Identifying Telicota sp.

[gkbaliga]

Dear Dr. Seow

I am posting the images for two reasons.

1. To learn identification of various Telicota sp. of Indian subcontinent

2. To help identification on behalf of my friend Mr. Tshulthrim Drukpa Wangyel who shot two photos of the same specimen in Bhutan.

I am new around here. Hope posting of other's image is allowed here with their specific request and permission. If not, I shall delete these.

As I understand, these are the species under Telicota Genus occuring in India (Pardon and correct me if I am wrong anywhere)

T. augias (North East - Nagaland)
T. bambusae (Throughout India including Bhutan)
T. besta (North East - Assam - Bhutan ?)
T. colon colon (South India to Gujarat, Uttara Pradesh, upto Sikkim - Probably Bhutan)
T. colon kala (Andaman & Nicobar Islands)
T. colong stinga (North East India)
T. linna linna (Sikkim to North East - Probably Bhutan)
T. ohara jix (Himachal Pradesh to North East - Probably Bhutan)

If I am not burdening you too much, could you please give information on how to differentiate between the species.
(Enough at species level, not necessary to go to sub species level)

Is this Telicota bambusae - male? (Both pictures are said to be of the same specimen) and shot in Bhutan

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1762/41743939900_9368baa032_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/26ALAZJ)01 (https://flic.kr/p/26ALAZJ) by GKBaliga (https://www.flickr.com/photos/93793400@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1802/41743939660_657f822aff_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/26ALAVA)02 (https://flic.kr/p/26ALAVA) by GKBaliga (https://www.flickr.com/photos/93793400@N02/), on Flickr

[Psyche]

In a forum for discussion I don't see any restriction for ID request.

AS for the images ,it is a male T. bambusae bambusae.

The Telicota spp. can be very difficult in pix as colour is often distorted & ID features slight.
In describing the reference is to the wings in a set specimen so a feature's position is inside/outside , above/below something is easily understood.
I named the spots comprising the bands after their spaces.
eg. in the 2nd image on the hindwing(HW) the band is made of spots 1b, 2, 3, & spots 4 & 5 which are combined into one; on the forewing(FW) spots 4 & 5 stick out further than the others.

All Telicota males have a grey brand set in a black space between the main (also discal or postdiscal depending on authors)band & the cell band.

In southern India there are only two species T. colon & bambusae. Both are relatively small ,F 15mm.


Telicota colon. Male brand arcuate (curved) set nearer the inside margin of the black space ; base of space 2 with a triangular orange spot.
spot 4 & 5 are staggered out ie each spot is set further out from the spot below it ;spots 4 & 5 often distorted in shape ,bi-concave.
Male with long vein stripes. Veins over HW band usually lightly dark-dusted.
Males.
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2014/87_1848-270-54789b461fda2-1.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCIq17YMtX0/T4BMP2yGX4I/AAAAAAAAFrI/_53XDHovvNs/s1600/DSC_5034+Telicota+colon+stinga.jpg
https://res.cloudinary.com/ppc1/image/upload/v1467087622/vlgncbhz2vg2qlarzbyt.jpg
Females.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oK76RoQgG7U/Vi6iI06JxYI/AAAAAAAAHIU/MFkKuLjjSLs/s1600/023.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5600/15616323285_f294d38be6.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-grsw9HIBWI4/VAxfuqQLhFI/AAAAAAAAQFU/ARBSsNRqbFI/s1600/HFH3772-Telicota%2Bcolon%2Bstinga.jpg

T. bambusae bambusae.Male brand straight; base of space 2 black. or slightly orange-dusted (wsf) with an orange patch in dsf.
FW short triangular with the band broad, ie spots 1b, 2 & 3 broad; spots 4 75 aligned, rectangular.
UnH band with the veins not dark- dusted.
Males.
http://www.flutters.org/home/photogallery/plog-content/images/butterfliesbrnbspnbspnbsphesperiidae-the-skippers-br/subfamily-hesperiinae--brnbspnbspnbsp-genus-cephrenestelicota--palm-dart-/pale-palm-dart__telocota-colon_ashish-tiple.jpg
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/TelicotaBambusae/01TelicotaBambusae_KSaji_ad012.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Close_wing_position_of_Telicota_bambusae_Moor e,_1878_%E2%80%93_Dark_Palm-Dart_WLB_DSC_3871.jpg
Females. (with twin long cellend bars)
http://www.flutters.org/home/photogallery/plog-content/images/butterfliesbrnbspnbspnbsphesperiidae-the-skippers-br/subfamily-hesperiinae--brnbspnbspnbsp-genus-cephrenestelicota--palm-dart-/pale_palm_dart_2_1_divakar_thombre_5.jpg
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/TelicotaBambusae/thumb/th_TelicotaBambusae_RohitGirotra_ap642.jpg
T. bambusae horisha China, Taiwan have base of space 2 with orange patch & strong vein-stripes in dsf.
http://dearlep.tw/images/Papilionoidea/Hesperiidae/%E7%AB%B9%E6%A9%99%E6%96%91%E5%BC%84%E8%9D%B6_DSC_ 3487%E9%9B%84_1.jpg

The others found to the NE parts are larger FW 17-20mm.


Telicota linna .Said to be very common in Bangladesh. similar to T bambusae but much larger FW 18mm.
FW longer & sharper with the band narrower. Male brand straight & base of space 2 black. UnH band with the veins not dark-dusted.
Male.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wU0gNp51E3U/VgOg89qI7cI/AAAAAAAAOQg/t1opVeXR03U/s1600/Telicota-linna-Males---Horace-Tan.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GdFakZH5jew/VgOglxSyTZI/AAAAAAAAOQI/klpr0iaTa1U/s1600/Telicota-linna-M---Horace-Tan.jpg
females.(with short cellend bars).
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YZDT-mpsMvU/VgOhAlOpVdI/AAAAAAAAOQo/bzRVBjM57Gk/s1600/Telicota-linna-Females---Horace-Tan.jpg
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GfwkAkMITv4/VznhAIMptEI/AAAAAAAAmRM/XZFGfFws7_85wUXm9JQLC3HCEb1zfXuZgCLcB/s1600/TL_female_up_01.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bTIB_W6RbyE/VgOgqtZcDOI/AAAAAAAAOQQ/2ZFimj3_zfc/s1600/Telicota-linna-F-Horace-Tan.jpg


Telicota besta. Male brand arcuate & set nearer the inside margin of black space; base of space 2 orange .
Unh bnad veins lightly dark-dusted in both sexes.
Males.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6-BjVfqOIQ0/U1vGug7ph3I/AAAAAAAAdO0/Emv5HEJEs0M/s1600/TB_adult_male_up_01.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NbpYa8XexNw/VJQtyK97NHI/AAAAAAAASl0/i77WR2aduOU/s1600/DSC_0294.JPG
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JE7UU7nA2i4/Txl0up2tHgI/AAAAAAAAFVA/Ik9u9q5jnVE/s1600/DSC4012%2BTelicota%2Bbesta%2Bbina.jpg
Females.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OEM0FaXJUEI/U1vGhhSB71I/AAAAAAAAdOk/ZsPEPPciXJU/s1600/TB_adult_female_01.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FbRlnOujz8A/Vi7SxL1VgqI/AAAAAAAAXFg/oHC6bDLa0Mg/s1600/DSC_0143.JPG
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GqK3ID-7Mlk/VIL1VCRkusI/AAAAAAAAQpM/ubrQHPG6-B4/s1600/HFH_5986-Telicota%2Bbesta%2Bbina.jpg


Telicota augias; Male brand straight & broad ,filling the black space ;Deep uniform orange colour ;UnH band, the veins not dark-dusted in male, lightly so in female.
Males.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y3LkExqbZs8/VgoXg4gxecI/AAAAAAAABhk/g-Exi9WYzh8/s1600/Telicota%2Baugias_male_2.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hp7OPF_eJ6Q/U6ZQMNh6IkI/AAAAAAAAOPs/KFaTN4_wis4/s1600/HFH_2956-Palm-Dart-(Telicota-augias-augias).jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1VOTdSSpi_Q/Ti7fAQsFMQI/AAAAAAAAEf4/gli4yWFwvPk/s400/DSC1089%2BTelicota%2Bbesta%2Bbina.jpg
Female.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oeax9BCEjgI/VgoXgwcBG_I/AAAAAAAABhk/k60Yqt8YTVA/s1600/Telicota%2Baugias_female.jpg

Telicota ohara jix. Male with very thin narrow straight brand; base of space 2 black mostly. Unh with inner margin of band somewhat straight, the notch very shallow; ground colour dark-tinged.
Male.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QY-vSwGhfh0/VdRMvS7kTXI/AAAAAAAAGlI/SbTKPlYjgyE/s640/Telicota%2Bhoara3.jpg
http://dearlep.tw/images/Papilionoidea/Hesperiidae/DSC_6198%E9%9B%84_1.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/monsoon_jyoti_gogoi/4258299791/
Female.
https://wingscales.com/content/record/602-1-3ef36.jpg


TL Seow: Cheers.

[gkbaliga]

Thank you so much Dr Seow for taking so much trouble.

It will take few days for me to understand and assimilate. I will study what you have shared and get back if I have any doubts

[gkbaliga]

I hear from time to time about one of the id pointers which I would like to clarify from you Dr. Seow.

After confirming that any given specimen is Telicota sp.
It is said that the small triangular spot in space 2 is present only in T. besta, T. colon and T. augias on UPF.
It is said to be absent in other Telicota species.
Further I see it in only males.

Is this one of the valid id pointers in said species? Are they present in males only? If valid, are there any exceptions?

I have marked the spot on a photo I have taken from IFB shot by my good friend Dr. Milind Bhakare who has given me permission to use any of his photos for non commercial purposes.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1771/42885181555_e2df8dd9f6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28kBLnZ)colon (https://flic.kr/p/28kBLnZ) by GKBaliga (https://www.flickr.com/photos/93793400@N02/), on Flickr

[Psyche]

That is right.
The female have most of the forewing cell black & the base of space 2 is always black.

The males of T. augias, colon & besta always have the space 2 base orange.

The males of T. linna , bambusae & ohara have the space 2 base black ,but

1. in T. linna sometimes a bit of orange is present.

2. In T. bambusae a bit of orange is sometimes present but in dsf the base of space 2 may be fully orange.

3. in T. ohara it appears to be always black.


TL Seow: Cheers.

[gkbaliga]

Thank you very much Dr Seow