Skipper ID request

[Zicky]

A quick follow up question,

i was reading through the older members archive and realise there might be more curetis than is currently on the checklist, thus, i would like to inquire whether this very cute curetis is a curetis santana

1 - Curetis satana? i have added partial open wing shot and underside shot as well.
inat link - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133443496
cutesunbeam1.jpgcutesunbeam2.jpgcutesunbeam3.jpg

with regards like the sunbeam
Zicky

[Psyche]

Post 66.
It is a male Curetis santana.

The species recorded in the past in Singapore are.

1. C. santana.
2. saronis.
3 C. bulis.
4. C regula.
5.C. tagalica.
7. C. sperthis.

C. bulis is very similar to C. santana ie FW band oblique; Ground with fine black dots.
CURET.png

C. santana.
HW postdiscal spots 6 & 7 in line.
HW submarginal spots 6 & 7 out of line.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ICztPUgh..._female_01.jpg
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...Sunny-Chir.jpg


C. bulis.
HW postdiscal spot 6 tuck under spot 7 which is convex.
HW submarginal spots 6 & 7 in line.
SSp.bulis Laos.
http://www.jpmoth.org/~dmoth/Butterf.../070501031.jpg
http://www.jpmoth.org/~dmoth/Butterf...070501031B.jpg
Thailand.
https://livedoor.blogimg.jp/beyondno...0/404422e0.jpg
https://livedoor.blogimg.jp/beyondno...b/0b1e9cab.jpg

These two observations look to be C. bulis.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120299120
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131436417


Of the others.
C. sperthis resembles C. saronis in the band being parallel to margin, but ground speckled with black dots.
One female by Sunny Chir labelled as C. saronis.
C. tagalica.Resembles C. saronis but leg banded black/ grey.
One observation by Federick Ho match this.
C. regula resembles C. saronis but band regular & legs banded black.
No observation seen.


TL Seow: CHeers.

[Psyche]

Correction


Oops!.
The upperside already clearly shows it it Curetis bulis.
I was blind sided by previous examples with narrow orange bands labelled as C. santana.
eg.
https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/ma...114769-1842380
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4565/...71544b58_c.jpg

Eliot state in C. bulis base of space 7 at least half black.
In your pix the FW is raised high so there is no ambiquity where space 7 is.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc3/84030010.html
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc3/84050010.html

In C. bulis HW postdiscal spot 7 is large & & spot 6 is small & tuck under (inwards ) of spot 7.
HW submarginal spots are in line. In your case not so clear cut.
UntitleBULIS.png
Correction: HW upperside Space 6 & 7 in above images are actually space 5 & 6.
Space 7 is hidden under the FW in the image below.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...2082/large.jpg


It would appear C. bulis is not that rare.


TL Seow: Cheers.

[Psyche]

Correction:
In the image below ,zooming (Google or handphone) shows the HW orange band seen is only to space 6, space 7 being under the FW.
However the HW orange band is way too narrow to be C. santana.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...2082/large.jpg


In the past several narrow orange band were thought to be C. bulis but proving it was diificult without a proper upperside HW view.

Here is one with both upperside & underside.
Central Catchment Area 2017 by Jonanthan Soong.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4565/...71544b58_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4576/...6929a62b_c.jpg

The upperside zoomed in shows the veins clearly & space 7 is definitely black more than half its length.
The length of space 7 is from the base of the HW cell to the end of vein 7 at the margin.
CURETBU.png

Compare with this C. bulis from Vietnam.
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KkGDROWOl...ulis%2BCP1.jpg
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pY--gWVi7...ulis%2BCP2.jpg
http://butterfliesvietnam.blogspot.c...t-sunbeam.html


C. santana Singapore.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rK5kA3sO0...e_Sunny_03.jpg


C. bulis is likely not that rare in Singapore.
The underside markings can come very close to that of C. santana.
Past examples were thought to be some forms of C. santana because of conflicting images from the web & the rarity of getting a good upperside shot for confirmation.



TL Seow: Cheers.

[Zicky]

Thank you so much Doctor Seow!

Looks like i will need to start becoming some digital artist alongside now as well haha


With regards
Zicky!

[Psyche]

Thank you so much Doctor Seow!

Looks like i will need to start becoming some digital artist alongside now as well haha


With regards
Zicky!

I am afraid I have to disappoint you here.

I forgot how difficult & confusing in the past to try & work it out the Curetis species.


Firstly your observation here.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133060718

It is a female from the large labial palps, rounded HW slightly hooked FW apex.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...2027/large.jpg
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...2082/large.jpg

Compare with males C. santana.
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t9119-E8A...S_adult_05.jpg
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t9119-E8A...S_adult_05.jpg


No male Curetis species in our area have the HW orange reduced to a band.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc3/84050010.html
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc3/84030010.html
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc3/84070001.html
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc3/84110010.html


The female C. santana is so rare no proper observation found.
Below is image from Bornean Lycaenid.
AA2.PNG


The underside markings .HW postdiscal spots 6 & 7 in line & submarginal spots 6 & 7 out of line is also that of C. santana
This shows that your observation is actually a Female Curetis santana.

Compare Female C. saronis.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...975/large.jpeg

Unknown female with an irregular HW band.
This looks to be the female C. tagalica.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131688085
Compare Female tagalica from Bornean lycaenid.
Attachment 27950


Other observations.
C. santana.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/74695451
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7331669
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90629654


Possibly C. bulis.
FW with a narrower patch ;HW with a longer black bar basally extending beyond the origin of vein 6 & 7.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/6911941
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/98755895
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/95371774



TL Seow: Cheers.

[Psyche]

Female C. tagalica from Bornean Lycaenid.
AAGA.PNG

The irregular HW band seem to match.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131688085