Khao Luang and Khoa Huai Mut, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand

[Painted Jezebel]

Antonio and I have just returned from another visit to Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.

This time, we did not confine ourselves to Krung Ching, but also visited the southern part of the Khao Luang range and also the Khao Huai Mut range, which further south. (Khao means hill in Thai)

I'll start things off to get rid of the the pesky Arhopala from the South of Khao Luang early. Sorry if I am repeating ones already shown on previous threads, but these species are so similar that I do not want to miss something different. Things will get better, again!

[Psyche]

Post 1.

1. A ariana.

2. A. atosia.

3. A. epimuta. This species always cause a lot of confusion.
(ID may be incorrect: There is a costal spot in space 10 not seen in epimuta or agesilaus.

Addendum: Fleming shows an example of epimuta with spot 10. There does not seem to be any other possibilities.


TL Seow:cheers:

[Angiud]

First day, Karom waterfall, southern part of Khao Luang range:

Please forgive the wrong IDs!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8266/8913309470_07460c6a78_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8913309470/)
The Black and White Flat - Gerosis limax dirae (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8913309470/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7352/8913293940_e89c4aa072_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8913293940/)
The White Palm Bob - Suastus everyx everyx (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8913293940/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5325/8912673529_705eaf4ded_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8912673529/)
Unidentified Dart (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8912673529/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/8912695479_1812926e35_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8912695479/)
The White-tipped Palmer - Lotongus calathus calathus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8912695479/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5332/8918216243_6436243797_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8918216243/)
Unidentified Arhopala (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8918216243/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5442/8913296894_ef07097ab5_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8913296894/)
The Wavy Maplet - Chersonesia rahria rahira (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8913296894/)

[Angiud]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8255/8913303184_9d251058a7_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8913303184/)
The Dwarf Crow - Euploea tulliolus ledereri (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8913303184/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/8913301362_660b8d4902_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8913301362/)
The Tree Nymph - Idea lynceus lynceus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8913301362/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5446/8912686603_e1032bce2d_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8912686603/)
The Darky Plushblue- Flos anniella anniella (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8912686603/)

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank you for the Arhopala ids, Seow. Nothing new there then!

Three more from our first day in ths south of the range:

1) Arhopala ariel (Chocolate Bushbrown)
2) Pirdana hyela rudolphii (Green-striped Palmer)
3) Matapa sasivarna (Green-based Redeye)

[Psyche]

Post 3.

Dart is Taractrocera archias.

Oakblue should be A. aurelia though I am not too sure about the blue sheen.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Psyche]

Post 5.

http://www.butterflycircle.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=21139&d=1370151488

This is the intriguing one. It does not matched A. ariel although it belongs to the same ganesa group.
It has the same sagittate submarginal spots on the HW as the group, but the postdiscal spots are split & resembles a series of pawns from a chess set.
The only species with a similar set of postdiscal spots is A. paraganesa, but this species have wide areas of white on the FW & HW.
In particular the discal & postdiscal spots in space 7 is separated by a wide white patch.
This is even so in ssp as far away as the Philippine.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Arhopala_paraganesa_hayashii_male_underside.jpg

The possibility of it being A. ganesa can be discounted as it is tailless & quite different.
http://45-13.bluehost.com/ifoundbutterflies/images/com_sobi2/clients/473_img.jpg

I can't see it as being a distinct subspecies of A. paraganesa as it is too different despite the similar HW postdiscal spots.

I think it is very likely to be a distinct new species.

Addendum: I did some additional check. I see there are some examples of A. ariel which can look like this & the white shading is very variable.
http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=296320

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank you for your research on this species. I came to my id after looking at Pisuth's book, which it matched very well, including the 'pawn' shaped postdiscal spots. If Pisuth's photo had looked like the specimen shown in C&P4, without the hindwing white shading, then I would have had trouble with the id.

Personally, I am happy with the id, which is a nice, unusual +1 for me. The other members of the group found in Thailand can be discounted. A. aberrans and A. birmana are both purely northern species, A. paraganesa is too different with large white patches on both wings, and A. ammon and A. ammonides have white costal spots, and I had already come across them in the area and am now able to recognise them quite easily. A. ganesa has not yet been found in Thailand, and, if it was, would, most probably, be found in the North, not in the peninsular.

[Angiud]

Second day, "home" at Krung Ching Waterfall. Poorer situation respect the past months...

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2836/8919820311_157a619ed6_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8919820311/)
The Columbine - Stiboges nymphidia nymphidia (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8919820311/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5463/8919818905_a6a23ed24e_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8919818905/)
The Royal Assyrian - Terinos terpander robertsia (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8919818905/) Picture rotated 180°

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5456/8930725170_940f15c443_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8930725170/)
The Angle Cyclops - Erites angularis angularis (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8930725170/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3719/8930114747_87c3791200_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8930114747/)
The Malayan Owl - Neorina lowii neophyta (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8930114747/) Always present but elusive

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2865/8930721832_d22aafe828_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8930721832/)
The Plain Yellow Lancer - Xanthoneura corissa indrasana (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8930721832/) Another find of this not so common Skipper

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5333/8930111827_ae68254ef2_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8930111827/)
The Witch - Araotes lapithis arianus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8930111827/) Love this butt. a +1 for me!

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3824/8931340352_434f515e1c_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8931340352/)
A Palmking (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8931340352/) Should be the A.phidippus, but not coconut palms at Krung Ching...

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5327/8930721607_e7f9a7ef8c_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8930721607/)
Halpe sp. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8930721607/) Forgot the ID from Les. Halpe burmana?

[Painted Jezebel]

Not Isma, but Halpe species. I THINK it may be Halpe burmana, but not sure. (See you have changed it already!:) )

The Amathusia species MAY be A. friderici holmanhunti, since it was found in primary forest, not the normal habitat for A. phidippus, but I can not see the differences between the two species.

[Painted Jezebel]

Yes, KC was disappointing this time.

1) Here is the Isma species. I think Isma bononia (Upperside), but I wonder about I. damocles. -CORRECTION - I. bononoides
2) as above but underside (not same specimen).- CORRECTION - Probably I. umbrosa.
3) Not sure about this. I thought I. bononia again, but the hindwing spots appear different. - CONFIRMED - I. bononia.
4) Tagiades species? Small, so I thought T. toba toba, but there are no spots in the tornal white area. Could it be Darpa pteria dealbata? - CONFIRMED - Darpa pteria.

[Psyche]

Post 9.

Terinos terpander :most likely a variant of ssp. intermedia.
Ssp. robertsia has prominent white markings .
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/federickho/Kampar%20Butts%2030%20Apr-%202%20May/DSC0442Royal-Asyrian.jpg


Halpe should be H. burmana although the antennae tips appeared poorly orange (probably due to the angled light incidence.)
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/thawats/thawats1301/thawats130100262/17694222-butterfly-halpe-burmana-swinhoe-ace.jpg

Palmking is A. phidippus. Median band typically narrower than the postdiscal band; HW inner pale discal band typically flared at costa & barely notched. )

TL Seow:cheers:

[Psyche]

Post 11.

1. Isma bononoides. male. Matches very well.
Upperside spots yellow; abdomen banded;FW 2 cell spots, lower much larger; HW spot 2 very large.
( Both bononia & bononoides have the lower cellspot closely adjacent to postdiscal spot 2. In bononia upperside spots white; underside olive; abdomen not banded.)

2. Isma damocles male . Note antennal white is different from 1.
Abdominal tip looks female but only male has large HW spots; FW upper cellspot large; HW with large spots; underside ferruginous; abdomen lightly banded.
(ID correction)
(Both damocles & guttulifera have a large upper cellspot & the antennal white patch as here, quite different to bononoides.)
Probably I. guttulifea as it looks small, & the HW 3 spots are of equal size; in damocles spot 2 tends to be larger.)
Correction: Both are about the same size FW 17-21mm, so quite tough to separate without upperside.
ID Correction: should be I. umbrosa.

3. Isma bononia female.
Typical ochreous ground colour; 2 HW hyaline spots.
( The small HW spots are typical of the female.)
ID Correction This should be the female I. umbrosa. The Underside HW of the female bononia is olive with dark/dark-edged spots.
ID Correction 2: probably I. bononia.


4. Darpa pteria is right.
FW cell (seen on right FW) with 2 spots , the upper much larger.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank you soooooo much! I find the Isma very difficult. I nearly did not bother to take any of these photos, thinking they were species I had already got, but, in the end, a +3 (only I. umbrosa is in my files already). Just goes to show that everyone should 'snap' at everything they see.

The specimen No. 2 was small, not as small as I. bononia, so I. guttulifera is more likely than I. damocles. (Either would have been a +1)

I find the Isma to be a frustrating genus, as I can never get both upper and underside shots of the same specimen, either wings closed or sunbathing, but never both!

[Psyche]

3 doesn't looks right for the female umbrosa either, which has small spots.
It does fit the description of the female I. feralia which has prominent spots in space 2 & 3 (& sometimes 4) as seen here.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Psyche]

It looks like 3 is best left as an umbrosa female.

This website supposedly shows Isma feralia, but both sexes can only be keyed out as I. umbrosa.
The female shows large HW hyaline spots.
A good point to note is that the female feralia have no cell-spot. (Unfortunately 3 has most of the FW hidden.)
http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=295323
ID Correction: most likely I. bononia.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

No better forewing photos available for No. 3, sorry!

Incidentally, Pisuth rates Isma bononoides as a 4 star butterfly (very rare) and does not show any specimen. I suspect this is more down to misidentification and also the lack of interest in the 'little brown jobs'. The yellowish spots are very distinctive.

[Painted Jezebel]

Now, from Khao Huai Mut:

1) Arhopala sp. Everytime I use the keys I come to Arhopala agrata agrata (di Niceville's Dull Oakblue), but I have some concerns about the upperside forewing termen. I wonder if I have gone wrong somewhere! - CONFIRMED
2) Is this Quedera monteithi monteithi (female) - Dubious Flitter? I have better shots, but this shows the most of the forewing underside. - CONFIRMED
3) Very small. I THINK it is Britomartis cleoboides cleoboides (Azure Royal) - CONFIRMED
4) An upperside of Losaria neptunus neptunus (Yellow-bodied Clubtail). I have undersides, but I know Antonio has much better.

[Angiud]

Third day, at Khao Huai Mut:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3780/8945197142_07600bee9d_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8945197142/)
The Pan - Xanthotenia busiris busiris (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8945197142/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7359/8944571299_88c246dbb7_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8944571299/)
The Spotted Judy - Abisara geza (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8944571299/) A Tailed Judy, probably the Malay, just flew away just few minutes before...

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/8935066290_d0930eb511_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8935066290/)
The Larger Harlequin - Taxila haquinus haquinus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8935066290/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7456/8934380547_49e0112117_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8934380547/)
The Silver Royal - Ancema blanka blanka (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8934380547/) A few doubts about the ID, the band is broader than usual (pic rotated 180°)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8413/8945185756_30258da9ce_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8945185756/)
The Azure Royal - Britomartis cleoboides cleoboides (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8945185756/) Same doubts as Les

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2822/8944564623_42b3d6d069_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8944564623/)
Unidentified Arhopala (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8944564623/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2893/8945189528_d6b0f386cc_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8945189528/)
The Yellow-bodied Clubtail - Losaria neptunus neptunus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8945189528/)

[Angiud]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8934998204_e57eb5498d_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8934998204/)
The Hoary Palmer - Unkana ambasa batara (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8934998204/) A beautiful colored specimen

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2821/8944572269_1381fda1dc_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8944572269/)
The Chequered Lancer - Plastingia naga (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8944572269/) Hey Jerome!

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3697/8945191154_3ef0d445e1_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8945191154/)
The Yellow-band Palmer - Lotongus avesta (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8945191154/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7429/8944569855_f1ee40fe3a_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8944569855/)
The Watson's Wight - Iton watsonii (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8944569855/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3665/8944575393_5dacc7e087_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8944575393/)
The Large Long-banded Flitter - Isma umbrosa (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angiud/8944575393/) ??

[Psyche]

Post 11.

These two have been bugging me for some time, but I am fairly confident this time.

2. Isma unbrosa female.
Having another good look, it is definitely a female from the abdominal tip ( verified with Antonio's shot) & broad wings.
The large upper cell spot & the large HW spots can only match the female umbrosa.
The underside as Fleming stated is ochreous but very variable.

3. most likely Isma bononia.
The underside appeared ochreous but there is a greenish tinge to some of the scales.
The HW spots actually have dark outer edges & there are additional dark spots in space 4 & 5.
Only 2 species have these, bononia & bononoides , & the antennal white also matched pic 1.
The underside of bononia is olive & that of bononoides is ferruginous (rusty brown).
The colouration here would be that of a worn bononia.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Psyche]

Post 18.

1. Arhopala agrata female is right. FW without spot 9 & 10.
Upperside HW with blue reaching termen between vein 2 to vein 6.

2. Appeared to be Q. monteithi female. No other match.
I think this is more likely to be the female of Oerane microthyrus. The band is very variable in shape . The antennae appeared to show white tips here.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OeraneNeaera_810_2.png

3. Britomartis cleoboides is right.
Only 3 similar species with an ochreous postdiscal band., namely Bullis elioti, & stigmata, & Britomartis cleoboides.
ID'ed by the band being placed > 1/3 in towards base, & HW grey-green patch in space 1b being triangular.

Post 19.
As above.
Britomartis cleoboides & Arhopala agrata.

Post 20.
Isma umbrosa is right.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Painted Jezebel]

Post 11.

These two have been bugging me for some time, but I am fairly confident this time.



Don't worry, they bug me ALL the time!! I am only really confident with I. iapis/I. protoclea. But the more I come across the others, the more photos I have to compare with, so I should get better.

I left NST thinking I 'only' had +5 for the trip. It has turned out to be +11! I would have been happy with just 1. These trips are more to just get off the Island and regain our sanity.