Khao Ramrome - A new, promising location of South Thailand

[Angiud]

Found a new (for me) location in the Southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Is a top of a mountain of almost 1000 mt. but is (not so easily) reachable by car. Beautiful view and an interesting vegetation.

http://i57.tinypic.com/2rlycs1.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/25gyuc4.jpg


Intense morning activity of Meandrusa payeni (Yellow Gorgon) but never came down....

http://i61.tinypic.com/xpuiz4.jpg

Saw several rarities, like the Rapala duma, IMHO one of the Thai butterflies' "Holy Graal" :bsmile:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/269/18167843684_977969ce63_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tFqWYd)
The Abnormal Flash - Rapala duma duma (https://flic.kr/p/tFqWYd)

And what I think is the first picture of the beautiful, huge and sadly very skittish Yellow Kaiser:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7765/17840366971_3016ed6442_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tbuxxZ)
The Yellow Kaiser - Penthema darlisa merguia (https://flic.kr/p/tbuxxZ) - Maybe a separate species from the other two Penthema darlisa

[Angiud]

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/416/18468539042_b645410e5c_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/u916dW)
The Red Caliph - Enispe duranius corbeti (https://flic.kr/p/u916dW) - My first sight of the Southern subspecies

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/290/18473914552_3e33ca6cd0_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/u9tDb9)
The Common Gem - Poritia hewitsoni regia (https://flic.kr/p/u9tDb9)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/355/18290673360_79ac36a4f1_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tShtXf)
The Blue Gem ♀ - Poritia erycinoides phraatica (https://flic.kr/p/tShtXf)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/358/17858231373_1086476147_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/td571V)
The Malay Gem - Poritia philota philota (https://flic.kr/p/td571V)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/425/18542349225_8d7ba6a636_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ufwoqi)

The Dark-bordered Hedge Blue - Plautella cossaea pambui
(https://flic.kr/p/ufwoqi) - Common but always nice Corrected

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/376/18355085108_73ea36d073_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tXYBjC)
The Tri-colored Baron - Euthalia whiteheadi whiteheadi (https://flic.kr/p/tXYBjC) - Another rarity...

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/266/18361401289_4a8562ca30_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tYwYUi)
The Angle Red Forester - Lethe chandica chandica (https://flic.kr/p/tYwYUi)

[Angiud]

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/288/17926578684_011d5a26ed_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tj7phQ)
The Small Wood Nymph - Ideopsis gaura perakana (https://flic.kr/p/tj7phQ)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/401/18361594070_8a8e482bb0_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tYxYd7)
The Small Wood Nymph - Ideopsis gaura perakana (https://flic.kr/p/tYxYd7)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8854/18553189115_7daa8cc6c7_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ugtWJX)
The Angle Red Forester - Lethe chandica chandica (https://flic.kr/p/ugtWJX) - I love this picture!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/472/18369109179_6748180187_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tZdubX)
The Spotted Spark ♀ - Sinthusa malika amata (https://flic.kr/p/tZdubX)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/341/17932610264_a84deca7bb_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tjDjgA)
Unidentified Arhopala (https://flic.kr/p/tjDjgA) Help!!!!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/349/18580540525_64075067b7_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/uiU8mZ)
The Common Onyx - Horaga onyx onyx (https://flic.kr/p/uiU8mZ) Corrected

[Psyche]

Post 3.


Probably Arhopala muta ( could also be A. moorei)
Small species. The FW is raised high enough to show spot 2 & 3 with their outer margins well out of line.
This excludes A. metamuta.
However, it is impossible to separate A. muta & moorei by their undersides.


Horaga onyx.
FW white patch large & notched.
HW tornal white band long, straight reaching the inner margin.
HW marginal area (ie between band & termen) wider than that on FW.


Horaga syrinx differs in the following.
FW white patch often narrow , FW marginal area wider than that of the HW.
HW tornal white band sorter, often not reaching margin, often irregular, thicken, wavy or broken.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Horaga%20syrinx%20maenala/1DMK3----1261---04_02_2011.jpg

TL Seow: Cheers.

[Angiud]

Thanks, as always.... :cheers:

[atronox]

Amazing!!! you got Rapala duma (syn. abnormis)
Pretty unique/curious one in the genus. In fact I personally feel that it seems more similar to a small group of Australian/Papuan Deudorix spp.

[Angiud]

Yes Aaron, a wonderful catch, shame the picture is ultra-cropped. It disappear quickly, like a flash....

A location I hope to visit again soon....

[Peacock Royal]

Glad to see you have found another great location for butterfly-shooting.
Will visit Southern Thailand one day.

[Ngangom Aomoa]

A great collection. Cheers!!!

[Painted Jezebel]

I believe that this is a completely new location, even the birders, who had been looking for such a location in the area for some time did not know of it!

I am sure that there are many more 'rarities' to be found there. You have already extended the known range of several species/subspecies.

The bungalows there are in a great location, as, on a side of a steep hill, they allow a reasonably close view of the forest canopy. I am still angry at missing the Euthalia whiteheadi, but we saw it a few times so I hope to get another chance in the future.

My only problem with it is that, whilst I would be able to get up the mountain on my bike quite easily, getting back down would be too dangerous on my automatic roadbike (too steep)!

[Angiud]

Heavy rain, very far on the canopy, record shot only, but this (for the South of Thailand) is a rarity:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/382/19591797206_27d44f61d1_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/vRg5K1)
The Great Nawab - The Great Nawab - Polyura eudamippus peninsularis (https://flic.kr/p/vRg5K1)

[Banded Yeoman]

Awesome! This place really has all the rarities.

[Psyche]

Post 2 no. 5.

Plautella cossaea.
The ground colour is whiter & the antenna tip is all black.
http://m2.i.pbase.com/g9/25/686825/2/156535532.EyfpMyHT.jpg

Celastrina lavendularis.
The ground colour is darker grey & the antennal tip has a basal white dot.
http://www.samuibutterflies.com/02_images/linkbuttons/butterflies/lycaenidae/celastrinalavendularis/underside.jpg

TL Seow:Cheers.

[Angiud]

Wow. This is a good surprise for me. A species i never found before. Thank you for your sharp eye Dr. Show!