Nacaduba kurava?

[horace2264]

Is this six-line-blue Nacaduba kurava?

26909

[Psyche]

Yes. This would be a typical male Nacaduba kurava.

In the past 6Line Blues were terribly confusing.
The difficulty at the moment is between N. berenice & calauria where some examples appear intermediate.


Nacaduba kurava.
Male ; FW costa with innermost spot above the mid-cell band present .
FW submarginal spots with rounded margins or at least rounded corners.
FW postdiscal band almost always straight & entire.
HW submarginal spot 6 typically large & rectangular.
Male often with the dark striae poorly developed.
Male upperside deeper blue with see thru bands from the underside.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Nacaduba%20kurava%20nemana/TransparentSixlineBlue-KSK3.jpg
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CjZTM1-m2d0/WH3AYy-bELI/AAAAAAAAcVg/OMT4WHN-v4ECtFuerE0F8SHtvnvC6NC9wCLcB/s1600/DSC_0451.JPG
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Nacaduba%20berenice%20icena/Rounded%206%20Line%20Blue%20-%20Tze%20Siong.jpg
Female typically with larger & rounder spots & dark striae prominent.
Female upperside pale blue patch with the apex white.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm9PS58V6Yw/VIuEupeQzeI/AAAAAAAASOE/h2pQztmSeiQ/s1600/DSC_0206.JPG
SSp therasia Taiwan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nacaduba_kurava_therasia_dorsal_view_20150718 .jpg


TL Seow: Cheers.

[horace2264]

Many thanks, Dr Seow for the ID confirmation.

I have two shots of female Nacaduba laying eggs on Ardisia elliptica, taken on different days at the same location.

26912

26913

Are both of them Nacaduba kurava? I am not too sure about the second one. :hmmm:

[Psyche]

Post 3.

The 1st is N. kurava.
The 2nd with FW submarginal spots 4 & 5 sharply pointed is N. calauria.


N. calauria : Dark striae strongly developed in both sexes.
FW postdiscal band almost always straight & entire.
FW submarginal spots 4 & 5 sharply pointed, triangular with the sides straight. HW submarginal spots 4 & 5 should also be pointed.
Male showing the darkish violet blue upperside.
https://wanderingbutterflyeffect.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/6a0100a801ee89000e011017b3ad98860e.jpg

2 males & a pair, male on left.
https://calbutterfliesworld.blogspot.com/2019/03/transparent-six-line-blue.html

Mating pairs, male on the left.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Nacaduba%20berenice%20icena/june%2014%20mating%20nacaduba%20berenic%20-%20Ellen%20Tan.JPG


Nacaduba berenice You raised a series in the past & the markings were very variable.
Dark striaes strongly developed in both sexes.
FW postdiscal band often broken or dislocated.
Submarginal spots varies, irregular ; spots 4 & 5 if pointed, the tapering sides tend to be incurved.
Male upperside showing the pale lavender blue.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xFQx2YUBf8c/U5xj17_wpnI/AAAAAAAAONY/I69gkZT-jvk/s1600/HFH_2642-Nacaduba+berenice+icena.jpg

Male from India upperside.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nacaduba_berenice_plumbeomicans_-_Rounded_Six-Lineblue_(5)_male.jpg

Different males from Singapore.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Nacaduba%20berenice%20icena/Rounded%206%20Line%20Blue%20-%20Fedrick%20Ho.jpg
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Nacaduba%20berenice%20icena/154%20Nacaduba%20berenice%20icena%20(Rounded%206-Line%20Blue)%20Bobby%20Mun.jpg

Mating pair male on the left.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1819/42020332420_f5438e93dd_c.jpg


Many examples are confusing.
eg.
1. N. berenice The prominent dark striae exclude N. kurava male.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dUSIc7vcZ-Q/XMlhvGXU-3I/AAAAAAAAUj0/zjKw4IN2IWM7Tucr-VKRmPXZVDhXMnoZwCLcBGAs/s1600/HFH_6509%2BNacaduba%2Bberenice%2Bicena.JPG

2. N. kurava male. The poor dark striae exclude N. berenice male. Correction : Probably best to leave as N. berenice male. spots are pointed.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bXXmAXE8wN0/U47KeARz-II/AAAAAAAAPBE/NVZNTZ0Zh24/s1600/DSC_0236.JPG


TL Seow: Cheers.

[horace2264]

Many thanks, Dr Seow for the Nacaduba ID and the detailed comparison information for the three Nacaduba spp.

[Psyche]

To complete the quartet.

Nacaduba beroe neon.
FW innermost costal spot above the midcell band absent.
Male with the dark striae weak to obsolete.
FW postdiscal band typically broken or dislocated.
Male upperside deeper purple blue than in calauria.
Female darkish blue with FW submarginal spots which may be blue or white.

Three males.
https://wanderingbutterflyeffect.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/6a0100a801ee89000e0123ddf39fce860b.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2iA9V4YMtRQ/VTS1r0rEr5I/AAAAAAAAU5s/aDvhAIxs0PU/s1600/DSC_0245.JPG
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Ionolyce%20helicon%20merguiana/Pointed%20Line%20Blue%20-%20Fedrick%20Ho.jpg

Female; This female have a vague mark like a third costal spot but the upperside (shown by Sunny) is darkish blue with blue FW submarginal spots.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Nacaduba%20beroe%20neon/Sunny-Chir---EOS-1D-Mark-III--13_08_2011--0115_1-copy-4.jpg


Ionolyce helicon . Very common & often confused with N. beroe.
FW innermost costal spot absent (as in N. beroe.)
FW postdiscal band irregular & often serially dislocated at each vein.
HW submarginal spots chevrons (V-shaped) rather than lunulate (lunar shape)
Males.
Typical.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzpnbNn4LFs/T0jN1V1pLHI/AAAAAAAAHDA/Qfmg4wLf6Q4/s1600/PointedLineBlue-ZhuangYY.jpg
Looking more like N. beroe.. 2nd pic possibly hybrid., like beroe but HW submarginal spots pointed. Correction: N. beroe based on FW postdiscal band being barely dislocated at vein 4 & rounded HW.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Ionolyce%20helicon%20merguiana/Pointed%20Line%20Blue%20-%20Tan%20Ben%20Jin.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/810/40906670801_0a4104af90_o.jpg
Females.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_tCoAYTboNg/UKjT1dUbUHI/AAAAAAAAHS4/um95Y_-F404/s1600/HFH0261+Pointed+Line+Blue+(female).jpg
https://singapore.biodiversity.online/species/A-Arth-Hexa-Lepidoptera-000123?imageId=0
Possibly with hybrid blood. Correction : Female N. beroe variant; HW shape is totally wrong for I. helicon female, & FW postdiscal band can be undulate in female beroe.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6y12N-hHplc/T0jN0b3KXKI/AAAAAAAAHCg/iwa1fh16g7E/s1600/PointedLineBlue-HoraceT2.jpg


TL Seow: Cheers.

[Banded Yeoman]

Surely a bit off topic, but it's great to see you commenting again dr Seow! Hope you're well.

[Psyche]

Thank you Jonathan.
I am fine. Wishing you well too.


TL Seow: Cheers.

[horace2264]

Another male 6-Line-Blue to identify. With the dark striae strongly developed, N. kurava is ruled out.
Given that the FW sub-marginal spots are not pointed (ruling out N. calauria), I am left with the id of N. berenice. Am I right?

26929