Thanks for the help, Dr Seow. Knowing the extent of variability will really help for future identifications; unfortunately there aren't many resources for the alea subgroup for comparison.
sublustris seems quite variable ventrally.
Thanks for the help, Dr Seow. Knowing the extent of variability will really help for future identifications; unfortunately there aren't many resources for the alea subgroup for comparison.
sublustris seems quite variable ventrally.
Aaron Soh
Shot this today. The two dorsals were taken hours apart but i think they're the same individual because of the way they're torn. The dorsal blue is quite muted (i didn't adjust the colours).
The post-discal band on the forewing seems very strange to me. Probably either A. milleri or evansi? It was really shifty so i couldn't get good close-ups. C&P4 claims evansi has a pinkish wash but i find this really hard to judge
Arhopala best 1 cropped edited resized.jpg
dorsal 1 cropped edited resized.jpg
dorsal 2 best cropped edited resized.jpg
Aaron Soh
It looks like you have the rare A. milleri.
The upperside is described in C&P4 as a 'more matt darker indigo blue'. It is not totally non-reflective.
I have seen a number of A. sublustrus uppersides & this is definitely not it.
Most A. milleri have FW spot 9 in line with the band while in A sublusris it is more often shifted in.
Another member recorded in Singapore is A. phanda
The upperside is dark reflective blue & on the underside spot 6 & 7 are like a column.
This one below from Langkawi should be A. evansi.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U0frSBVwK-...ala+evansi.jpg
TL Seow: Cheers.
Thanks for the confirmation, Dr Seow.
Regarding this subgroup i have a few questions:
1. Does it matter whether the post-discal band on the forewing is dislocated at vein 3?
2. Does it matter whether spot 2 in the hindwing submarginal series(beside the tail) is shifted out, or how much it's shifted out?
Seems like these two features are quite inconsistent
Aaron Soh
1. I believed you mean vein 4 which the vein directly below spot 4.
The only value stated is between A. cleander & athada ,where in cleander the band is usually continuous or slightly kinked, while in athada it is variously dislocated.
2. This have no value.
TL Seow: Cheers.
Thanks Dr Seow. I was very baffled by the hindwing spot 2
Aaron Soh
Perhaps it might be of some use.
In most cases HW spot 2 is slightly or partially dislocated from spot 3.
In A. phaenops it seem to be nearly more so.
It may be a useful point of exclusion ID ie. if HW spot 2 is only partially or dislocated halfway from spot 3, it can not be A. phaenops.
TL Seow: Cheers.