Skippers ID clarification in Singapore

[sabafish]

Hi Dr. Seow,

Here with another skipper.

Could this be Pelopidas assamensis? It was way larger than the typical P. mathias or P. agna.

DSC_0070.jpg

Thank you!

[Psyche]

Post 26.

Female Pelopidas agna.

P. mathias FW 16 -18 mm
Underside with darkish, grey or uneven shading.
Female.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...hee%20Ming.jpg


P. agna, FW 17 -20 mm.
Underside more uniform medium brown.
Female.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gancw1/22195353146


P. conjunctus ;FW 21 -24mm.
Underside darkish brown; FW spots yellow; HW spots white.
Female.
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-conte...conjunctus.jpg


P. assamensis Very large FW 25 -27 mm.
Antenna with a broad white band; Underside all spots white, very large on FW, very variable on HW.
Male.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...0Ben%20Jin.jpg
Females.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/me...9a053587-2.jpg
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-conte...assamensis.jpg
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/fauna/1/1/1104


TL Seow: Cheers.

[sabafish]

Hi Dr Seow,

Are these photos enough to ID this as Telicota colon?

DSC_0272.jpgDSC_0275.jpgDSC_0278.jpg

Thank you!

[Psyche]

POst 28.

Of the Telicota species T. colon is the easiest to identify.

Male upperside.
FW spots 4 & 5 distorted & staggered out, ie spot 5 is set farther out than spot 4.
Long veinstripes.
Male brnad palced close to the inner margin of the black space.
Always a patch of orange at the base of space 2.
Underside FW clearly shows spots 4 & 5 staggered out & distorted.
Males.
https://i.pinimg.com/600x315/9c/a1/c...16fa66c7d5.jpg
https://alchetron.com/cdn/telicota-c...esize-750.jpeg
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-conte...n-1080x675.jpg


Female.
Spots 4v& 5staggered & not in line as in the male.
FW cellend bars the upper one much longer.
Female always lack the orange patch at the base of space 2.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mushimizu/7267565772
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-grsw9HIBWI...n%2Bstinga.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oK76RoQgG7.../s1600/023.jpg




TL Seow: Cheers.

[sabafish]

Hi Dr Seow,

Here with a new set of skippers from a friend. I am trying my hand at ID-ing them, so would appreciate your assistance to confirm or correct my preliminary IDs.

Thank you!


1. Pelopidas mathias? Ground colour looks unevenly shaded.

279371160_670805010672622_511846373254416622_n-2.jpg

2. Pelopidas agna? This on the other hand looks pretty even.

279020962_712814956427822_6255329990941593286_n-2.jpg

3a. Caltoris cormasa?

279074392_1010021509622869_1957957826315483443_n-2.jpg

3b. Caltoris cormasa?

279284235_405639551378324_3651541161669113056_n-2.jpg

3c. Caltoris cormasa?

DSC_0188.jpg

3d. Pale region of the antenna made me think Caltoris, so perhapsCaltoris cormasa?

279318092_730489004773795_86717901019169521_n-2.jpg

3e. Caltoris cormasa?

279232220_533893141662110_1545757458490096551_n-2.jpg

3f. Caltoris cormasa?

279114685_441400837632940_808999942510470927_n-2.jpg

4. No pale region on antennae, more ochreous UNH so could be C. malaya?

279029609_3027149147548932_1346532006613479939_n-2.jpg

Thank you!

[Psyche]

Post 30.

1 is undoubtedly Pelopidas mathias.


2 is too worn, perhaps correct as P. agna.


P. mathias Darker, greyer ,unevenly shaded; FW cilia darker.
All Singapore examples.
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NQjrfm7_w...enedict_01.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/budak/51631121777
http://www.natureloveyou.sg/Minibeas...205%20(15).JPG
Female.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...hee%20Ming.jpg


P. agna. more uniformly brown, neater.; FW cilia lighter.
All Singapore examples.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hw681ALm5F...ded+Swift+.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tQNuynda7...A_male_06b.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...5eFKg&usqp=CAU
Female.
https://live.staticflickr.com/579/22...f00c7df8_b.jpg

[Psyche]

3a Likely Caltoris malaya male.

The pale area on the antenna is prominent in C. cormasa, bromus & cahira, but less so in C. malaya, & even less so in C. philippina.
However the feature may be variable dependant of the flash or shot angle.

Here the FW is raised high enough to show no upper cellspot.


C. malaya. No cellspot Underside rusty brown in male, more ochreous in female.
All Singapore examples.
Males
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m1O18RS0-...M_adult_01.jpg
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...0812/large.jpg
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...650/large.jpeg
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...341/large.jpeg
female.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFArQYADX...M_adult_04.jpg


Caltoris bromus. More often with 2 large subapical spots rather than 3.
FW almost always with two cellspot.
Underside dark brown overlaid with ochreous scalings.
Female almost always with 1 - 2 underside HW spots.
All Singapore examples.
https://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd5aebfd1.png
https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d...012---7140.jpg
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/38212403
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...5527/large.jpg
Females.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...2716/large.jpg (too red)
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...3072/large.jpg (too red).

https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...504/large.jpeg
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...513/large.jpeg

Actual colour Female C. bromus Taiwan.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6021/6...f055cc62_z.jpg

[Psyche]

3b Caltoris cormasa.female. Too much grey rendition as seen in the background colour.


C. cormasa.
FW with only lower cellspot, but often an upper small cellspot also present; more often 3 subapical spots ,spots yellowish.
Underside HW darker & redder than FW.
Males.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-todEFNke3B...C_adult_02.jpg
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TjKxWVHrQ...herHern_01.jpg
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...5318/large.jpg
female.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dg1jseJPJ2...0/DSC_0115.JPG
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...489/large.jpeg
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...0/original.jpg

[Psyche]

http://www.butterflycircle.com/attac...4&d=1651976343
http://www.butterflycircle.com/attac...5&d=1651976376


3c Baoris ? oceia female. ;subapical & discal spots small.

3d Baoris ? oceia male.; subapical & discal spots small.



3c. FW with 2 equal cellspots ;antenna shaft blackish.
3d. FW upper cellspot crescentic. Pale area on antenna small.


Baoris species .
FW spots often much reduced in the male.
Antennal pale area very small, usually invisible.
HW veins always raised, prominent.( Not unique to Baoris .)
Male in Singapore have upper cellspot crescent/streak.
B. oceia presumably blackish.
B. farri presumably brown.


Baoris farri; more often with complete spots, in female always.
Male India with reduced spot ( B. oceia is absent in India).
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/B...B_DSC_6157.jpg
female.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...ra_ad839_0.jpg
http://butterfliesvietnam.blogspot.c...ush-swift.html

Singapore.
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W2EAN-yRd...i_adult_02.jpg
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EtcxesbOy...eclosed_01.jpg
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JViKD90RJ...oris_sp_02.jpg


Baoris oceia; Spots often more reduced in the male; generally darker.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...ift---Khew.jpg
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zofygsdg7...oris+oceia.jpg

[Psyche]

http://www.butterflycircle.com/attac...7&d=1651976810
http://www.butterflycircle.com/attac...7&d=1651976810

3e. Caltoris cormasa male.
3f. Probably Caltoris cormasa female. Too much grey,note ground colour. 3 subapical spots.