ID Request

[Ngangom Aomoa]

Dear Dr. Seow,
Kindly provide the ID keys to differentiate between Porotia erycinoides, P. hewitsoni and P. pleurata. I m sharing two specimen photos which I have.

10.a Taken in Arunachal Pradesh
Z50_8861.JPG

10.b (under of 10.a)
Z50_8873.JPG

11. Taken in Meghalaya
AOM_3549.JPG

Regards
Aomoa

[Ngangom Aomoa]

ID please.
It seems to have features of both Mimathyma ambica and bhavana (as per my books).

12.a. Taken in Arunachal Pradesh
Z50_9122.JPG

12.b (another angle of 12.a)
Z50_9124.JPG

Thanks

[Psyche]

Post 14.
10.https://www.butterflycircle.com/atta...1&d=1732203835
https://www.butterflycircle.com/atta...2&d=1732203879
11. https://www.butterflycircle.com/atta...3&d=1732203933

Male Poritia hewitsoni hewitsoni.
The undersides are just too difficult & inconsistent to separate.


P. hewitsoni.
Male UpH cell & space 4 with some blue patches or scalings.
upF cell often black or with a small basal blue & sometimes a mid cell blue spot.
Ssp tavoyana UpH cell & space 4 mostly blue with the cellend vein black.
Female with extensive purple on HW.
Very variable.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...d47ba4-2_1.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...b9fbbf-1_1.jpg
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc1/80060010.html
https://wingscales.com/Lycaenidae/Po...tsoni-tavoyana

P. erycinoides.
Male often a deeper blue.
Male UpF cell with a basal blue bar.
UpH cell & space 4 black except for small blue patch in space 4, nearer margin.
Female UpH mostly brown, with orange mark & little blue.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc1/80030020.html
https://wingscales.com/Lycaenidae/Po...inoides-elsiei

P. pleurata.
UpH cell & space 4 largely black as in P. erycinoides.
Male UpF cell mostly blue/green.
Underside grey ground with cinnamon bands.
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poriti...taMUpUnAC1.jpg
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc1/80065001.html
https://m.singapore.biodiversity.onl...doptera-000475

[Psyche]

Post 15.
12 https://www.butterflycircle.com/atta...4&d=1732204990
https://www.butterflycircle.com/atta...5&d=1732205010

Mimathyma ambica.
FW with three subapical spots. Brilliant blue gloss.
FW margin less curved.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...c1c851d4fa.jpg
https://wingscales.com/Nymphalidae/M...ambica-miranda


Mimathyma bhavana.
FW with two subapical spots. Less blue? (Moore 's description of the type specimen he have, which have two subapical spots.)
FW margin more incurved;
Submarginal spots mostly absent.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...?itok=upazMZqD
Moore's description.
https://archive.org/details/transact...p?view=theater

Verdict; This have the appearance of Mimathyma bhavana.
The sharper FW with more incurved margin, the lack of submarginal spots.
The third tiny subapical spot could easily be a variable feature & absent in most examples of M. bhavana.
The veins on the FW white band are also more distinctly darkened.


TL Seow: Cheers.
PS. Doubleday's description of M. ambica (as Apatura namouna.)
He mentioned of the submarginal spots seven on the posterior wing.
https://archive.org/details/annalsma...p?view=theater
This example of M. ambica have the third tiny subapical spot almost obsolete.
https://www.google.com/imgres?q=mima...D9gQM3oECGIQAA

[Psyche]

12.https://www.butterflycircle.com/atta...4&d=1732204990
https://www.butterflycircle.com/atta...5&d=1732205010

This is best left as a form of M. ambica with reduced markings. Confirmation :It is M. ambica with reduced HW submarginal spots.
There is wide variation in this species but all seem to have three FW (sub)apical spots.

M. ambica.
FW usually with 3 (sub)apical spots.
Usually with a series of white submarginal spots (at leasr HW apex.) .
Hw lacks a defined fulvous brown submarginal fascia (band).
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...711_265527.jpg
Underside ;FW discal spots less distinct; HW brown band broad.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...350_265534.jpg
Form with the UpH submarginal spots reduced.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...les/tbe877.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...les/tbe876.jpg

M. bhavana.
Usually two (sub)apical spots.
Submarginal white spots absent.
Fulvous brown submatginal fascia(band) especially on HW.
Underside UnF discal spots whiter, more contrasting; HW brown band narrower.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...809_263919.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...809_263920.jpg
https://biodiversity.bt/observation/show/61668
https://biodiversity.bt/group/Guides...vation/show/74


TL Seow: Cheers.

[Ngangom Aomoa]

Dear Dr. Seow,
Kindly confirm if the two below are Eurema simulatrix. Taken from West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh India

13.
Z50_8843.JPG

14.
Z50_9188.JPG

And what could this be, looks like Ciliate blue but the spots are missing.
15.
Z50_8894.JPG

Thanks a lot and warm regards
Aomoa

[Psyche]

13 https://www.butterflycircle.com/atta...9&d=1734536988
14 https://www.butterflycircle.com/atta...0&d=1734537012

Yes, they are both Eurema simulatrix.
This & E. blanda are very similar both with a small curved spot at the base of HW space 7.
E. blanda have three cellspot but the innermost dot may be obscured, faded or absent.
Furthermore in India both have similar UnF markings in the apical zone, from having a large brown patch to nothing.

A quick & certain ID difference is that E. simulatrix have an extra spot at the cellends of both wings.
EURE.png

eg.
E. simulatrix.
https://wingscales.com/Pieridae/Eure...rix-sarinoides
https://wingscales.com/media/2400/7545-1-68912.jpg
E. blanda.
https://wingscales.com/media/2400/6452-1-9eb81.jpg
https://wingscales.com/media/2400/6636-1-f570e.jpg

Added Note: In SE Asia ssp tecmessa, the extra spot is very small on the HW, & may be obsolete on the FW.
Singapore.
https://www.butterflycircle.com/chec...essa---Khe.jpg



15.https://www.butterflycircle.com/atta...1&d=1734537067

Many examples of Anthene emolus do not have dark spot on the inner margin.
https://wingscales.com/Lycaenidae/Anthene-emolus-emolus


Anthene lycaenina is IDed by the following.
1. UnF postdiscal band very close & touching the submarginal spots.
2. UnH with a free dark spot in space 7.
3. UnH without a dark spot on the inner margin.
Note below 3rd image from Phetchaburi is a slightly aberrant A. emolus.
https://wingscales.com/Lycaenidae/An...enina-lycambes

A 3rd species A. licates could possibly stray into India from Myanmar.
UnF cell is marked by a large spot.
https://wingscales.com/Lycaenidae/An...cates-dusuntua


TL Seow: Cheers.