Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Butterflies @ Chiang Dao Part 2

Continue from previous post.
We were fortunate to see the Gray Tinsel (Catapaecilma major albicans) roaming on the ground on both days when we were shooting at the "Chiang Dao Square".
The Yellow Tinsel (Catapaecilma subochrea) was another star attraction - at one moment, all of us were lying on the ground in a circular manner to photograph this beauty.
The White Lineblue (Nacaduba angusta albida) can be singled out easily among other puddling Blues.
The marking of this Nacaduba species look strange so I decided to snap some shots. Dr Seow from BC identified it as The Large Fourline Blue (Nacaduba pactolus continentalis).
Then dry season form of the Common Cerulean (Jamides celeno aelianus) looks so different from its usual appearance - I thought it was something new for me.
Dr Seow explained that the presence of the "spike"  on the hindwing space 1b indicates that it is a Jamides species. This looks like a  J. bochus bochus (The Dark Cerulean)  though its ground colour looks rather whitish.
The Karen Silverline (Cigaritis maximus) was spotted by Les at the entrance of the carpark area.
A lucky shot of its uppersides.
You need a pair of sharp eyes to single out a rather small lycaenid, the Black Spotted Cupid (Tongeia ion ion) among many lycaenids puddling on the ground.
Another small lycaenid,  the Dark Cupid (Tongeia potanini potanini) mingled with many other lycaenids. This was the moment when its surrounding butterflies were "chased away".
There were not many White-banded Pierrots (Niphanda asialis) this time - a small species that blended with the ground so well that it could not be spotted easily.
The Common Peirrot (Castalius rosimon rosimon) seemed to be a common species at Chiang Dao. 
I hardly encountered an Arhopala  puddling on the ground in Singapore. But at Chiang Dao, I noticed two different Arhopala species feeding on the ground - this is the Silver Oakblue (Arhopala alax).
This is the Dusky Bushblue (Arhopala paraganesa).
A lonely Dusky Sapphire (Heliophorus evanta) was wandering on the ground, climbing over the obstacles.
The Common Plum Judy (Abisara echerius paionea) was spotted by Khew along a stretch of foliage behind a dry drain.          
I found this "Ring" butterfly rather unique as I could not see any ocelli on the hindwing. It was rather active, kept moving on the ground. According to Dr Seow, this could be the dry-season form of the Ypthima lisandra (The Jewel Fouring).
A Copper Flash (Rapala pheretima petosiris) was rather tame so I decided to snap a few shots.
Another Rapala  species, a Common Red Flash (Rapala iarbus iarbus) was sighted late in the afternoon.
A Chocolate Royal (Remelana jangala ravata) that looked rather different from the one that we can find in Singapore.
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To be continued.

1 comment:

  1. What fantastic butterflies. The Yellow Tinsel is spectacular. I love Lycaenidae and I think that you saw more species there than I have seen in a lifetime!

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