251. Tagiades gana sangarava (The Large Snow Flat)

Number: 251
Family: Hesperiidae

Sub-Family : Pyrgiinae

Species: Tagiades gana sangarava Fruhstorfer, 1910

Common name(s): The Large 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 are currently known in Vietnam: japetus, gana, parra, litigiosa, menaka, cohaerens & hybridus - the last one described from central VN in 2001.

Menaka, litigiosa, parra, hybridus and cohaerens show in both sexes large white tornal area of HW reaching space 4, unlike japetus and gana.

A very chewed up Tagiades gana (Tam Dao, mid-October 2015) - presumably a female

Despite its bad condition, it's obvious that this specimen had a very narrow white tornal area on HW (some residual white scales are still visible)