Wednesday 30 November 2016

210. Euthalia lubentina lubentina (The Common Gaudy Baron)

Number: 210
Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Limenitidiinae
Species: Euthalia lubentina lubentina (Cramer, [1777])
Common name(s): The Common Gaudy Baron
Photography location: Ba Vi N.P. foothills (Hanoi)

The genus Euthalia (“Barons” and “Counts”) is represented in Vietnam by 32 species – a hard genus with many new species described in the years 1990-2000. Identification is confounded by the fact that the males and females of each species are usually very different in colour and pattern, and because several of the species produce a number of different colour forms or morphs. 

Female Euthalia lubentina lubentina, lower slopes of Mount Ba Vi, 28th November 2016 
In male, white patches are reduced to small spots

What a splendid fellow - God is the greatest artist! I love particularly the red patches surrounded by black lines.
Photo taken with natural light

A glimpse of the underwings pattern of the same individual, feeding on over-ripe fig

Tuesday 29 November 2016

209. Jamides alecto alocina (The Metallic Caerulean)

Number: 209
Family: Lycaeniidae
Sub-Family: Polyommatiinae
Species: Jamides alecto alocina Swinhoe, 1915
Common name(s): The Metallic Caerulean
Photography location: Tam Dao N.P. (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

According to Monastyrskii  & Devyatkin (2016), 7 Jamides species have been recorded in Vietnam: alecto, celeno, caeruleus, virgulatus, elpis, pura & bochus.

J. alecto is my third Jamides species found around Hanoi. It belongs to the elpis subgroup, which is characterised by the forewing postdiscal band being dislocated at vein 4.

Jamides alecto, Tam Dao, July 2016

A glimpse of the milky white tinged with pale lavender-blue upper surface of the same specimen