Fraser's Hill Outing - 7-10 Aug 2011

[Psyche]

Seow, in this particular case, I don't think this is the Great Archduke (Lexias cyanipardus sandakana). Whilst the underside of this male, and probably the one that Anthony shot, does not have the pale blue colour, my view is that it's definitely not L. cyanipardus. I have specimens of L. cyanipardus from Panti Forest, and the underside is olive green shaded, instead of this reddish brown. The size also does not match.

Whilst Loke was shooting the underside, I was shooting the upperside of the same male that was in the drain. The upperside is quite obviously the common Archduke (Lexias pardalis dirteana). There may be a subspecies that does not have the blue scaling on the underside of the hindwings or just an aberration. Or is there another Lexias species that we're not aware of?

You are right. I was wondering why no one IDed it as the Archduke, and then I saw the subapical white spot.
I forgot the underside colour is very different.

TL Seow

[Psyche]

Post 54
H. arcuata underside as in Fleming. Note subapical spots one large one small.

Post 54
26. A. unicolor male.
27. A. strigatus male.
28. A. unicolor female.
29 T. linna: hindwing band ends at vein 6 topside;dark veins above, none below(darkend in hilda).
30. Halpe elana.

Post 60
31. Athyma pravara.
32. P. philonome
33. Nacaduba beroe: typical male ; darkened wingbase; reduced/obsolete dark lines in forewing postdiscal band.
34. Prosotas bhutea.
35. Una usta.

TL Seow

[Psyche]

Post 29

The little skipper which have the marking of a Halpe species is actually Aeromachus pygmaeus, a skipper normally found in the north. Note very short blunt antennae without apiculus.

This leaves the puzzling no. 25.
I have look through the Castniid moths and nothing like it is seen.
It looks like a Lycaenid but the antennae are too long.

TL Seow

[Painted Jezebel]

Post 29

The little skipper which have the marking of a Halpe species is actually Aeromachus pygmaeus, a skipper normally found in the north. Note very short blunt antennae without apiculus.

This leaves the puzzling no. 25.
I have look through the Castniid moths and nothing like it is seen.
It looks like a Lycaenid but the antennae are too long.

TL Seow

You just beat me on the Aeromachus pygmaeus, though its location left me puzzled. I had that 'gut feeling' that it was not a Halpe sp., so I had to check what else it could be.

The odd Lycaenid struck me immediately as a worn or aberrant Una usta, but I see what you mean about the length of the antennae. Curious!

You guys must have had a ball, so many wonderful species, and so many skippers to get ones teeth into. Never been there, and I must rectify the situation next year.

[Commander]

The odd Lycaenid struck me immediately as a worn or aberrant Una usta, but I see what you mean about the length of the antennae. Curious!

I concur with that view, Les. Being there, I also noticed this rather worn -out Una usta puddling. I didn't shoot it because of its condition. The apparently shorter antennae could be due to the perspective of the shot when it was taken and the position of the antennae.

[Psyche]

I concur with that view, Les. Being there, I also noticed this rather worn -out Una usta puddling. I didn't shoot it because of its condition. The apparently shorter antennae could be due to the perspective of the shot when it was taken and the position of the antennae.

Great! It didn't even cross my mind.
I kept thinking where in the world is there a Lycaenid with so few spots.

TL Seow

[Commander]

Great! It didn't even cross my mind.
I kept thinking where in the world is there a Lycaenid with so few spots.

The weather up there was sunny in the morning, and thunderstorms in the afternoons. The heavy rainfall and strong winds must've battered quite a few of these butts, as we saw really bashed-up Lycaenids. I saw another Udara that had only half its hindwings left, and it appeared so different at a glance.

Through the nights, we heard thunder some distance away. We also heard news that a landslide at Cameron Highlands claimed some seven lives. Luckily, the rains didn't affect Fraser's Hill when we were there, even though that afternoon when we were caught in a storm, we could see a 'river' of water coming down the road when we were at Jeriau Waterfalls. It's scary when you think of what a bigger storm could bring!