the only Amathusia here with a detached 'head' on the inner discal band of the HW, the general appearance is not quite right.
The inner discal band itself is not narrow & strongly notched.
The FW potdiscal band is broad (ie broader than the discal band; narrow & curved in perakana).
The outer area is more evenly shaded brown. (usually seen in dark forms especially of A. friderici. )

The general appearance is rather like A. friderici.
The detached 'head' may be an aberration.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Yano]

Many thanks Seow,
I also learned from my friend who shot multiple Amathusia individuals at Kaeng Krachan on the same day that the other individuals look like A. phidippus. So I will put the ID on hold for further consideration.
Yano

[Psyche]

I did a thorough check on A. phidippus & I don't think it is this species.

In A. phidippus the same pale inner discal band is usually wider than the dark band inner to it.
It is flared at the upper end like a flame torch or trumpet, none shows a detached head.
Here are examples of A. phidippus from Thailand.

Thailand unknown locale.
http://agkc.lib.ku.ac.th/pra/pest/pics/PT0230-03.jpg

Phuket.
http://sojournerphoto.smugmug.com/Thailand-Laos-Burma/Thailand-Butterflies/i-Zwr3XbT/0/L/Palmking%20(Amathusia%20phidippus%20phidippus)-L.jpg

Nakorn Nayok.
http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo89279.htm

Ko Phangan.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6139/6034505419_31f7800b5a_z.jpg


However, it can be very difficult to separate phidippus from friderici.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Psyche]

Both A. schoenbergi & A. ochraceofusca are easily discounted because of the indented & irregular margin of the FW median(discal) band.

A. masina has broad discal & postdiscal bands of a rich reddish brown colour.
Even if the colour is wrong, the male has an oval mark on HW space 7 at the 2nd band from base ( none here).
The female has a broad orange band to the costa margin (which can just be seen to be dark brown.)
Male
http://pds.exblog.jp/pds/1/201205/05/96/d0098296_21342975.jpg
Female
http://imds.doa.go.th/upload_file/00023Amathusia-masina-malay.jpg

A. binghami is a possibility in Thailand.
FW median band reddish & broad (usually wider than the postdiscal band); HW inner discal band distinctly notched, with a rounded 'head'.
http://reocities.com/rainforest/vines/8983/photography/amathusia.jpg


A. friderici is similar to A. phidippus, but inner discal band usually not wider than the dark band to the inside, usually notched, ' head' not unduly flared; outer area often dark-shaded.
These two should be correct.
http://paro6.dnp.go.th/paro6_royal_project/Web%20Butterflies%20%20hara%20Bala/Butterflies%20pages/Picture/Amathusii/Malay%20palmking.jpg
http://siamensis.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/webboard_preview/bu_ksm55.jpg

TL Seow:cheers:
PS. Here is one in which the 'head of the inner discal band is almost detached, the 3rd pic with better profile shows it best.
It has been ID'ed as A. phidippus, which I feel its incorrect.
The typical phidippus from Malaya to Thailand have this band not notched by the veins with a flared upper end usually.
This may be why there are 'no' friderici on the web.

Most likely A. friderici which also probably the suspect Amathusia in question.
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/10894155

Typical phidippus from Singapore.
http://wanderingbutterflyeffect.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/6a0100a801ee89000e0123dde7731b860b.jpg

PS2. Some of the links seem to be messed up.

[Glorious Begum]

Nice meeting you too Yano. Thanks so much for the info that you have provided about the butt sites in the park. Hope to meet up with you again one day for butterflying.

[Yano]

Dear Seow, Many thanks for the thorough research. I agree this does not look like A. phidippus. I will look for more samples and if successful would post them. I just attach the other side of the same individual.
Dear LC, It was a pleaasure seeing you and the lovely photos posted by you.
Yes, hope to see you again in the field.
Yano

[Peacock Royal]

I think the 4th and the 5th white strips (counting from the base) on the FW look a bit different to me (closer to each other) and they seem to be connected along the costal margin - these are not shown in A. phidippus. Just my 2-cent worth of observation.

[Psyche]

I think the 4th and the 5th white strips (counting from the base) on the FW look a bit different to me (closer to each other) and they seem to be connected along the costal margin - these are not shown in A. phidippus. Just my 2-cent worth of observation.


You do have a point there Federick. Not sure how relevant it is at the moment.

Yano, this side looks even more like it is A. perakana , the inner discal band with its small 'head'.

If there are other samples showing the same consistent features, especially the small 'head' then it is likely to be a new subspecies of A. perakana.

TL Seow:cheers:
PS. Witnout A. friderici & binghami in Borneo this pic by J. Johansson from Sabah is virtually certain to be A. perakana.
(2nd pic by A. steiner from Taman Negara is A. ochraceofusca.)
http://www.globaltwitcher.com/gt2/artspec.asp?thingid=125922#!prettyPhoto

[Yano]

The below blog of my Japanese friend shows 2 Amathisia taken in the same plase same date as mine. The second one is the same individual as I have uploaded.
The firstrather battered individual looks like A. phidippus to me.

http://naturingthailand.blog89.fc2.com/blog-date-20130415.html

I visited again Kaeng Krachan on April 20 and shot the attached Amathusia.
This time the inner discal band had a phidippus size head.
Seow, What do you think?
The small detached head on the inner discal band might have been an aberration?:-(.

Changing the subject, I would like to share the Common Mime, taken on 20 April, which is quite different from the ones we see in Singapore.

Yano

[Painted Jezebel]

Yano, your Common Mime is actually the rarer dark female form of the Lesser Zebra (Graphium macareus indochinensis f. astyna).

The two specimens shown in the blog appear to be different species. I am pretty certain that the second, undamaged specimen is A. perakana, with the dislocated head. The damaged one looks, to me, like a typical A. phidippus, but I have no doubt Seow will correct me if I am wrong:grin2:.

[Psyche]

These are certainly a set of interesting photos.

Your 2nd pic. looks like A. phidippus, though I am never quite happy if the head of the HW inner band is rounded.
Typical phidippus has the margins of the band extend widely to the upper(costal) margin. ie. wihtout rounding into an upper head.

The pix in the blog.

I. This is a female & looks lke A. phidippus, again with a rounded head.
The upperside markings are very sharply contrasted & clear, which is not the case for typical phidippus female.
So, there is a suggestion it could be A. friderici female, but I would leave it as phidippus.

Typical female phidippus. (markings should be much yellower.)
http://rokan.org/images/Nymp_mayangkurambie_amathusia%20phidippus.jpg

2.The 2nd with the detached head on the inner pale band is a male. (Correction: could be female, but orange colour suggest male.)
The upperside shows a more extensive dark orange apical area than the male of phidippus.
It does match the upperside of A. perakana, but note the male of the typical form of friderici also has dark orange.
It could be A. perakana, but could it also be A. friderici with the inner band's head detached?

A. phidippus male showing the poor apical markings.
http://www.geocities.ws/ayam_hugeng/Amathusia_phidippus_phidippus.jpg

TL Seow:cheers: