Doleschallia bisaltide australis

[Sky Blue]

Looking at this Australian Autumn Leaf (Australian Leafwing) photos, it seems to be very much different from our australis, so I wonder whether ours is really australis :thinking:

Photo from Garry Sankowsky (http://www.pbase.com/conroy11/image/53577971) website

http://i.pbase.com/o4/07/621007/1/53577971.03austlf5_2.jpg

Our local version by CP
http://www.b-pals.com/butts/photo1/82_1183556218.jpg

[Commander]

The local version posted here is of a female. The different shades of orange is more pronounced in the female, as in the subspecies pratipa.

The males are more orange, and there is usually no difference in shade on the fore and hindwings.

As for ssp australis, after looking at it, Col Eliot & Dr Kirton posted it in their C&P4 update article as Doleschallia bisaltide ?bisaltide as they did not think it was australis. My Singapore checklist also indicates as per their article. Also note Cabbage White's scientific name.

I'll post the actual text of their paragraph later.

[Sky Blue]

I see... Thanks for the info :)

[Commander]

Here you go... as taken from C&P4 update by Col JN Eliot on page 10 of the Malayan Nature Journal Vol 59, Part I, October 2006.:)

P. 166
Doleschallia bisaltide. In the Langkawi Islands, two currently recognized subspecies, D. b. pratipa C& R Felder 1860, and D. b. siamensis Fruhstorfer, 1912, occur together, and so far no intergrades have been found (Arshad et al., 2000). In siamensis the female more or less resembles the male, with a detached, yellowish, subapical band on the black apex of the forewing. Only time will tell if these two overlapping taxa have evolved into distinct subspecies.

In addition, a new form has been found in Selangor, flying alongside pratipa, and also in Singapore, by Yong & Rosli Hashim (2002). This form differs from pratipa in having five small white spots on the black apex of the forewing, lacking the large white spots on the underside that are usually present in pratipa, and most significantly in the larva, which these authors have bred on Asystasia intrusa (Acanthaceae), which exactly resembles the larve of the Papuan and Australian D. b. australis C&R Felder, with red spots (absent in pratipa) at the base of the lateral scoli. However, australis is an inappropriate name for this newly discovered taxon, since the adult phenotype differs so strongly. The origin of the new taxon is unknown. Rather similar forms occur in the Philippines, but a Philippine origin seems most unlikely. It is tentatively suggested that it might be a variety of nominate D. bisaltide from Java (type locality) which may have reached Malaysia. ?under its own steam? by a process of island hopping. To ensure that its presence is not overlooked it is included in the Check List as D. bisaltide ?bisaltide var.

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank you for this SK. I have rechecked the cat (red spotted) that I bred in December, and the eclosed adult has the white subapical spots (but only 4). Apparently, this form has spread up to here at least! Photo of male herewith, if you could just confirm for me. Thanks.

[Commander]

Yes, I would say that what you've depicted is the subspecies that is being described here.

However, there are some points made by Col Eliot that I would not immediately agree with. These are :

This form differs from pratipa in having five small white spots on the black apex of the forewing, lacking the large white spots on the underside that are usually present in pratipaNot always true, as we have specimens with these large white spots on the underside as well as featuring the five subapical white spots on the forewing above. So the absence of the large white spots underside is not a totally reliable characteristic for separating the subspecies of D. bisalitide.

Rather similar forms occur in the Philippines, but a Philippine origin seems most unlikely.Unlikely maybe, but highly possible. This is because a few of the butterfly farms in the region are known to have imported pupae from Indonesia, Philippines and even further afield. We have seen Indo-Australian subspecies at Sentosa, and even at the Zoo, there have been imports of Ornithoptera and Morpho. (http://www.naturephotosociety.org.sg/dcforum/DCForumID9/1883.html)

There have been species which originate from Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia and Australia seen in Singapore and Malaysia, and perhaps a taking a closer look at the Philippines sub-species may be something worthwhile when we trace the origins of this D. bisaltide subspecies. Remember that the Tawny Coster and the Leopard Lacewing did not occur here in Singapore when the early authors were active in the region. The Black Rose is another curious one. If it's subspecies antiphus as suspected, then it has a Bornean origin, and somehow helped to cross the open oceans to reach Singapore's shores!

[Painted Jezebel]

Thanks SK. More work to do on the D. bisaltide page!:sweat:

[Glorious Begum]

Good to have someone bring it up here.
I was quite confused about 2 batches of red spots cats that I bred. Fisrt batch is Doleschallia bisaltide australis, and the later is totally same like Les's with 4 white spots on the black apex. :sweat: