Skippers ID clarification in Singapore

[sabafish]

Hi Dr Seow,

could the following skipper be Pelopidas assamensis?

It was way larger than P. mathias and P. agna; roughly 1.5x P. conjuncta with large FW spots.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/191449162

Thank you!

[Psyche]

It is a female Pelopidas conjunctus.

The two larger species differs in that both sexes have a spot in FW space 1b (both sides).

In P agna & mathias, only the female have this spot.

Size reference.
P. mathias FW 16-18mm.
P. agna FW 17-20 mm.

P. assamensis is very large FW 25.5- 26.5 mm.
FW & HW with prominently white spots, large on the FW.
Antenna with a white band that goes nearly all round.
Females
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/31291038
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/-/media/ff...46f461e50.ashx
Probable male.
https://www.butterflycircle.com/chec...0Ben%20Jin.jpg


Pelopidas conjunctus FW 21.5 to 23.5 mm.
Antenna with a pale area mostly on the underside & not prominent.
UnH spots are white but UnF spots are yellow & large.
Males.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/151597347
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/19877822
Females.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FvDO3Lfw_...lt_Khew_03.jpg
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/155888799
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/132122838

Much more common than P. assamensis.


TL Seow: Cheers.

[sabafish]

Hi Dr. Seow,

Could I check if this skipper could be Zographetus ogygia?

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/242493174

Thank you!

Sebastian

[Psyche]

Post 116.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/242493174

Yes. This is Zographetus ogygia.

There are two identical species, Z. ogygia & ogygioides.
Only Z. ogygia have been recorded in Singapore.
https://m.singapore.biodiversity.onl...doptera-000428

The difference is in the male.
The male of Z. ogygia have streaks of specialised scales (brands) on the UpF.
The male of Z. ogygioides lacks these specialised scales.
The separation of the females is as Eliot puts it a matter of guesswork.

There is a good pic of a male Z. ogygia which shows these.
If you use google zoom you can see several streaks between the large spot 2 & the cubitus (lower arm of the FW cell), in particular two longer streaks on either side of vein 2 (which appears dark).
https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...gygia-JonS.jpg
https://butterflycircle.blogspot.com...itions-to.html

In Thailand they are called Rusty Flitter & Red Flitter but this does not seem helpful.
https://wingscales.com/Hesperiidae/Zographetus-ogygia
https://wingscales.com/Hesperiidae/Z...tus-ogygioides

In India it is even more complicated.
They are two main forms, both treated as Zographetus ogygia ogygia,ie same taxonomic name as here.
The one in the northeast is roughly similar .
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...as_as937_0.jpg
The one in south India is quite different, rather like Z. satwa.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/si...doth_ae970.jpg
These probably need revision.

TL Seow: Cheers.