Keys to butterfly description terms

[Painted Jezebel]

For many newcomers to Butterflies, the descriptive terms often used can seem like another language, such as Space2, Tornus, Cell, Submarginal spots etc. Accordingly, I have rifled my library and copied some diagrams which, I hope, will help explain some of these alien terms.

Those of you with Pisuth's book will recognise the last three.

[Silverstreak]

Les,

Thank you for the initiative !

I must admit it will definitely benefit me....... after almost 2 years shooting butts , I am still blur like a squid in the descriptive terms!:bsmile:

:cheers:

[Sky Blue]

Thanks for sharing Les !

Sunny, you're not the only one ;-)

[Elizabeth]

:cheergal:
At last somebody did it.
That's very thoughtful, Les. And certainly very much appreciated!
Thank you for sharing.

:) :) :)
-Elizabeth

[atronox]

Thx Les. Been confused by the terms. Do these "veins" vary much in different spp.?

[Painted Jezebel]

With regards to the veins, unfortunately, both the vein pattern and the number of veins very from Genus to Genus. However, the pics show how the numbering works, so they can be used for any species. C&P4 gives the venation characteristics for many Genera.

[Silverstreak]

Adding to the keys:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/Schir/Butterfly2/SNAG_Program-0087.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/Schir/Butterfly2/SNAG_Program-0088.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/Schir/Butterfly2/SNAG_Program-0090.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/Schir/Butterfly2/SNAG_Program-0091.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/Schir/Butterfly2/SNAG_Program-0093.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/Schir/Butterfly2/SNAG_Program-0092.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/Schir/Butterfly2/SNAG_Program-0094.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/Schir/Butterfly2/SNAG_Program-0089.jpg

Courtesy of Wikipedia


Cheers!

[Common Mime]

Great job, Sunny!

[Peacock Royal]

Wow, very clear and useful. Thanks Sunny.

[butterfly_effect]

A great reference for everyone to refer to when describing butterflies! Fantastic consolidation of information.

[Ichoker]

Thanks all for the superb info. still some confusion lingers. I've noticed in Sunny's post that the veins 8 and 9 are missing. why's that? see this also http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:BH001_Delias_eucharis_venation.png

[Silverstreak]

Hi ,

Most venation diagram depicts only the main veins, as Vein 8 and 9 are considered as branches of vein 7 , and also not all species has vein 8 &9 .

There are great variation on the present or absent of vein 8 and 9 across the sub-families

For Hesperiidae all veins on both wings are unbranched and run straight to the costal or distal margin.

For Nymphalidae forewing vein 8 & 9 are present .

whilst in the Lycaenidae's forewing some are with either vein 8 and 9 missing .

:cheers:

[Ichoker]

I've understood that much. and also that wing venation plays a major role in lepidoptera systematics. What I haven't got yet is how do you decide that the vein next to 7 is not 8 and the next not 9. what is the criteria for numbering the veins. thanks

[Silverstreak]

Perhaps Dr. Seow and Mr. Teo T.P can enlighten us ?:)


What I haven't got yet is how do you decide that the vein next to 7 is not 8 and the next not 9. what is the criteria for numbering the veins. thanks

[Ichoker]

anyone please?

[Psyche]

If you have Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula by Corbet & Pendlebury, then it is on page 4 & 5.

The numbering of the veins are from the lowest to the highest.

Note 3 veins are unbranched & always on the costa or forward margin, namely vein 10, 11, & 12.
(Correction: in Amathusines & some Satyrines vein 10 is joined to, ie. arises from vein 7.

Veins 7 , 8, & 9 are usually joined.
If so vein 7 is the lowest vein & vein 8 is said to arise from vein 7 & not the other way round.
likewise with vein 9.
If a vein is missing the first to be absent is assumed to be vein 8, followed by vein 9.

In the case of Delias including D. eucharis it is vein 10 , one of the unbranched costal vein which is absent, not vein 9.

The Wikipedia diagram by Bingham is a century old & outdated.
Likwwise , Sunny your diagram source is in error.

TL Seow:cheers:
Clarification
The veins are arranged like the barbs of a feather.
From the central cell (= shaft or rachis of a feather) the free veins that run on one side are 12, 11, & 10 ,and on the other side 1 to 6.
At the apex 3 veins come close together & are joined to a common origin.
This is seen in most butterflies.
Sometimes vein 10 & or vein 6 also join.
In skippers all the apical veins remain free.

The Wikipedia drawing is a copy of the Delias diagram by Bingham & the veins would be considered wrongly labelled.

[Ichoker]

Thank you Dr. Seow for taking time out to answer this. That was great help. I had gathered as much from Evans' 'The Identification of Indian Butterflies, 1932', but pictures referred above confused me. :)