Butterflies in June 2023

In the month of June, there were not many rare ones seen but I did saw some colorful ones though. Here are some of them.

This is a Red Harlequin (Paralaxita telesia lyclene)

Red Harlequin (Paralaxita telesia lyclene)

It was seen up on a hilly area and under some low shrub just beside a trail

Red Harlequin (Paralaxita telesia lyclene)

Occasionally it would fly to other nearest bush.

It will hop from one leaf to another, twisting and turning as it goes around the leaf as though like doing some sort of ritual or dance. All the photos were taken without using any flash.

Not far from the above Harlequin, there was another Harlequin lurking. This time it is a Malayan Red Harlequin

Malayan Red Harlequin (Paralaxita damajanti damajanti)

This one hardly moves around and not as friendly as the above Harlequin.

I must admit that I still got a lot to learn about skippers.

According to a sifu, the one which is looking at you above is a Lesser Lancer (Pyroneura flavia fruhstorferi).

Is this also a Lesser Lancer (Pyroneura flavia fruhstorferi)?

Nope ! - it's a Malayan Yellow-veined Lancer (Pyroneura latoia latoia). Those two features are key indicators to look in a Pyroneura latoia.

Malayan Yellow-veined Lancer (Pyroneura latoia latoia)

This lancer is slightly larger and much more common.

Straight Plum Judy (Abisara kausambi kausambi)

Chestnut Angle 

(Odontoptilum angulatum angulatum)

 

Common Darkwing

(Allotinus horsfieldi permagnus (Fruhstorfer)

Orange Emigrant (Catopsilia scylla cornelia)

You can see its vibrant orange-coloured HW when it opens its wings hence its name I guess. This one was seen on a plain in the northern state of Kedah.

This one below is reported to be a migrating butterfly species.

Mottled Emigrant (Catopsilia pyranthe pyranthe)

Cycad Blue 

(Chilades pandava pandava / Luthrodes pandava pandava)

Elbowed Pierrot (Caleta elna elvira)

This is perhaps the only uncommon one seen this month.

Dark Flat (Tapena thwaitesi bornea)

Reported to be rare here.

Common Mormon 

(Papilio polytes romolus stichius)

Common Mormon 

(Papilio polytes romolus stichius)

Malayan Pied Blue

(Megisba malaya sikkima)

Lemon Pansy 

(Junonia lemonias lemonias)

This species is quite common up in the Northern states of the Peninsular. Elsewhere you can hardly see them.

Here is a Posy which unlike other Posies. Look carefully.

This is a Lesser Posy (Drupadia rufotaenia rufotaenia)

Lesser Posy (Drupadia rufotaenia rufotaenia)

Lion Palmfly

(Elymnias nesaea lioneli)

'Roaming' on the ground.

Dried Leaf Palmfly

(Elymnias saueri saueri)

Reverted back to Dried Leaf Palmfly.

Yellow Flat 

(Mooreana trichoneura trichoneura)

Blue Begum 

(Prothoe franck uniformis)

This species was last seen by me in September 2022 (i.e 9 months ago).

Lastly here is what I believe are two versions of the White Imperial species.

Could this be a White Imperial (Neomyrina nivea hiemalis)?

While this one is a White Imperial of the Ssp (Neomyrina nivea periculosa)? or perhaps it's the same one from the above Ssp.

White Imperial (Neomyrina nivea periculosa)?

You can see that its bands were darker as compared to the first White Imperial. Both were seen nearby to each other.

Here are a few more species which I managed to take before the end of June 2023.

Black and White Helen

(Papilio nephelus sunatus)

Red Demon

(Ancistroides armatus armatus)

Dwarf Banded Demon

(Notocrypta pria)

Reported to be rare but I have seen them in other places such as Raub and Gopeng.

Common Palmfly

(Elymnias hypermnestra nimota)

Male

Great Mormon

(Papilio memnon agenor f. butlerniarus)

Female

I think the above Mormon is a rare Ssp.

White-striped Snow flat (tentative ID)

(Tagiades cohaerens cinda)

The other possible ID would be a Tagiades ultra.

Spotted Spark

(Sinthusa malika amata)

This is an uncommon species. Last seen was in June 2022. Wow! exactly one year.

Blue Catseye / Straight-banded Catseye

(Coelites epiminthia epiminthia)

This is a forest dwelling resident which came out to sample other richer minerals by the roadside. You can see a smiley figure at its FW apex.

Banded Swallowtail 

(Papilio demolion demolion)

 Narrow-branded Dart

(Telicota ohara jix)

Palm King

(Amathusia phidippus phidippus)

Velvet Flat

(Celaenorrhinus ficulnea queda)

In the wild you can hardly notice it because it tends to land under the leaves most of the time. 

That's my lifer for this month.

It's a rare opportunity to take photographs of a very seldom reported skipper.

So I took it back, took a few shots and then released it back again.

THAT'S ALL FOR THIS MONTH ! 

SEE YA NEXT MONTH !

The rare and interesting butterflies in May 2023

 The bright sun and heat in May must have gotten over me. Down with cough and fever but yet glad to see more rare and interesting butterflies. 

Clipper (Parthenos sylvia lilacinus)

This female flew down from the tree top and landed right in front of me.

Common Gem - Poritia hewitsoni taleva (Corbet)

This is an uncommon gem.

Dark Bushblue (Arhopala ammonides chunsu)

This is another rare Arhopala.

Plain Puffin (Appias indra plana)

Common Faun (Faunis canens arcesilas)

This would be its typical outlook.

Common Faun (Faunis canens arcesilas)

Yellow-bodied Clubtail (Losaria neptunus neptunus)

This is a deep forest insect which had venture out into the forest edge. It has a very gentle flight.

Yellow-bodied Clubtail (Losaria neptunus neptunus)

So lucky that it stop momentarily.

It hardly stay long on one leaf.

Here is an uncommon skipper. 

This is a Plain Palm Dart (Cepherenes acalle niasicus)

Lurking nearby is another skipper. This one is deeper orangey in colour.

Telicota augias augias (Orange Palm Dart)

Orange Palm Dart

They just love these flowers - Bidens alba

Julia heliconian (Dryas iulia)

Malayan Wanderer (Female)

(Pareronia valeria lutescens)

This Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore) was seen about 160m asl - up on a hill.

Burmese Bush Brown 

(Mycalesis perseoides perseoides)

Brown-veined Lancer (Pyroneura klanga)

Brown-veined Lancer (Pyroneura klanga)

A beautiful looking skipper.

Brown-veined Lancer (Pyroneura klanga)

Upperside

Malayan Grass Yellow (Eurema nicevillei)

Magpie Crow

 (Euploea radamanthus radamanthus)

Magpie Crow

 (Euploea radamanthus radamanthus)

Malayan Baron 

(Euthalia monina monina) - male

Malayan Owl (Neorina Iowii)

Yellow Flat (Mooreana trichoneura)

A butterfly which is rather flat in its colours.

Fivebar Swordtail (Graphium antiphates itamputi)

This is a butterfly which you should spend more time taking its photos - simply dashing.

Plush (Female)

(Sithon nedymond nedymond)

Cyrestis nivea nivalis (Straighline Mapwing)

This is certainly not a Allotinus unicolor. So its ID is still pending.

Chestnut Rajah

Chararex durnfordi durnfordi - female

Once awhile the gods must be crazy and let go the very rare ones for me to see.

This Chararex is huge and it stayed there motionless to get the bit of sun light.

I have to move one toe at at time so as not to spook it but at the end it was eventually spooked and flew gently away.

Banded Swallowtail

(Papilio demolion demolion)

Common Jay 

(Graphium doson kajanga)

This is a much rarer Common Jay subspecies.

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN IN JUNE.

ADIOUS AMIGOS AND SENORITAS !