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Originally Posted by Painted Jezebel
P. agleoides lacks 2 of the 3 blue discal spots seen on the forewing.
Just below the upper end of the long blue costal streak is the costal part of the endcell spot.
In I. similis the spot is very variable, and the costal part can be small.
In checking more than a dozen I. vulgaris, this portion is always extended into a long thin streak.
All that is needed is a bit more view of the forewing to establish its ID with certainty.
TL Seow
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Thanks, guys.
I just re-checked my photos but unfortuately, that is the only shot that I took of the Tiger. My first Red-spot Sawtooth had just arrived at the bait at the same time as the Tiger and I was more interested in photographing it. When I finished, the Tiger was gone.
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Common Tiger (Danaus genutia) (thanks, Seow): 2 along trail to Jeriau Falls.
Chocolate Tiger (Parantica melaneus): Common at Fraser's Hill
Dark Blue Tiger (Tirumala septntrionis): Only one at first falls below the Gap.
Other Danainae seen but not photographed included:
- Parantica sita: I saw several of these on the telecom loop. It took me a couple of days before I realized that they were different from the Chocolate Tigers. Unfortunately, I never saw one settle where I could photograph it.
- Ideopsis gaura: This small Tree Nymph was seen a few times near Jeriau Falls.
- Idea lynceus: More common at lower elevations such as the two sites below the Gap.
- Euploea sp.: A small crow was seen at the first waterfall below the Gap.
RHIODINIDS
Tailed Judy (Abisara neophron): These butterflies were common along the Telecom Loop. They seemed to be the most active in the late afternoon when shadows crossed the road. At that time, I would see these fast-flying butterflies that seemed to be patrolling sections of the road. The one below had been sitting on the road in the morning with wings tilted upwards until it was disturbed by a car. It then flew to a sunny perch and opened its wings.
Abisara kausambi, female (thanks, Seow). I only saw one of these along the creek 8 km below the Gap.
Punchinello (Zemeros flegyas): This one was my only sighting and it was on lantana along the Telecom Loop.
Last edited by moloch; 17-Jul-2011 at 09:55 AM.
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Loke,
We arrived at Fraser's Hill on a Saturday afternoon and left at 4am the following Saturday. One day was grey and cool with few butterflies seen. On other days, the sun usually burned through the clouds by lunch and I would have three or four hours to chase butterflies before their activity diminished once again.
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What a pity! Still after careful comparisons, I am 80% confident of the ID.
The Black-veined Tiger is actually the Common Tiger (D. genutia). The tawny shading on the hindwing indicates its ID.
The Dark Blue Tiger is an enigma to me. I always see it as a large black Tiger with glittering green marks in the sun.
Yet in pics it is always blue.
Does anyone have the same experience ?
The Judy should be A. kausambi female. Even allowing for some perspective distortion, the underside line is very straight across both wings; the upperside submarginal band is also better defined.
TL Seow
Power Member
Thanks again, Seow, for the corrections.
PAPILIONIDAE
I found a single dragontail on two occasions in a secluded corner of the sand flat along the trail to Jeriau Falls. I had baited this area. I am not certain of the identify. I don't see pale green on its wings but then, I can't really see that colour on other photos of Lamproptera meges. The band through the wing seems to be wide and this more closely matches the illustration of L. meges in C&P4 but the shots of L. curius in Khew's et al report from Ipoh also looks very similar. What should I be looking at to identify this butterfly?
Lamproptera meges (thanks, Seow)
Red Helen (Papilio helenus): Common at all three sites.
Great Mormon (Papilio memnon): A few at all three sites.
Graphium bathycles or G. chironides? I only saw one of these on most days near Jeriau Falls and one along the creek 8 km below the Gap. The orange bands on the lower wing seem wide to me so my guess would be G. bathycles.
Graphium bathycles (thanks, Seow)
Blue Jay (Graphium evamon): a few seen near Jeriau Falls.
Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon): The most common Graphium as per normal.
I was excited to see what I think is a rare swallowtail at the sandy area along the trail to Jeriau Falls. The swallowtail was larger than a Graphium but smaller than the Papilio swallowtails. It was brown and yellowish on both surfaces and had a long tail on each wing. The swallowtail initially was flying over the forest canopy but then dropped on three occasions to the sandy flat where it briefly puddled. It was always too quick for my T180 and I did not even manage a record shot. I believe that it was Meandrusa payeni.
Last edited by moloch; 18-Jul-2011 at 04:50 PM.
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Dragontail is Lamproptera meges.
L. meges: forewing uppermost window about 2/3 width of next, black margin narrower; hindwing band as broad as that on the forewing but tapers downwards.
L. curius: forewing uppermost window about 1/2 or less the width of next,black margin broader; hindwing band narrower than forewing band & similarly tapered.
Graphium is G. bathycles.
In G. chironides, there is an extra narrow window on the hindwing, within the broad black band that is parallel to the body band.
Meandrusa payeni is a remarkable butterfly with sickle wings that have a nervous erratic flight like a Graphium. Males are seen at low altitudes as well.
This butterfly suffers the unfortunate fate of being called the Yellow Gorgon. This appeared to arise from the mistaken notion that Meandrusa is the scientific name of Medusa, the most famous of the Gorgon sisters.
Meandrusa is from the River Meandrus (Maindros in Greek, Meander in English) a winding river famed in Greek myths & legends. It is presently the Meneres River in Turkey.
TL Seow
Last edited by Psyche; 18-Jul-2011 at 11:17 AM. Reason: clue correction
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Wow.. you really got a lot more than all of us visited there. Congrats to you and make me want to go back there agin.
In previous trip, we have seen Meandrusa payeni too but it didn't stop for us.
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As always, thanks so much for your assistance with the identifications, Seow. It is helpful to know the clues that you use for sorting out these similar species.
Yellow Gorgon? What an unfortunate name for a nice butterfly! It is too bad that it was so nervous and did not stay in one spot long enough for a photo.
Thanks, LC. I was lucky and saw many species this year. It was great to have a hire car so that I could quickly head down to lower elevations when the hill was too cool and overcast. That made a big difference and I saw a number of species below the Gap that I did not encounter near Fraser's.
I kept wondering what you and Nelson would have come up with. Both of you were so good at spotting things in Maliau and always ended up with more interesting finds than me.
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Four-bar Swallowtail (Pathysa agetes): I only saw one of these pretty swallowtails along track to Jeriau Falls. The day was windy and the butterfly was often spooked by the wind gusts. I never could get near enough to take good shots of it.
This butterfly has me confused and I am not certain of its identity. Is it Chilasa clytia? It showed more brown on the lower wing than is illustrated in C&P4. I only saw it once below the dam wall along the trail to Jeriau Falls.
Hestina mimetica (thanks, Aaron)
Other Papilionids seen but not photographed included:
- Trogonoptera brookiana: along trail to Jeriau Falls.
- Troides sp: widespread.
- Banded Peacock (Papilio palinurus): 8 km below the Gap.
- Yellow Gorgon (Meandrusa payeni): once along the trail to Jeriau Falls.
- Banded Swallowtail (Papilio demolion): once along the trail to Jeriau Falls.
- Five-barred Swallowtail (Pathysa antiphates): one at falls 4 km below the Gap.
LYCAENIDAE
Blue Leaf Blue (Amblypodia narada) (thanks, Seow). I poured shrimp paste bait on the bridge that crosses the creek a little above the falls. I saw lots of butterflies flying along the creek and wanted to see what might stop. It did not take long for this Leaf Blue to arrive. The upper surface was a lovely purple.
Common Hedge Blue (Acytolepis puspa): a few seen 8 km below the Gap.
Malayan Sunbeam (Curetis santana): these butterflies were numerous at both locations below the Gap.
Pea Blue (Lampides boeticus): One only below the dam along the trail to Jeriau Falls.
Last edited by moloch; 19-Jul-2011 at 07:00 PM.
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