ID needed for Rapala

[Joe Justin]

Greetings ButterflyCircle members,

This was shot in Tamparuli, Sabah, Borneo.
I'm hoping anyone could assist on the ID. Many Thanks. :cheers:

23725

[atronox]

Rapala dieneces. Even though the wings are rather greyish I don't think this is Rapala cowani from the different wing shape.

[Joe Justin]

Rapala dieneces. Even though the wings are rather greyish I don't think this is Rapala cowani from the different wing shape.

Thanks for the input. :cheers:

[Psyche]

I think this is probably Rapala suffusa.

The grey colour seem to be a see-through effect of the black upperside colour from strong light.
The real colour should light yellowish as at the HW tornal (lower) area.

In Rapala suffusa the ground colour varies from light yellowish to deep chrome yellow.
The FW narrow band is distinctly curved or bent towards the costa (forward margin).
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7376/9857490685_e0452d3eda_b.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh146/log1t3ch/DSC_9045a.jpg
http://wingscales.com/content/record/1072-1-04cab.jpg

In Rapala dieneces the FW band is straight or mildly curved.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ca3djKvy5NY/T6ew2H0RtvI/AAAAAAAAFzU/RCwL9W3TwKY/s640/DSC0136+Scarlet+Flash.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XfgDly7ApOY/Tj1ikndS2AI/AAAAAAAAEkY/9Jeay-oTAwc/s1600/DSC1319%2BSuffused%2BFlash.jpg

TL Seow : Cheers.

[Joe Justin]

Thanks Dr.Seow. Many Thanks

:cheers:

[Joe Justin]

Dear Dr. Seow,
I also have some uncertain ID for some recent shots of mine, all from Sabah, Borneo.
Could you kindly take a look.

Which Arhopala?
23732

A. kinabala [?]
23728

A. normani [?]
23731

Allotinus sp
23729

Miletus sp
23733

Hasora mus [?]
23730

[atronox]

Hi, Joe,

Regarding the three Arhopalas,
The first one is either a very worn out specimen of the muta group or a species with naturally indistinct markings. At first I thought it was the endemic Arhopala alica but that species has metallic blue scales at the tornal area of the hindwing.

Second one is Arhopala agesias from the size and configuration of the spots.

No idea about the third one. It looks exactly like normani but the forewing post-discal band is dislocated and the hindwing has an aberrant-looking irregular-shaped closed spot in the middle of space 2 below the cell. It might be Arhopala milleri or evansi.

Also the butterfly in your profile pic is Graphium stratiotes, which I think is quite uncommon and also a Bornean endemic.

[atronox]

Thanks for the correction, Dr Seow.


I think this is probably Rapala suffusa.

The grey colour seem to be a see-through effect of the black upperside colour from strong light.
The real colour should light yellowish as at the HW tornal (lower) area.

In Rapala suffusa the ground colour varies from light yellowish to deep chrome yellow.
The FW narrow band is distinctly curved or bent towards the costa (forward margin).
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7376/9857490685_e0452d3eda_b.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh146/log1t3ch/DSC_9045a.jpg
http://wingscales.com/content/record/1072-1-04cab.jpg

In Rapala dieneces the FW band is straight or mildly curved.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ca3djKvy5NY/T6ew2H0RtvI/AAAAAAAAFzU/RCwL9W3TwKY/s640/DSC0136+Scarlet+Flash.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XfgDly7ApOY/Tj1ikndS2AI/AAAAAAAAEkY/9Jeay-oTAwc/s1600/DSC1319%2BSuffused%2BFlash.jpg

TL Seow : Cheers.

[Psyche]

Post 6.

1. Arhopala inornata. NOte rounded shape; tailless; ill-define markings; absent metalmark.

2. A. kinabala. Note the 3 FW postdiscal spots visible are large & wide. In A. agesias they are small.

3. A. horsfieldi .
FW band slanted out so that spot 4 is dislocated out (variable) & the band is almost completely broken. Note contour of the outer & inner margins.
This is typical of the eumolphus group.
The HW postdiscal spot 6 is usually notched on the outer margin but not always as seen below.
Metalmark blocky (in eumolphus it is like a 2-layered banner.)
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Arhopala_horsfieldi_basiviridis#/media/File:BasiviridisMMUpUn_593_594_AC1.jpg

In the alea subgroup (including A. normani) the FW band's first 4 spots are in line (note outer & inner margins aligned.
Below is a member of the alea subgroup for comparison ( the ID of A normani looks to be incorrect.)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/ArhopalaNormaniFUpUnAC1.jpg/350px-ArhopalaNormaniFUpUnAC1.jpg

4. Allotinus unicolor. HW post discal spots (2nd row) with spot 6 (2nd from top) shifted well in.

3. Miletus symethus.
FW with whitish shading at the apex; likewise at the apical area of the HW.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AUrOodJVILI/USf-w2QD1SI/AAAAAAAAJmU/Ol9WdsZMbPM/s1600/HFH_3011-Briggs-Brownie.jpg

6. Hasora mus ; distinctive like a little mouse .Latin mus = mouse.

TL Seow :Cheers.

Do continue trying, Aaron . You get the hang of it in time.

[Joe Justin]

Thank you very much Aaron and Dr.Seow.

About the Kinabalu Swordtail, Pathysa stratiotes, I had a few sighting here in Tambunan area alongside with Kinabalu Bluebottle - G. procles, hoping to encounter them again in the future.

Thanks again guys!

[atronox]

2. A. kinabala. Note the 3 FW postdiscal spots visible are large & wide. In A. agesias they are small.


I was more concerned with the spot at hindwing space 6 which made me quite sure that this is agesias because in kinabala this spot would be elliptical and much longer than the adjacent spots.

Thanks for the encouragement Dr Seow, i'm still trying to make sense of this huge Arhopala genus. :)

For the first one, inornata and alica were the first on my mind but how do you know for sure that this is not a very faded specimen of another species?

[Psyche]

I was more concerned with the spot at hindwing space 6 which made me quite sure that this is agesias because in kinabala this spot would be elliptical and much longer than the adjacent spots.

Thanks for the encouragement Dr Seow, i'm still trying to make sense of this huge Arhopala genus. :)

For the first one, inornata and alica were the first on my mind but how do you know for sure that this is not a very faded specimen of another species?

Unfortunately the HW spot 6 is variable.
If you look at C&P4 plate 65 /10 the kinabala shown have a rounded HW spot 6.

However you are quite right it is A. agesias.

I was comparing all the specimens shown in C&P4 & Fleming & the FW postdiscal spots were always small in agesias which what made me choose A. kinabala.
However, A. kinanbala have chocolate shadings on the HW & the FW has two costal spots in space 11.
This make the costal area crowded with spots.
Well done.

In the A. inornata case note the cilia are perfectly intact showing it is not a worn individual.
There are only 3 species without metamark ie inornata, fulla & perimuta.
The underside ruled out fulla & perimuta.
The long palpi indicates a female & the FW apex is very rounded in the female inornata.

TL Seow: Cheers.

[Psyche]

Arhopala inornata female . no metalmark ;HW postdiscal band partially broken.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2932/14064727050_64d90745fe_c.jpg

Arhopala alica female ; metalmark present; HW postdiscal band broken into irregular spots.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/ArhopalaAlicaFUpUnAC1.jpg