ID need review

[Saffron]

Dear Dr. Seow sir

I have three more confusing butterflies from Meghalaya.

1. My initial suspect is either Abisara abnormis or Abisara latifasciata. However, latifasciata is not distributed in India. So, need your review on this.

2. My initial suspect is Heliophorus indicus. But got confused with Heliophorus ila. Please guide me in the identification of these two confusing species.

3. My initial suspect is Abisara bifasciata.


1.

26978




2.

26979 26980




3.

26981

Thank you in advance.


Cheers:cheers:

[Psyche]

1 & 3
Abisara bifasciata angulata.

In both A. abnormis & latifasciata the FW discal band is uniformly narrow on the lower half.
On the HW the white discal band is uniformly narrow throughout.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/rio/8a170001.html
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/rio/8a185001.html


In A. bifasciata angulata the white discal band is much wider; on the FW it is varibly narrow in the lower half.
On the HW the band may be wide or narrow but wider & whiter towards the apex.
1 matches the female wsf from Chiang Mai well & 3 the female from Tak or Trang Bon.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/rio/8a180010.html

[Psyche]

2. Probably Heliophorus epicles.


The genus is very confusing & the species in the past have been treated in various ways.
There is a large amount of conflicting & confusing images on the net.
The upperside is also very variable, the same species may look rather different in different locations.


The 1st thing is to get H. ila right.
The reliance is to get the correct images in the areas where I am familiar with.

On the UnH the red border is of uniform width, the topmost spot being level with the rest.

Examples from Taiwan ssp matsumurae.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQKp67PoS7TNnlQjrv6JftW5Tgg-1ioLZbb1A&usqp=CAU
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dqa5ZSvU4AAxX_2.jpg
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/8723b1f4-71f8-4fa2-9dcb-52f8be8cacc9/d1m6cbx-9b7cf427-7ec8-430e-87e2-d19b1d937746.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJ IUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjph cHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3sicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvODcyM2IxZjQtNz FmOC00ZmEyLTlkY2ItNTJmOGJlOGNhY2M5XC9kMW02Y2J4LTli N2NmNDI3LTdlYzgtNDMwZS04N2UyLWQxOWIxZDkzNzc0Ni5qcG cifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6ZmlsZS5kb3dubG9h ZCJdfQ.u_5Vrw7gQkrQAR0I_XxJDSdjbRJVdcavShd9BVrLUfY

H. ila malaya.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hcbNl1mdQGk/WNI8JFzRrgI/AAAAAAAAczE/pXDypnpXB0onO7RGUnpFJhwLRx4UrHjoACLcB/s1600/DSC_5304.JPG
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C4U-nlZhskY/WVgicTORfeI/AAAAAAAAdUE/GYy1r5VJV44Z7Z29iTCOHkmwIgRUBoikACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_2105.JPG

H. ila nolus Thailand.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/LhzRXGH7r_urQH8sX4B_RAtLZ4JLcVBFfSkqJJwW4au-XC9LxdC7ESOkRZCEXC_Xnw7J7IzExMz0ndrMC4Xbd-4WEgPjAh62BlKhy0ms8VK9-TUCkqH1ThUFM1HQB47X2uKo73tXPOIGSy1GtkFFtJtsZbbSg-mYOFQy


From these correct images of H. ila it is safe to say it is either H. epicles or indicus.



H. epicles latilimbata. Additional note HW red border wider ; latilimbata = wide border.
Male UpF more brilliant purple often with an orange patch.
UnH upper end red border protruding; marginal space 3, 4, & 5 less heavily white shaded.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/HeliophorusEpicles/01HeliophorusEpicles_KrushnameghKunte_ah962.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/HeliophorusEpicles/02HeliophorusEpicles_KrushnameghKunte_ah963.jpg

https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2015/233_8676-557-56190c1d525c3-2.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2015/233_8676-557-56190c1d525c3-1.jpg

https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2016/304_9985-542-565acae900528-1.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2016/304_9985-542-565acae900528-2.jpg


H. indicus. Additional note: HW red border narrow.
UpF male darkish without orange.
UnH red border protrude at upper end; space 3, 4, & 5 more heavily white shaded.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2021/118_81192-705-607afce0aa2d5-2.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2021/118_81192-705-607afce0aa2d5-3.jpg

https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2017/97_15501-880-584026e471f6a-3.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2017/97_15501-880-584026e471f6a-2.jpg

https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2020/538_53356-62-5e941d5fb02b1-3.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2020/538_53356-62-5e941d5fb02b1-2.jpg



TL Seow: Cheers.

[Saffron]

Really interesting information. I thought it is not H. epicles because the specimen lacks the orange markings on the UpF.
Thank you so much again.

Cheers!!

[Psyche]

There is still some doubts with these two species.

Fruhstorfer who described both taxa latilimbata & indicus as forms of H. epicles at the time state latilimbata has a wide red border & indicus a narrow border.


These would then be typical of each species.

H. indicus.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2021/622_81270-881-607b36a8b1fa2-1.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2021/622_81270-881-607b36a8b1fa2-2.jpg

H. epicles latilimbata (=wide border )
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2015/233_8676-557-56190c1d525c3-2.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2015/233_8676-557-56190c1d525c3-1.jpg


TL Seow: Cheers.