Butterflies of Vietnam: 167. Tagiades litigiosa (The Water Snow Flat)

Tuesday, 3 May 2016

167. Tagiades litigiosa (The Water Snow Flat)

Number: 167

Family: Hesperiidae
Sub-Family : Pyrgiinae

Species: Tagiades litigiosa Möschler, 1878

Common name(s): The Water Snow Flat

Photography location: Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

Tagiades butterflies are popularly known as Snow Flats because of the pure white patches on the hindwings of many species, and the flat resting posture. The genus comprises 17 known species. According to Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016), 7 have been recorded in Vietnam: japetus, gana, hybridus, parra, litigiosa, menaka & cohaerens.

Tagiades litigiosa (female) roosting upside down under leaves (Tam Dao, September 2013)

Another female sipping nectar from Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (Tam Dao, August 2016)

Male Tagiades litigiosa feeding on Bidens flower (Tam Dao, October 2016)

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About this blog

During my dragonfly trips (my number one hobby, http://vietodonata.blogspot.com/), I am always actively aware of butterflies, and tried to photograph (and sometimes collect) specimens as much as possible. I am by no means an expert on Vietnam's butterflies, but I try my best to identify the species I encounter.

There are over 1100 Rhopalocera species currently known from Vietnam. This diversity makes butterfly watching in Vietnam both rewarding and challenging.

I hope that the more people who see the beauty of these fascinating creatures, the more it will lead to an appreciation that we need to be more pro-active in protecting them against the actions of humans that seem to only be concerned with "development" and monetary profit.

Welcome to my blog which is a diary of my sightings mostly around Hanoi (Ba Vi, Tam Dao and Cuc Phuong National Parks).