Mycalesis distanti ?

[DaveChiangMai]

Slowly going through all my "dunno" bushbrowns and trying to ID them. All the attached six images were taken in southern Thailand. As this group all exhibit wide white-merging shading, they should only possibly be Wavy Bushbrown M. distanti, Burmese Bushbrown M.perseoides or Long-branded Bushbrown M. visala. As all show a large spot in the upperwing, I identify all these tentatively as M. distanti. Any comments appreciated. Thank you.

Image 1. Khao Luang NP
24748

Image 2. Khao Luang NP.
24749

Image 3. Thaleban NP
24750

Image 4. Thaleban NP
24751

Image 5. Phuket
24752

Image 6. Krabi
24753

[Psyche]

These Mycalesis are terribly confusing.

M. distanti was formerly considered a ssp of M. intermedia.
They are very similar ;on the Underside HW the inner margins of the ocelli indent deeper in M. intermedia.
M. intermedia does not occur in P. Malaysia, only M. distanti.

M. intermedia ;FW spot 2 very large ;HW inner margins of ocelli indent sharply & deeply in space 4 & 5, spot 4 & 5 often obsolete.
https://wingscales.com/content/record/395-1-d2344.jpg
https://www.thaibutterflies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mycalesis-intermedia-1080x675.jpg
http://www.norththailandbirding.com/images/large/butterflies/satyrinae/b1670_1.JPG
https://www.thaibugs.com/wp-content/gallery/satyrinae/Mycalesis-Interme.jpg

M. distanti. Malaya & southern Thailand.
FW spot 2 large;HW inner margins of ocelli indent less deeply; white band with a distinct bent on the upper inner margin (not just curled in ).
http://m0.i.pbase.com/g4/25/686825/2/139561420.eilg3tPE.jpg
http://photobucket.com/gallery/http://s13.photobucket.com/user/SunnyChir/media/Butterflies/Sunny-Chir--1D4-027856-M_zps3bba1482.png.html
http://www.samuibutterflies.com/02_images/linkbuttons/butterflies/satyrinae/mycalesisintermedia/underside.jpg

M. mineus. White striae around the ocelli thin, not broaden.; spots generally smaller.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cy2C2rRBlfw/VDKhgpfRnZI/AAAAAAAAQO8/mC5tyl6pEzg/s1600/HFH4291%2BMycalesis%2Bmineus%2Bmacromalayana.jpg
http://m7.i.pbase.com/g4/25/686825/2/140515337.cFsPG0j5.jpg

M. perseoides. Spots smaller; HW inner margins of ocelli form a very irregular indentation; dark line forms a distinct tooth at vein 1b near lower end.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jx3Ps1jjyS0/UlLg4HEOu3I/AAAAAAAAaQA/c0HyDLtct0w/s1600/MPP_adult_03Y.jpg
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Mycalesis%20perseoides%20perseoides/MPP_adult_Federick_01.jpg

Confusingly M. visala in the north also have FW spot very large as in intermedia & distanti.
Singapore.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IXtqH-_nZPQ/U9O6XuHthWI/AAAAAAAAeZ0/qB6JxXfZvaI/s1600/LBBB_adult_Federick_01.jpg
India.
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/sp/889/Mycalesis-visala

1. M. intermedia.
2. M. mineus.
3. M. intermedia.
4. M. mineus.

5 & 6 Probably M. visala. Compare with the Indian examples. HW ocelli inner margins form shallow indentation; white band upper not bent in as in M. distanti.

Note M. intermedia is a common species in Thailand.

TL Seow: Cheers.

[DaveChiangMai]

Very many thanks for that feedback. As you say all totally confusing. There's also disagreement in the literature as to the range of M. distanti.

Kimura - Butterflies of Thailand does not show intermedia as occurring in peninsula Thailand (all records n of Bangkok). On that assumption I figured all the "intermedia" from the peninsula would be distanti.

Conversely Yutaka - Butterflies of Indochina mentions intermedia throughout the Thai peninsula. So indicates that there must be some overlap of the two species in extreme s. Thailand.

Even more confusingly Ek-Amnuay mentions distanti as far north as Chanthaburi (se Thailand). Given your feedback / identifications above then I guess we have to assume Yutaka is correct and that distanti is rare in Thailand and restricted to the extreme south only. However, the link you provide to Samui Butterflies that cearly shows distanti was taken in Koh Samui, so distanti must occur further north as well.

Headaches. Back to the drawing board a bit!
Many thanks for the detailed reply.