what skipper?

[robin ngiam]

Hi,

Can help to ID this skipper? Palm Dart, Common Dartlet or Besta Palm Dart?
How do one separate these three?

Thanks
Robin

[Sky Blue]

Do you have any shots showing the upperside, that will help in the ID.

[robin ngiam]

Hi,

I didn't get any pics of its underside. Its not possible to ID this skipper without the underside?

Thanks

[Commander]

Unfortunately, not. The genera Telicota and Cephrenes have rather similar looking undersides, so we can't be 100% sure on a shot like this.

In fact, after comparison of earlier field-taken specimens, we now have records of Cephrenes trichopepla found in Lower Seletar and TBHP from 2007! Only with a chance record of the early stages by LC Goh (in KL) and Horace, from caterpillars collected in Semakau, did we realise the existence of this hitherto unrecorded species.

A few of us, with some validation from Kelvyn Dunn of Australia, are now putting together the details for a journal article to record its finding.

We now have to look for a 3rd Indo-Australian species, Cephrenes augiades that is also similar looking and has almost similar habits and share some host plants with C. trichopepla.

[Wanderer]

so these butts crossed the wallace line northwards?

[Commander]

More like hitched a ride on SQ Business Class maybe... :bsmile: