Butterflies @ Doi Suthep Part 2

Continue from the previous post.

On 15 March, after spending sometime at the rocky site, we drove higher up the mountain. A few of us in Antonio's car decided to hang around at a waterfall area whereas LC's car headed further up. 

The moment we entered a small muddy path leading to the waterfall, two Blue Imperials (Ticherra acte acte) were there to welcome us.

While we were waiting patiently for our primary target - a  "Duchess" to appear, I stumbled upon an Orange Punch (Dodona egeon egeon) resting on a leaf - but it noticed my presence and scooted off after this shot.

I spotted this Himalayan Swift (Polytremis discreta discreta) resting on a leaf - decided to snap a shot as I got nothing else to chase and shoot.

A look-alike brown skipper but with a pair of shorter antennae, this Parnara ganga (Continental Swift) identified by Dr Seow from BC loved sandy ground.

The Nonsuch Palmer (Creteus cyrina cyrina) is a dark skipper with hairy forelegs. It came down to puddle on a patch of sandy ground on both occasions when we were at this waterfall.

We sensed that the number of people (5 of us only) might be too "threatening" for the Duchess to feel at ease, we decided to leave the waterfall and drove further up.

While LC's and others were waiting patiently under a big tree for a rather uniquely-named lycaenid, I checked out the surroundings and found this active Tagiades cohaerens cynthia (Evans Snow Flat) feeding on some wild flowers.

I believe this is the Common Small Flat (Sarangesa dasahara dasahara) - it landed on a dry leaf on the ground. But it gave me no chance for a closer shot.

The patience of and time spent on waiting for this uniquely-looking and named Truncate Imperial (Cheritrella truncipennis) finally rewarded  all of us with some shots. It came down to the eye level - but I was too far from it to get a better shot.

There were at least two of them chasing and "fighting" with each other at times. Again I could not position myself to get a parallel shot.

There was a solitary Horaga species not far away from the Imperial.

Antonio was keen to meet up with the Duchess at the waterfall, so some of us made our way out early. When I was about to reach the car, I spotted  the Watson's Wight (Iton watsonii). It showed its violent objections to my camera flash whenever I snapped a shot. Luckily one of the two shots turned out to be quite fine for me.

In the afternoon, we saw some different butterflies at the waterfall - but still there was no sign of the Duchess. This looks like a Restricted Purple Sapphire (Heliophorus ila nolus)

I believe this was its uppersides.

An active Plain Brownie (Miletus croton croton) was fluttering for a long time before it made a short perch on a leaf.

To be continued.