Sunday 2 April 2017

262. Euploea eunice coelestis (The Blue-branded King Crow)

Number: 262
Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Danaiinae
Species: Euploea eunice coelestis (Fruhstorfer, [1902])
Common name(s): The Blue-branded King Crow
Photography locations: Cuc Phuong N.P. (Ninh Binh Prov.)

Euploea eunice is known from South China, Taiwan and Indochina south to Indonesia, Borneo and the Philippines. The subsp. coelestris is distributed in the northern and central parts of the Indochina Peninsula.
I didn't yet manage to get images of this species in the field.

Euploea eunice coelestis, male, upperside - voucher specimen from Cuc Phuong (July 2016)
In flight it may be confused with other species having a similar size and blue gloss on the Upf (e.g. E. midamus, E. mulciber, E. sylvester). E. tulliolus has also quite similar Upf wing pattern but is much smaller.

Same specimen, underside


References: Butterflies of Vietnam, Vol. 3: Nymphalidae: Danainae, Amathusiinae (A.L. Monastyrskii, 2011)

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