Pantoporia hordonia & sandaka in Singapore.

[Psyche]

These two species can be very confusing in Singapore.
It is probable that crossing between the two and the small colonies have results in intermediate forms being common.

There is no comparable forms like the typical hordonia in P. Malaysia, where the grey submarginal band is very broad and the orange band may be obsolete.

P. hordonia P. Malaysia.
Male with broad grey submarginal band/fascia. Raub.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...0/DSC_0229.JPG
Male with orange submarginal band obsolete.
https://live.staticflickr.com/1549/2...0d2be7e4_c.jpg

Typical male P. sandaka ,Raub.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...0/DSC_0137.JPG



PANTO.png
Pantoporia hordonia hordonia
In Singapore the grey band is not that wide but still wider than the orange submarginal band.
The male have a narrower 'foot.
Orange submarginal band may be very irregular, much broken, or obsolete.
Male with small HW grey brand.
Males. ( iDs tentative.)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/195170218
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/175183123
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/141239367
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/19657664
Females. ( IDs tentative.)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/195170191
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/104523291
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81146818
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/32403114


Pantoporia sandaka sandaka.
In this species the FW grey submarginal band is typically narrower, being hemmed in by the orange bands.
The orange submarginal band is well defined ,more regular and prominent, & not broken up.
However the females of the two can look rather similar.
The male have a larger foot than P. hordonia.
Male with large whitish HW brand.
Males.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/256468037
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/134397320
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/86976671
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/30309158
Females. ( IDs probable.)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/140043534
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/9679604
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20177931
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135218837


TL Seow: Cheers.
PS . The males IDed as P. hordonia are tentative.
The 'foot' is relatively short ,and all seem to have a bulging abdomen of a female.

Below are four observations of typical P. hordonia males from P. Malaysia.
Note longer 'foot' and a slender abdomen.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/227973314
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/202944195
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/144007351
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/130786312

[Commander]

Thanks for this excellent analysis, Dr Seow! Yes, it's definitely confusing when they are so similar. At least with inat and regular postings of either species from Singapore and Malaysia, we can continue to monitor individuals for these diagnostic features across more specimens.

[Psyche]

This is an ongoing puzzle.
A positive ID of a male P. hordonia seems to be not yet.

Positive IDs of male and female P. sandaka are present.
eg. These two below have the grey submarginal fascia much constricted and reduced.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/86976671
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135218837

It doesn't help when museum specimens are wrongly labelled.
Below. Despite the FW being raised high to show the male brand/speculum, misID occur.
P. hordonia (misIDed as P. sandaka)
Note the HW grey speculum barely intrude into the orange discal band.
This example from Kedah in the north have wide orange markings of a partial dsf.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204857

P. sandaka .The large HW white speculum intruding into the orange discal band.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847204850


In Taiwan there is only one species ,P. hordonia rihodona. (rihodona is an anagram of hordonia.)
There is no P. sandaka.
The species ID is thus unquestioned.
Two males.
http://dearlep.tw/species.html?namec...89817433770c20
Two females.
https://moth.tbn.org.tw/images/twmot...69494347377739
https://moth.tbn.org.tw/images/twmot...69494347377739

TL Seow: Cheers.