Khao Luang National Park-TH - Krung Ching Waterfall

[Angiud]

2-4 April 2013

To honor this forum and the many friends who participate a picture made this morning that remember the logo of Butterfly Circle:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8256/8619507022_ff12c70f18_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8619507022/)
The Tree Nymph - Idea lynceus lynceus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8619507022/)
Canon 6D - Sigma 150/2.8 OS - ISO 3200 1/4000 f6.3

The information of the area and the many interesting finding from tomorrow... :grin2:

[Great Mormon]

Great timing and capture Antonio!

[Peacock Royal]

Yes, a great shot.
I have tried before but failed.

[Grass Demon]

Antonio

Am I correct to say that the picture shows the upperside (top down) of the Idea?

[Angiud]

No Steven, is the underside. :)

[Angiud]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8120/8620127941_9a2c15c5fa_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620127941/)
Krung Ching Waterfall (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620127941/)

Map: http://maps.google.it/maps?hl=it&tab=wl

Krung Ching Waterfall is located in the North-East part of the large Khao Luang National Park (570 sq. Km), culminating with the Khao Luang mountain at 1,835 mt.
Basically we trek along the 4 km well maintained path following the forested bed of a stream until the magnificent waterfall.

The National Park has very basic facilities, but enough for a small group. No telephone connection or internet, no restaurant, only a small shop with basic supplies.

[Grass Demon]

Thanks, it's a great shot.

[Angiud]

In date order:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8262/8619981793_ca6065bed3_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8619981793/)
The Plush, male - Sithon nedymond nedymond(เพศผู้) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8619981793/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8123/8621179182_f65910d664_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621179182/)
The Magnificent Oakblue - Arhopala anthelus grahami (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621179182/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8620106253_d44e7192f3_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620106253/)
The Common Wight - Iton semamora semamora (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620106253/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8264/8620171079_b7096dceb8_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620171079/)
The Branded Orange Awlet - Burara oedipodea oedipodea (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620171079/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8620243463_52d5c4b019_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620243463/)
The Blue Yam - Drina maneia (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620243463/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8538/8620272087_de0d076504_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620272087/)
The Dark Bushblue - Arhopala ammonides ammonides (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620272087/)

[Cruiser]

thanks for shairng, always enjoy seeing different species outside S'pore.

[Painted Jezebel]

Not sure about the ssp. for Arhopala anthelus. I had the specimen I photgraphed at the next door park of Si Kiet as ssp. anthea. The two parks are connected and, I would have thought have the same ssp. Interesting to note the small aberration with two spots in space 7 of the hindwing merged together.

Also, not sure about the ssp. for the Plush. When you show the female, it may give more clues, but I think we may have taken Sithon nedymond ismarus.

A couple of mine from the first day (I'll leave the tailless Arhopala for later, once I've sorted out how many I have!).

1) Cynitia flora andersonii - male (Blue Count)
2) Symbrenthia hypatia chersonesia (Intricate Jester)

[Psyche]

From Yutaka's map it can only be S. nedymond ismarus.
The only consistent difference is that ssp nedymond has the HW black bar thicker, often with a silvery centre.
http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1360/5135452315_b76f12a00f_z.jpg

The A. anthelus is ssp grahami with its strong contrast & HW white-lined postdiscal & cellend spots.
This meant the 2 subspecies are close together.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Bluebottle]

Beautiful in flight shot!

[bluefin]

Another interesting set of pictures from you Antonio.
I especially like the Idea lynceus lynceus & Sithon nedymond nedymond.

[WillFolsom]

Great fun! I appreciate the environmental shots as well as some pretty spectacular butterfly shots. William

[Angiud]

Thank you Anthony, Federick, Steven, Ben, Nelson, Seow, Jonathan and William for the help and the nice words:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8621689488_da72fc82e5_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621689488/)
The Purple Duke (The Elegant Emperor) - Eulaceura osteria kumana (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621689488/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8397/8621705374_ed42a05af6_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621705374/)
The Common Bluejohn - Derama livens evansi (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621705374/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8258/8621716214_49c82ddf5b_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621716214/)
The Malayan Bushblue - Arhopala ammon ammon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621716214/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8381/8622478769_209505d690_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622478769/)
UnID Flitter (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622478769/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8622483173_bb51969fc9_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622483173/)
The Plain Yellow Lancer - Xanthoneura corissa indrasana (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622483173/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8622506711_0fc2179167_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622506711/)
Royal Assyrians mating - Terinos terpander intermedia (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622506711/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8107/8622528811_eb922154ca_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622528811/)
The Purple Bushbrown - Mycalesis orseis nautilus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622528811/)

[Painted Jezebel]

Lets get rid of the pesky Arhopala! The area was an Arhopala hotbed!

1) One of the Green Arhopalas. Never seen them before and I am confused as whether it is A. horsfieldi eurysthenes or A. eumolphus maxwelli.
2) Could this possibly be A. paralea, or is it just a worn member of the horrible alea sub-group?
3) I think it may be A. zambra zambra, but I am not certain.
4) The largest of three tailless species we found.
5) A medium sized tailless species.

The small A. antimuta was also seen.

[Angiud]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8241/8623741788_c059b1a601_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8623741788/)
Faunus gracilis? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8623741788/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8622665445_e7a12236e6_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622665445/)
The Plush, female - Sithon nedymond nedymond(เพศเมีย) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622665445/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8405/8622671551_cf349c3435_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622671551/)
The Branded Imperial - Eooxylides tharis distanti (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622671551/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8381/8622639113_acd2ec3a7f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622639113/)
The Yellow-bodied Clubtail - Losaria neptunus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622639113/)

[Angiud]

And then the hard Arhopalas:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8118/8620071853_c55e31e677_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620071853/)
01 The Pale Yellow Oakblue - Arhopala moolaiana (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620071853/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8394/8621191994_e38790d1e1_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621191994/)
02 The Lankawi Yellow Oakblue - Arhopala norda norda (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621191994/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8262/8621218768_24cc59b077_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621218768/)
03 The Zambra Oakblue - Arhopala zambra zambra (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8621218768/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8524/8620260115_b6f8a26dd3_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620260115/)
04 The Lankawi Yellow Oakblue - Arhopala norda norda (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8620260115/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8396/8622638287_22bfa9fb37_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622638287/)
05 The Broad Yellow Oakblue - Arhopala amphimuta (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8622638287/)

[MinuteMaid]

Omg that club tail is divine. Difficult sp to shoot.

[Psyche]

Post 15.
The Flitter looks to be correctly Zographetus ogygia.

Post 16.

1. Most likely Arhopala horsfieldi.
Only difference I can find is the green metalmark in eumolphus is a longer taper & diffuse.
In horsfieldi it tends to be concentrated in space 1b & reduced in space 2. Also tear in FW is deep enough to show some green if eumolphus.

2. Key out as alea subgroup member. Note convex FW termen only 2 A. selta & Aroa have this.
Likely A. selta. A. aroa have narrow markings & spot 6 triangular.

3. Likely Arhopala zambra. It is either zambra or cleander. A. cleander have spot 10 outer to cellend bar & intact PD band.
A. zambra normally have spot 10 aligned to cellend bar & same width; bar here curved & abnormal.

4 & 5. Both appeared to be A. moolaiana. Note tornal white dot & tooth at vein 2. Either A. moolaiana or norda.
Note postdiscal spot 2 fat V, spot 6 large & rounded.
A. norda tends to have spot 2 narrower V, & spot 6 smaller & more rectangular.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Psyche]

Post 17.

Faunis gracilis looks correct.
There is only one orange-ringed spot in space 2; discal band clear, linear & sharp; in canens it is diffuse & broader.

Post 18.

1. A. moolaiana. tornal white dot; spots large ;HW spot 6 large rounded.

2. Probably A. norda. smaller spots ; HW spot 6 narrower & rectangular.

3. Likely A. zambra as explained earlier.

4. Likely another A. norda.

5. A. amphimuta. No tornal white dot; postdiscal spot 2 narrow equal-arms V.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

4 & 5. Both appeared to be A. moolaiana. Note tornal white dot & tooth at vein 2. Either A. moolaiana or norda.
Note postdiscal spot 2 fat V, spot 6 large & rounded.
A. norda tends to have spot 2 narrower V, & spot 6 smaller & more rectangular.

TL Seow:cheers:

Thank you.

Regarding 4 & 5, I had thought they may have been different species owing to the relationship between the submarginal spots in 5,6, & 7, and also the gap between submarginal spots in spaces 4 & 5 and the end-cell bar, which is so much closer in Arhopala sp. 4 than 5.

Regarding No. 2, damn and blast, I had hoped I may have found a different species for a change! No such luck.

[Psyche]

Thank you.

Regarding 4 & 5, I had thought they may have been different species owing to the relationship between the submarginal spots in 5,6, & 7, and also the gap between submarginal spots in spaces 4 & 5 and the end-cell bar, which is so much closer in Arhopala sp. 4 than 5.

Regarding No. 2, damn and blast, I had hoped I may have found a different species for a change! No such luck.

Regarding 4 & 5 you meant the wide gap between the cellend bar & postdiscal spots 4 & 5, in No. 5.
Fleming shows an example of A. moolaiana with such a wide gap, so it is a variable feature.

However, No. 4 is correctly A. moolaiana as the HW shows a spot of blue to the very margin of the opposite wing.
A. norda has broad brown borders as in A. major & the marginal areas will be all brown.

Now we know No. 4 is A moolaiana which is also larger, No. 5 looks like A. norda.
Spot 6 is quadrate & not so large & rounded as in No. 4.
It does match the spot 6 in some valid examples of A. norda.

Note the overall large spots in No. 4 is not an ID feature for A. moolaiana.
The fatness of the V-shaped postdiscal spot 2 is not reliable .( some norda also have fat spot 2; perhaps useful if it is narrow.)

The markings of No.2 matches A. selta well, so this is confirmed.

TL Seow:cheers:
PS . The shape of the metalmark, 'notched' in no.4, smoothly aligned in no.5 would also suggest No. 5 is A. norda but no relable feature to confirm this.

[Angiud]

Thank you Dr. Seow for the clarifications!

Nice trip, good partner, wonderful location and a +15 in one full day plus 2 half days!

Hope to be back on the road ASAP!

:cheers:

Antonio

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank you Seow for the clarifications.

The last few from me, 3 needing ids.
1) Eetion alia (White-spotted Palmer)
2) A Rapala sp. To me it looks different from R. varuna, and I would suggest it is possible R. rhoecus, but I am not sure.
3) A skipper. Could it be Quedera monteithi monteithi (Dubious Flitter)? I've never seen it before.
4) Isma species? It was too small to be I. iapis which was seen frequently on the trail.

[Psyche]

Thank you Seow for the clarifications.

The last few from me, 3 needing ids.
1) Eetion alia (White-spotted Palmer)
2) A Rapala sp. To me it looks different from R. varuna, and I would suggest it is possible R. rhoecus, but I am not sure.
3) A skipper. Could it be Quedera monteithi monteithi (Dubious Flitter)? I've never seen it before.
4) Isma species? It was too small to be I. iapis which was seen frequently on the trail.


2. It is R. rhoecus. The underside is similar to R. varuna with broad bands, but dark without the purple wash. Similarly the orange more or less encircled the black spot.

3. This appeared to be Koruthaialos butleri. Rounded wings ;HW no tornal lobe ; long gradual antennae; blunt short palpi 3rd segment.
Ouedaras are all very dark.
http://www.flutters.org/home/photogallery/?level=picture&id=434
CorrectionColouration & 2nd segment palpi too different to be a match.
http://www.flutters.org/home/photogallery/?level=picture&id=752

4. Isma spp. Antennal club with yellow spot; 2 cellspots ; white face/palpi ; striped abdomen.
The closest match is still Isma iapis.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank you very much.

+9 for me on this short trip is a great result, as I have been in the approximate area several times before.

At this point, I would like to thank Antonio for driving, and for his suggestion of a 2/3 day trip, as I was only going for a day near Sichon again. I am pleased I mentioned Krung Ching, as when I tried to visit it 4 years ago, the road to it was not suitable for a road bike and I had to turn back before reaching the park.

We have to go back, as we saw several species which were uncooperative, and we failed to get photos. A few of which include:
Zela species, either onara solex or excellens (seen twice).
Pyroneura species.
Agatasa calydonia calydonia (Glorious Begum). Antonio was shocked by the size of the species!
A Pierid which I believe to be new to Thailand (but not to me), but I have no proof, so I won't mention the species. I machine-gunned the camera, as there were two flying around each other in a courtship dance, never stopping, hoping to get one decent photo, no luck!

[Psyche]

Post 25.

By using the key to get to the genus, no. 3 should be a male Ge geta.

It looks like wear had cause the dark brown to change to rusty brown.

TL Seow:cheers:
PS. The strongly oblique HW cell (lower end produced) virtually confirmed the ID. ( only Matapa have a similar HW cell.)

[Painted Jezebel]

Followed the key and got the same. Thanks, but down to +8! Never mind!

[Psyche]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8241/8623741788_c059b1a601_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8623741788/)
Faunus gracilis? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8623741788/)


This Faun was so unusual with its tiny spots that I thought to doublecheck it..

In Faunis canens the HW submarginal line is fairly linear & regular.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist%20V2/CI/mugshots/Faunis%20canens%20arcesilas/Common%20Faun%20-%20Jeff%20Tan.jpg

In Faunis gracilis, the HW submarginal line is strongly wavy.
http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1088/4722291836_d157187d74_z.jpg

TL Seow:cheers:

[Angiud]

28, 29, 30 April and 1st of May new trip at Krung Ching.

Les looking for the elusive impossible Delias, me more to finally get the Glorious Begum. (Suggestions for the best bait).

Anybody would like to join? Pick up service at Surat Thani or Samui airports :cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

At the risk of having to repeat a photo, I have been trying to update my site with my photos from the 2 Krung Ching trips.

I have some doubts about the Burara oedipodea oedipodea photo shown in post 8.

I also took this specimen, and it look different from the B. oedipodea I took on Samui several years back, and which is defintely that species as I have the upperside to compare to. Could the recent one be Burara harisa consbrina?

1)From Krung Ching this year.
2)From my lounge, Koh Samui.

[Psyche]

At the risk of having to repeat a photo, I have been trying to update my site with my photos from the 2 Krung Ching trips.

I have some doubts about the Burara oedipodea oedipodea photo shown in post 8.

I also took this specimen, and it look different from the B. oedipodea I took on Samui several years back, and which is defintely that species as I have the upperside to compare to. Could the recent one be Burara harisa consbrina?

1)From Krung Ching this year.
2)From my lounge, Koh Samui.


All three are correctly B. oedipodea males.

In oedipodea, the HW spot/patch is solid (as in etelka), but placed some distance from the cellend (as in harisa.)
The HW orange cilia is slightly higher in oedipodea ( past vein 5, sometimes to vein 6) than harisa/etelka(just past vein 4.).

The male oedipoea is unique in that the HW costal margin is folded over, so the HW shape is distorted & vein 8 is rather short.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank you. I can place a better photo in. I really was not sure! It is nice to know I actually got something right for a change.