Hi Dr Seow, need your help to ID this skipper. Is it potanthus omaha omaha?
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Hi Dr Seow, need your help to ID this skipper. Is it potanthus omaha omaha?
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It looks good to be a P. ganda male.
In P. ganda the veins are not or only lightly dark dusted ; likewise on the upperside HW; also more orange.
Because P. omaha is variable some confusion is expected.
Ideally an upperside HW showing the undarken veins is helpful.
Typical P. omaha males & pair.
Note the veins are evenly dark including those on the FW;abdominal tip always without a dark band.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...obby%20Mun.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IJRazQaHR5...0/DSC_0005.JPG
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SeSVvRKmjX...thus+omaha.jpg
P. ganda male, Federick Ulu Sumbawang Aug. 2013 .Note veins not darkdusted on both wings; abdominal tip may be dark banded.
Correction: This likely a P. omaha variant.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7ap54Ani6S...tanthus-sp.jpg
The next two are correct as P. ganda.
Male Federick, P. Ubin Jan 2014.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8lpB_kJwF0...tanthus-sp.jpg
Another example.
http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1337/1...ac5c42d89d.jpg
The other species also have the veins not darken especially when fresh.
P. juno ;groundcolour lightly dar shaded ;FW typically with 2 subapical spots.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/showt...highlight=juno
P.serina male ;large ;sharp FW; FW spot 5 smaller than spot 4. HW band with small upper inner extension; clean look.Abdominal tip always with black band.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...serina-KSK.jpg
The next three species have heavy dark spots on the underside.
P.trachala male. FW spots 4 & 5 with no overlap but linked by spikes to the other ;HW spot 4/5 (upper part of band) project from the lower two spots' outer margins more than in other species.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kvlAhJLLsd...la-tytleri.jpg
P. confucius male, Federick, Tampines Eco Park Dec. 2014.
Similar to P. trachala but wide overlap of FW spots 4 & 5 above & below; HW spot 4/5 less projecting.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HbP5kenLKN...us%2Bsp%2B.jpg
P. mingo male , Brian ;HW band notched by dark spots creating a zigzag appearance.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f3wB2A2ujB...0/_MG_1531.jpg
P. ganda is not rare but very easily confused with P. omaha.
TL Seow:Cheers.
Last edited by Psyche; 30-Sep-2015 at 06:16 PM. Reason: ID Correction
Thank you Dr Seow for the detailed explanation.
After much searching & comparing this male is likely just a P. omaha variant.
There are too much dark dustings of the veins compared to all typical examples of P. ganda.
TL Seow : Cheers.