Yep! Monsoon season is here but somehow I can still get a few lifers in between those short sunny days and the long rainy days.
Surprise ! Surprise ! I got this lifer not from the highlands but from a lowland hill site !
Abnormal Flash
Rapala duma duma
Most photos you see were taken from hill stations like "High Hill" or probably GTJ but this is probably the first record on this low land hill.
Rapala duma duma
It was seen at eye level, hopping from one leaf to another.
Here's another 'major' discovery ! It was seen by two budding butterfly spotters!
Great Duffer
Discophora timora perakensis
We were quite certain that we saw a white band on its FW which means it would have been a Blue Duffer (D. necho engamon) ! What's more interesting is that another season butterfly researcher (Monsieur Liew) saw a similar looking one and recorded it as a Blue Duffer !
The above photo was taken by Monsieur Liew.
Great Duffer
Discophora timora perakensis
Blue Duffer (D. necho engamon) is very rare according to CP5 book but then the above photos are more skewed towards a Great Duffer in CP5. So looks like more concrete evidence / proof (especially a photo of its FW band) are needed to determine whether the above is indeed a Blue Duffer or maybe another variant of a Great Duffer.
Looks like the cool and wet month of November brings out more Rapala species. Here is another one of them.
Rapala damona
This Rapala was seen near the border of Padang Besar. So I would consider it as my record in Peninsular Malaysia as well.
Here's another lifer from the Northern border.
Glassy Tiger / Himalayan Glassy Tiger
Parantica aglea melanoides
Here's my 600 species lifer. 👏😋. Another Rapala as well.
Slate Flash
Rapala manea chozeba
This Flash is smaller than the above two Rapalas and it was seen at Gopeng.
Common Red Flash
Rapala iarbus iarbus
This Rapala is more common then the earlier ones.
This one looks like a Rapala but it's not !
Common Tit
Hypolycaena erylus teatus
Lesser Albatross
Appias paulina distanti
This one is actually my 599 species lifer !
In August this year, I got one Blue Leaf Blue in KL but this one was seen in Gopeng.
Blue Leaf Blue
Amblypodia narada tanooana
Here's another uncommon species.
Club Beak
Libythea myrrha hecura
This species is very localised and is probably quite rare elsewhere.
Club Beak
Libythea myrrha hecura
This time I saw four of them and this one pointed here looks quite different than the rest - a female perhaps?
Rohana parisatis siamensis
Female
Black Prince
Rohana parisatis siamensis
Male
Green Imperial
Manto hypoleuca terana
This 'Imperial' species emerges mostly in the late morning. You will hardly see them in the afternoon.
Green Imperial
Manto hypoleuca terana
They always prefer to stay high up on a tree.
White Dragontail
Lamproptera curius
I have seen this species in quite a number of places. So I guess it's quite common now.
Lime Butterfly
Papilio demoleus malaynus
I believe not many people have seen this variant / colour before.
Tufted Jungle King
Thauria aliris pseudaliris
Surprise to see this one came out in an open area. They are more commonly seen deep inside a jungle trail.
Angled Castor
Ariadne ariadne ariadne
Not a rare species but only occasionally you will be able to see them.
Common Birdwing
Troides helena cerberus
One of those common Birdwings you can find along the jungle edges.
Plush
Sithon nedymond
Male
Plain Blue Crow
Euploea modesta modesta
This 'Crow' was seen at an open grassland in Kemensah.
Plain Blue Crow
Euploea modesta modesta
This "Crow' is consider quite rare over here.
Indian Cupid
Everes lacturnus rileyi
This lycaenidae under the "Blues" butterfly family is actually considered uncommon over here.
Here's another uncommon "Blue".
Ancyra Blue / Felder's Line Blue
Catopyrops ancyra aberrans
The above was seen at my local patch.
Ancyra Blue / Felder's Line Blue
Catopyrops ancyra aberrans
Based on the above markings, it looks like a female after all.
Ancyra Blue / Felder's Line Blue
Catopyrops ancyra aberrans
The above was seen in Gopeng.
Sumatran Gem
Poritia sumatrae sumatrae
Note: in the field, its upperside markings are actually iridescent green rather than bluish as depicted by some books.
Looks like the Miletus family are making a grand appearance this month. Here are a few them.
Round-banded Brownie
Miletus gopara gopara
Common Brownie
Miletus chinensis learchus
Giant Brownwing
Miletus gigantes
Here's an interesting Nacaduba.
Transparent Six-line Blue
Nacaduba kurava nemana
The identity of this 'Bush-Brown' is debatable depending on which planet you come from I guess.
For the moment I called it as a Tawny Bush-brown
Mydosoma anapita
Here are some lessons on butterfly identification.
Common Cerulean
Jamides celeno aelianus
All the above markings point to the species except for the ones in esterisk "*" (i.e 2 & 6).
Okay ! Let's see whether you can guess which Dart is this one before seeing the answer.
I was quite lucky to have an expert as a friend otherwise I would have wrongly identify the above Dart.
Have a look at the following pointers given by the butterfly expert.
"It is a Telicota species because it has a stigma (S - white arrow) which Potanthus species is lacking. It is not Telicota linna because the stigma is placed closer to the other edge of fascia (f - white arrow). This is the character to separate T. colon, T. besta and T. augias from T. hilda, T. linna and T. ohara.
Among T. colon, T. besta and T. augias, it should be T. besta
bina because the postdiscal spot in spaces 5 and 6 (5, 6 - white arrows) are shifted out of line
with the spots in spaces 3 and 4 (3, 4 green arrows).
On UpFW, the yellow streaks not continue along the veins like
T. colon. In addition, the postdiscal spots are barely concave at their outer
edge. It is best to affirm the identity by examine its genitalia. I have done
the work from my T. besta bina specimen years ago and attach it for reference
as shown below. Do refer to the key for separation of Telicota species in
C&P 5, page 335 and the figures of T. besta bina (Plate 130 fig. 2) and T.
linna (Plate 130, fig. 5). You will see the stigma of T. linna is closer to the
outer edge of the dark fascia clearly, but in T. besta bina is nearer to
the inner edge."
So there you go - the above is a Telicota besta bina (Besta Palm Dart) !
I will end this month's post with this beautiful specimen. This one is the Perak version.
Red Harlequin
Paralaxita telesia
THANK YOU FOR DROPPING BY !
SEE YOU NEXT MONTH AGAIN !
