Flowering Syzygium at Dairy Farm

[Banded Yeoman]

The recent flowering of a Syzygium tree in Dairy Farm Nature Park attracted a good range of forest butterflies. Here are some record shots of the smaller, more discrete butterflies.

1) Odina hieroglyphica (Hieroglyphic Flat)
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2811/34399654125_865de53483_c.jpg

2) Halpe ormenes vilasina (Dark Banded Ace)
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2822/34240611142_d975e7fa87_c.jpg

3) A very pale Rapala Domitia (Yellow Flash) male
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4157/34399654455_7f0eb5fa79_c.jpg

4) Rapala suffusa (Suffused Flash) Male
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4188/34357928916_217742bda1_c.jpg

5) Rapala suffusa (Suffused Flash) Male
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4183/34399654575_632df61430_c.jpg

6) Potanthus serina (Large Dart) Male
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4158/34357930606_fe143613c2_c.jpg

7) Bibasis sena uniformis (Orange Tailed Awl)
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2857/34014684780_a1e27730c3_c.jpg

[Psyche]

4 & 5.
They have to be Rapala suffusa.
The FW band is very curved or bent.
A good feature is the orange ring around the black eyespot in suffusa is so yellow it does not stand out.

R. dieneces. Upper & underside of same male showing straight FW band.
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2016/334_10489-414-5676bf2888f27-1.jpg
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2016/334_10489-414-5676bf2888f27-2.jpg

R. suffusa Singapore.
mMales.
https://alanowyong.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/p8118701.jpg
https://alanowyong.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/p8090531-001.jpg?w=604
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/greenbaron/Butterfly/trip/20111229-Sentosa/Rapalasuffusabarthema-Sentosa-20111229_DS13.jpg
females.
https://wanderingbutterflyeffect.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/suffused-flash.jpg
https://wanderingbutterflyeffect.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/6a0100a801ee89000e011017bda483860e.jpg

6. Potanthus serina male.
Larger size, sharper FW; FW spot 5 smaller than spot 4; HW band with a small spot 6 on inner margin ;marginal areas orange ,neat, with lightly dark veins.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Potanthus%20serina/Potanthus-serina-KSK.jpg

TL Seow: Cheers.

[Banded Yeoman]

Thanks for the prompt reply Dr Seow!

This is another Rapala from that same tree which is confusing me. The forewing band is slightly but (I think) distinctly bent but the ground colour is brown and the the orange area around the black spot seems distinct. What do you think?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4181/34246071092_433a87cc23_c.jpg

[Psyche]

Post 3.

This gets rather difficult.
Provisionally I will leave as a R. dieneces variant.
It is possible you have the 3rd member R. damona which is also recorded in the past in Singapore.

Although R. dieneces may have the FW band slightly curved, it does not match the typical R. dieneces.
eg.http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ca3djKvy5NY/T6ew2H0RtvI/AAAAAAAAFzU/RCwL9W3TwKY/s1600/DSC0136+Scarlet+Flash.jpg

Rapala damona. Underside ochreous brown, female yellower; FW band strongly bent towards costa, much as in suffusa.
Orange spot marked out by a thin dark line.

Your pic shows the orange ring marked out by a faint dark line. It is also not true orangey as in R. dieneces.
So there is a suggestion thisc is R. damona.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4/83870001.html
No pix seen on the net.

Although this is labelled as R. damona, the distribution of the red on the HW identified it as R. dieneces. Note FW band is slightly bent.
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Rapala_damona#/media/File:RapalaDamonaMUpUnAC1.jpg

TL Seow: Cheers.

[atronox]

I don't think it's damona. All examples of damona i know have the portion of the post-discal band on the hindwing basal to the metallic blue spot very much straighter whereas in the related species, it is always more curved. Since damona is not known to have any subspecific taxa throughout its vast range, Jon's specimen would fall outside of the range of variation of damona and hence this cannot be it.

That said, i still agree that damona is still extant in Sg and will be rediscovered someday

[Banded Yeoman]

Provisionally I will leave as a R. dieneces variant.


That said, i still agree that damona is still extant in Sg and will be rediscovered someday

Hmm.. I'm sure too. It's a pity I wasn't able to get a better picture of it. This shot is still too far away and unclear. Judging by the comments, however, it is reasonable to leave this one as Rapala dieneces. The features of R. damona are too slight and it could just be a variation of R. dieneces.