Skipper ID request

[Psyche]

You need to know the butterfly venations & the terms used to describe the spots otherwise what I say may make no sense.

'Overlap' mean to cover partially or wholly their facing margins.
In P. mingo spot 4 & 5 overlap the other spots ie spot 5 overlap spot 6 ( not always), & spot 4 overlaps spot 3.
In P. trachala spots 4 & 5 do not overlap the other spots.
POTANTHUS.png

P. trachala .
Male.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...9061/large.jpg
Female.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...3592/large.png


P. mingo. Abdominal end black band , less obvious in female.
Name Zigzag Banded Dart coined by some Thai enthusiast; it probably refer to the HW band's zigzag margin in fresh male.
Male.
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iop_f9Jev...oDart-JonS.jpg
Female, Cambodia.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...6662/large.jpg



TL Seow: Cheers.

[Zicky]

You need to know the butterfly venations & the terms used to describe the spots otherwise what I say may make no sense.

'Overlap' mean to cover partially or wholly their common margins.
In P. mingo spot 4 & 5 overlap the other spots ie spot 5 overlap spot 6 ( not always), & spot 4 overlaps spot 3.
In P. trachala spots 4 & 5 do not overlap the other spots.
POTANTHUS.png

P. trachala .
Male.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...9061/large.jpg
Female.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...3592/large.png


P. mingo. Abdominal end black band , less obvious in female.
Name Zigzag Banded Dart coined by some Thai enthusiast; it probably refer to the HW zigzag margin in fresh male.
Male.
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iop_f9Jev...oDart-JonS.jpg
Female, Cambodia.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...6662/large.jpg



TL Seow: Cheers.

Thank you so much doctor Seow! Greatly appreciate this and helps me understand a lot better. Prior to this, i always look at the forewing spot 4 and 5, but found the overlapping part to be rather confusing as such. This has aid me in Identifying thw skipper much better until i get my hands on the C&P5 book!

Skipping regards
Zicky

[Zicky]

Hi Doctor Seow,

I have attempted ID again, would like some clarification. I uploaded separate inat link in case of poor photo quality downgrade due to resizing.

1 - Caltoris cormasa?
inat link - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133060722
caltoris1.jpg

2 - T.besta?
inat link-https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133060729
t.besta1.1.jpgt.besta2.1.jpgt.besta1.2.jpg

3 - which pelopidas may i inquire? It is killed by a crab spider already
inat link - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133060733
pelopidasDEAD.jpg

4 - T.besta? i see the hingwing veins are raised
inat link - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133060735
t.besta3.1.jpgt.besta3.2.jpgt.besta3.3.jpg

5 - P.sadanka?
inat link - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133060724
p.sadanka1.1.jpgp.sadanka1.2.jpg


Thanks in advance!

with skipping regards
Zick

[Psyche]

Post 63.

1. Caltoris cormasa . Colour is rather pale here.


2 & 4. Telicota colon male.
T. colon is IDed by the FW spot 4 & 5 being not aligned ,but staggered out.
TELICOT.png
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iRfNeV5wQ...t-LemonTea.jpg

Other males have spots 4 & 5 aligned & rectangular.


3. Female Pelopidas mathias; HW is largely greyish.



5. Probably correct as P. sandaka female.

P. hordonia males.
FW submarginal grey band broad & unbroken.
P. Malaysia.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6TIVtGI_ok...0/DSC_0229.JPG
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UsULpFSI_...0/DSC_2572.JPG
Singapore.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oiSX3-kyP...ascar-KSK4.jpg

Certain females P. hordonia. Note grey band unbroken. orange band may be obsolete.
Thailand.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0a/f2...fd389661b5.jpg
Java.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5oMyLkj9d...donia%2529.jpg
Hong Kong.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/137111202@N08/50254414967

Probable female P. hordonia.Singapore.
These have relative broad & unbroken grey bands.
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ewzeeOI6...ascar-Fed2.jpg



P. sandaka
FW grey marginal band narrow ,often broken.
Males.
P. Malaysia.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c8rXTibfeq...0/DSC_0137.JPG

Singapore.
Male.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNRH3neo0...ascar-Fed3.jpg
Female.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...erick%20Ho.jpg
https://static.inaturalist.org/photo...278/large.jpeg


TL Seow: Cheers.

[Zicky]

Really appreciate the drawing Doctor Seow! feeling way more confident IDing darts in Singapore now!


Regards
Zicky

[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!