Arhopala Collection for ID

[Painted Jezebel]

It seems I would have got the last one (A. delta) correct, (that is what I got to when using the keys, but did not feel confident enough to say so). That makes a change!

Attached is one specimen that is giving me trouble.

It has the spot in 11, which suggests a member of the Alitaeus group. However, there are two things that worry me.
1)The forewing postdiscal band is much, much wider than any specimen from this group that I have seen before.
2) Forewing postdiscal spot 4 is not as far shifted distad from 5 & 6, as normal.

[Psyche]

The shift in postdiscal spot 4 is too little as its inner margin is not stepped with spot 5 and the pale marginal line is unbroken.

I did try both lines 101 and 120 as well as line 153.

The closest match is A. aurelia ignoring the spot in space 11. The darkly contrasted colouration and broad band seems to match.

There were a few aurelia IDs in the past that may turn out to be evansi.

TL Seow
PS. Looking at A. aida the degree of shift distad of spot 4 is quite variable and can be quite small eg. pl. 41/14. Thus following line 101 it can only be A. aida despite the band being broad.
PS2. I forgot. A. havilandi also need to be considered.

[Psyche]

I did a check of the Arhopalas, and the spot in space 11 practically IDed it as a member of the alitaeus group as you indicated earlier.
Only a few other with distinctive markings, eg. democritus have this spot.

The members with a slatey glaze and stronger contrasted markings are A. aida, havilandi, alitaeus, & sintanga.Both havilandi & sintanga are confined to Borneo & southern Malaya. In any case they look quite different.
A. alitaeus is obviously different with its rounded spots.
A. aida from Ko Samui looks quite different too.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...aMFUpUnAC1.jpg

Two possible members of group in Yutaka website, A. atrax & A. alax are found well up north.
I am just at a loss what this should be at the moment.

TL Seow
PS. A. atrax & alax do not seem to be in the alitaeus group.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...xMFUpUnAC1.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/monsoon...oi/4288022972/

[Painted Jezebel]

I am just at a loss what this should be at the moment.

TL Seow

So am I!!! It just does not seem to fit anything I can see in books, either from Sundaland or the North,

[Painted Jezebel]

I seem to have missed a couple taken in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province, Thailand, that I only have as Arhopala sp. on my site. Any help on ID would be much appreciated.

Hopefully I may have some more in the next week. Both Antonio and I are suffering badly from Islanditis, and need to get off our respective islands asap, so we are off to Khao Sok National Park for 3/4 days v. shortly.

[Psyche]

If I remembered the key correctly the 1st should be easy enough A. antimuta.
The 2nd is a member of the amphimuta group. Since it does'nt looks like amphimuta or major it should be one of the other 2.
Can't remember the key exactly, some about the tornal white dot.
Need to check the book.

TL Seow

[Banded Yeoman]

Interesting.


I know I am no expert at all to say this,
But if I remember correctly, a. antimuta has 2 of the hindwing costa spots are not alined, but facing outwards?

[Psyche]

Interesting.


I know I am no expert at all to say this,
But if I remember correctly, a. antimuta has 2 of the hindwing costa spots are not alined, but facing outwards?

Not sure what you meant Jonanthan, but A. antimuta is readily ID'ed by a combination of three features.
1. The hindwing postdiscal spot in space 7 sits directly on top that in space 6 so that their inner margins are in line.
2 The hindwing is tailless.
3. There is a green tornal patch.
4. (Additional criterion required )Hindwing postdiscal band usually completedly dislocated at vein 2)

Have a look at pic 2. The postdiscal spot in space 7 is the one with a tear-line cutting across it. Notice it sits well to the inside of the spot in space 6 (the one below it). The inner margins are staggered & totally out of line.


Pic 2 is a difficult one. It boils down to whether the postdiscal band is considered fully dislocated (amphimuta & major ) or only partially so (moolaiana & norda) at vein 2. Individual variations mean this feature overlaps.
In A. major the lunulate spot in space 1b is narrow and J or L -shaped.
In A. amphimuta it is usually narrow & V-shaped.
In A. moolaiana & norda, they are broad & v-shaped.

This one is somewhat in between.
A. major can be ruled out.

TL Seow

[Painted Jezebel]

Thank you. Of course iNo.1 is A. antimuta, I should have easily recognised it . There are only two tailless Arhopala where the hindwing postdiscal spaces in 5,6 & 7 are not in echelon, and the other is A. inornata, which this is most obviously not.

I am in definite need of some R&R in the jungle, my brain is going!

[Psyche]

Jonanthan, I think I know what you meant.
The other way to describe A. antimuta is to state that the 3 outer spots in space 5, 6 & 7 are out of line, thats it, you cannot draw a line through the centres of these 3 spots. (pic 1)

In pic 2 a line can be drawn more or less through the centres of these 3 spots.

Les, I supposed the 'islanditis' is the itchy rash you described in another post.
Do you need a quick cure prescription ?

TL Seow