Amathusia. The confusingly complex genus.

[Psyche]

Amathusia : Epithet of Greek goddess Aphrodite; refers to her worship in the city of Amathus ie Lady of Amathus.

Amathusia comprises seven species in peninsular Malaysia.
They are very difficult to ID in fieldshots.
While males may be IDed by the secondary sexual characters (hair tufts, etc) the females are extremely difficult even with specimens in hand.
As Eliot said, females are best IDed by comparison with confirmed males.
As with closely related species intermediates occur.
I will deal only with the males from museum specimens in the difficult cases.

Two species are immediately IDed by the fact that the outer margins of the FW median (discal) band are strongly notched.

1. A. ochraceofusca.( Dark ochreous.)
FW outer margin of median band notched roughly equally deep at vein 3 and vein 4.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/ama/50350001.html
https://wingscales.com/Nymphalidae/A...-ochraceofusca
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204555
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204939
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204565
Females
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204939
(mis-IDed.)
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204950

2. A. schoenbergi.( After Schoenberg.)
FW outer margin of median band more deeply notched at the higher vein 4 than at vein 3.
https://thaibutterflies.com/Butterfl...a-schoenbergi/
Female.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/ama/50340001.html

[Psyche]

The next five species have the FW median band regular.
Amath.png

3. Amathusia masina (after the town Banjirmasin- saline flood).

Male have a single large buff hairtuft in HW space 1a.Abdominal hairtufts uniform brown.
UnF median band broad, redbrown and merging with the postdiscal band.
Postdiscal band solid brown without a colour break in the middle.
UnH 4th band from the base narrow and strongly notched.
This gives a distinct appearance with the outer half of the wings dark red-brown.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204563
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204548
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204564
https://thaibutterflies.com/Butterfl...thusia-masina/
Females.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/ama/50360010.html

Male probably intermediate ie cross with A. perakana.
Male with partial hair tuft in space 1a; UnH 4th band broken into spots as in A. perakana.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204945

[Psyche]

4. Amathusia phidippus (A suitor of Helen in Greek mythology.)

This is the most common and widespread species.
It may yet proved to be a species-complex throughout its range.

Male with a hair fringe and a dark hair tuft in HW space 1a.
Abdominal hair tufts dark.
UnF median band narrower than the postdiscal band.
FW postdiscal band always with a colur break in the middle.
UnH 4th band from base often wider than the 3rd band and widen at the upper costa.
4th band typically with the sides even, not notched by the veins.
Many variations in shape and size, also often with mild notches.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/4921324495
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/4921314470
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204589
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204589
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/4596806991
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/4130069329
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3784634746
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/4022336302
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/1993745860
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/1945450274
females.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204934
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204584

[Psyche]

5. Amathusia perakana ( Perak State, latinised.)
Only species without a concealed hair tuftin a pocket in space 1b (not visible.)
Male with a pale hair fringe in HW space 1a.
Abdominal hair tufts buff.
FW more produced and apex sharper.
FW dorsum(lower margin) more bowed.
UnF median band broad, wider than the postdiscal band
UnH 4th band narrow ,broken into several spots head rounded.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204571
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204575
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204572
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204946
https://thaibutterflies.com/project_...usia-perakana/
Female.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204954

[Psyche]

6. Amathusis friderici (after Frideric Moore ,British entomologist.)
Male with a hair fringe on HW space 1a, no tuft; abdominal hair tifts bicolored.
UnF median band equal or narrower than postdiscal band.
Hw 4th band narrow, lightly notched, upper end often rounded off from costa.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204545
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204536
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204541
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204977
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204982
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...ZOoC-3z6ST-w&s
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gancw1/34223054142
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9CfpPXDeu...mking-JonS.jpg
Female.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204973

Form utana (latinised from Malay, utan/hutan for forest.) is very dark and is said to be common in some oilpalm estates.



7. Amathusis binghami (after Bingham British entomologist.)
UpF often marked with dark contrasted orange but a black form like utana also occur.
Male with a large buff hair tuft in space 1a, no fringe.
Abdominal hair tufts uniformly dark.
UnF median broad, often wider than the postdiscal band, strongly reddish brown
UnH 4th band as wide as 3rd band and lightly notched.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204923
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204921
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204933
https://a4.pbase.com/g9/25/686825/2/...5.KgQ4Jik0.jpg
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/K6BHJ8/ama...uth-K6BHJ8.jpg
Female.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204546

Dark forms of A. binghami (note single buff hair tuft on space 1a) misided as A. friderici.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204538
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204537




TL Seow:Cheers.

[Commander]

Thanks for this very useful and detailed analysis of the Amathusia species. Indeed hard to ID them from field shots, and even more so when they are very delicate butterflies and suffer a lot of damage easily in the field. Thus far, we have A. phidippus and A. friderici in Singapore confirmed with your help and Horace's early stages efforts.

Here is one shot of A. friderici for your reference and record.

Amathusia-friderici-holmanhunti.jpg

[Psyche]

A fine professional shot, as always.

Yes. There seems to be only two species in Singapore.

TL Seow: Cheers.