Another UFO skipper

[horace2264]

This time I could not manage a proper underside shot as the butt kept opening up the wings to take in the sun.

Could this be a Parnara sp.? (no spot in space 1b of FW, and the antennae appear to be short).

[Commander]

Certainly matches one of the Parnara doesn't it? :thinking:

[Psyche]

It is Parnara apostata.
I recall a shot from P. Semakau which was very dark.

Parnara bada is easily recognised by its pale/whitish antennae , poor HW spots & browner colour.
Singapore examples.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/Schir/Sunny-Chir---EOS-1D-Mark-III--17_10_2011--0379.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FX2pIhZeZ4o/Ti7bGs5kmQI/AAAAAAAAEfg/CCaC5j5CAA8/s400/DSC0947%2BContiguous%2BSwift.jpg

P. ganga is common in HK it is paler brown , Fw cell sometime with a lower cellspot, HW spots tend to be small.
HK examples.
http://m9.i.pbase.com/g3/98/670198/2/66847389.SikGvt63.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7139/7444920416_015b089b09_z.jpg
India. Note lower cellspot on left FW>
http://www.flutters.org/home/photogallery/plog-content/images/butterfliesbrnbspnbspnbsphesperiidae-the-skippers-br/subfamily-hesperiinae--brnbspnbspnbsp-genus-parnara--swift-/parnara-ganga-up-malabar-hills-02sep11_blaisepereira.jpg

http://www.jpmoth.org/~dmoth/Butterflies%20of%20China/12_Hesperiidae/Parnara%20ganga/Parnara%20ganga.htm

I have not include pix of P. apostata because of a very similar species in the north, P. guttata which have cellspots.

TL Seow::cheers:
PS. Male P. apostata from Vietnam.
http://www.geocities.jp/ikokuhetabi/vietnam1004/q37.htm

[horace2264]

Thanks, Khew and Dr Seow for the skipper ID. :)
We have the voucher specimen this time as physical evidence of its existence in Singapore.

[Commander]

That's great, Horace. I recall that the first evidence of this species was by Victor Hitchins, surprisingly taken at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station! :omg:

[horace2264]

That's great, Horace. I recall that the first evidence of this species was by Victor Hitchins, surprisingly taken at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station! :omg:
When was that? Did it happen before I join BC? :thinking:

[horace2264]

Encountered another UFO skipper at the same site. :thinking:
The attached pics show both sides of the butt. :)

[Psyche]

You have another Parnara male.
Unfortunately it is very worn.
It is hard to say whether it is apostata or ganga.

TL Seow : Cheers.

[Commander]

When was that? Did it happen before I join BC? :thinking:

Not too long ago. This image was sent to me by Victor Hitchins, who shot it at the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station's garden on 6 Sep 2011. I didn't think too much about it then, but had filed it under a Parnara. Seow, what's your view of this fella?

[horace2264]

Khew, I found the thread in 2011 in which you posted the pic above, and Dr Seow already replied (http://www.butterflycircle.com/showthread.php?11732-ID-required-for-a-skipper&p=106450#post106450) then that it was a Parnara apostata. :)

[Commander]

Khew, I found the thread in 2011 in which you posted the pic above, and Dr Seow already replied (http://www.butterflycircle.com/showthread.php?11732-ID-required-for-a-skipper&p=106450#post106450) then that it was a Parnara apostata. :)

Yes, I remember posting it then. And now we have a voucher specimen to prove it. :cheers:

[Psyche]

Not too long ago. This image was sent to me by Victor Hitchins, who shot it at the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station's garden on 6 Sep 2011. I didn't think too much about it then, but had filed it under a Parnara. Seow, what's your view of this fella?

It definitely is good for P. apostata. It is noticeably darker & HW spots large.
I remembered this was posted then.

The upperside markings of Parnara are so alike that in worn specimens they would look identical.
Helpful are the colour of the hairs & FW costa.

Upperside of Suuny's P. bada.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/Schir/Sunny-Chir---EOS-1D-Mark-III--17_10_2011--0386.jpg

P. ganga.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7139/7444920416_015b089b09_z.jpg

P. apostata often appears almost black so the male ii Post 7 might possibly be P. ganga.
http://www.samuibutterflies.com/02_images/linkbuttons/butterflies/hesperidae/parnaraapostata.jpg

TL Seow:cheers:

[horace2264]

That P. apostata appearing almost black is likely due to the strongly back-lit condition (as evident in the over-exposed lantana flowers). :thinking:

[Psyche]

That P. apostata appearing almost black is likely due to the strongly back-lit condition (as evident in the over-exposed lantana flowers). :thinking:

Concur with the observation.
Les did have the specimen set & posted.
It is still a much darker species than the other two.

The presence of P. ganga remains unsubstantiated.


TL Seow:cheers:

[Psyche]

I found the revision on Parnara by Chiba & Eliot which can be downloaded from reference 1 below.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parnara

Parnara bada Spots often reduced; HW with spots 2- 5 small & irregular often obsolete,( spot 6 may be present).
Langkawi & Singapore.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r10tmE1ODKA/UPa4h8TT-8I/AAAAAAAAIw0/fRcHm9s-F9M/s1600/LKW+2009+parnara+bada.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FX2pIhZeZ4o/Ti7bGs5kmQI/AAAAAAAAEfg/CCaC5j5CAA8/s400/DSC0947%2BContiguous%2BSwift.jpg

Parnara apostata. Spots large usually complete; neaarly always spot 6 present (underside).
Malaya & HK (note spot 6 present & so could not be guttata or ganga.)
http://nlliew66butterflies.blogspot.com/2015/02/parnara-apostata-snellen.html
http://www.pbase.com/dancy/image/84573956

Parnara ganga : spots usually large, HW spot 6 absent.
Langkawi
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GvFvEDi92ek/UPq0o8ufA5I/AAAAAAAAI7s/zXtzAHupn9Q/s1600/LKW+1745-parnara+sp.jpg

I am afraid most of the posts are P. bada although they look very different.
The exception is post 1 & 9 , the shot from Dolby Ghaut.
These have large upperside HW spots suggesting P. ganga .

TL Seow:Cheers.

[horace2264]

Thanks, Dr Seow for sharing the updates on Parnara spp. and revised IDs for earlier posts. :)

[Psyche]

From the revised key Parnara apostata is out of the picture in Singapore.

Two typical female P. bada are Sunny & Federick' shots.
http://s35.photobucket.com/user/Schir/media/Sunny-Chir---EOS-1D-Mark-III--17_10_2011--0379.jpg.html
http://s35.photobucket.com/user/Schir/media/Sunny-Chir---EOS-1D-Mark-III--17_10_2011--0386.jpg.html
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FX2pIhZeZ4o/Ti7bGs5kmQI/AAAAAAAAEfg/CCaC5j5CAA8/s400/DSC0947%2BContiguous%2BSwift.jpg

The post 1 female looks so different from the two P. bada that it should be P. ganga.
However, the post 7 female looks identical to post 1 except the HW spots are small & irregular suggesting P. bada.
This gets very confusing.
The more typical P. ganga with big spots is seen below. This lacks cellspots & HW spots 6 & so cannot be either P. guttata or apostata.
http://wingscales.com/Hesperiidae/Parnara-apostata

TL Seow : Cheers.