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)

261. Euploea tulliolus dehaani (The Dwarf Crow)

Number: 261

Family: Nymphaliidae

Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Euploea tulliolus dehaani Lucas, 1853

Common name(s): The Dwarf Crow

Photography locations: Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.), Ba Vi N.P. (Hanoi), Hanoi City

Euploea tulliolus is distributed widely from the eastern part of the Southeast Asian mainland and the Malay Peninsula through the Philippines to Papua New Guinea and the eastern coast of Australia.

Subspecies dehaani ranges through Indochina, S.China, Hainan.

This wide-ranging species can be seen in a large variety of forest habitats, at different elevations.

Congregation of E. tulliolus dehaani, one individual with wings fully outstretched (Tam Dao, September 2015)

E. tulliolus is a very small Euploea species (FW longer less than 45mm)

Note FW apex rounded, underside paler brown, spots all white

Euploea tulliolus dehaani on Bidens alba (Hanoi, February 2017)

Same individual, in flight

 E. tulliolus dehaani, female, upperside, voucher specimen from Tam Dao (900m asl)
UpF washed with an iridescent blue or violet colour that invades the white submarginal spots

Same specimen, underside

References:

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

253. Euploea sylvester harrisii (The Double-branded Blue Crow)

Number: 253

Family: Nymphaliidae

Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Euploea sylvester harrisii C. & R. Felder, [1865]

Common name(s): The Double-branded Blue Crow

Photography location: Cuc Phuong N.P. (Ninh Binh Prov.)

Euploea sylvester is a widespread member of the genus, occurring from India, Sri Lanka and Nepal to S. China, Indochina and the Malay Peninsula, extending south to N.E. Australia and New Caledonia. The subsp. recognized from Vietnam (and also from mainland Southeast Asia + S. China) is E. sylvester harrisi.

The male of Euploea sylvester is unmistakable, having two long parallel brands on the UpF. However in fly, it may be confused with other species having a similar size and blue gloss on the UpF e.g. E. algea, E. mulciber, E. camaralzeman and E. midamus (Monastyrskii, 2011). I didn't yet manage to get images of this species in the field.

Identification of Euploea species from photos is often difficult and very risky, especially if you only got shots of underside. Some species are poorly characterized and sometimes wing pattern show significant differences from one population to another. Comparing shots taken in the field to images on the Internet can be very confusing. That's why I highly recommend to capture specimens for close examination of features and safe identification.
For key to the Vietnamese species of the genus Euploea, see Monastyrskii (2011) - reference below.

 Euploea sylvester harrisii, male, upperside - voucher specimen from Cuc Phuong (July 2016)
Note the two prominent grey brands in mid-space 1b of UpF
Up entirely blue glossed in both sexes

Same specimen, underside

References:

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

252. Euploea mulciber mulciber (The Striped Blue Crow)

Number: 252

Family: Nymphaliidae

Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Euploea mulciber mulciber (Cramer, [1777])

Common name(s): The Striped Blue Crow

Photography locations: Ba Vi foothills (Hanoi), Tam Dao (Vinh Puc Prov.)

According to Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016), 17 Euploea species are currently known in Vietnam viz. modesta, crameri, camaralzeman*, core*, orontobates, algae, swainson, doubledayi, eyndhovii, sylvester*, mulciber*, tulliolus*, phaenareta, midamus*, klugii*, eunice* & radamanthus*, of which 9 have been recorded in the North (*). The species of Euploea can be very difficult to ID based on the underside alone.

The sexually dimorphic Striped Blue Crow is one of the most common Euploea species in my habitual butt hunting grounds. Though not abundant, the adults have been observed in many locations, from pristine forest at Cuc Phuong N.P. to wastelands and urban parks. It is polyphagous and has many larval host plants in the Moraceae, Apocynaceae and Asclepiadaceae families, which explains its broad habitat tolerance (eurytopic species).

Euploea mulciber male resting on a leaf (Tam Dao, May 2016)

UpF dark brown strongly suffused with iridescent blue and with numerous white spots, UpH without submarginal white spots and with a small grey patch in cell (hidden by HW here)

The male can be distinguished from other blue Euploea species by the absence ot the sex brand on the UpF.

Euploea mulciber male nectaring (Ba Vi, December 2016)

The female is easily distinguished from other Euploea species by the numerous long streaks on HW
She appears to be the model for some mimetic Satyrines, notably Penthema darlisa and Elymnias malelas. Among the probable mimics of the males are certain Papilionids (e.g. Chilasa slateri and Ch. paradoxa) and Satyrines (e.g. Elymnias patna, E. malelas and E. casiphone) (Monastyrskii, 2011).

Female sipping nectar from Chromolaena odorata flowers (Ba Vi, December 2016)
The striped HW of the female is probably what gave this species its common English name

Female, upperside, voucher specimen

Nice congregation of Euploea species puddling on a wall (mulciber and tulliolus at least + Tirumala septentrionis)

Close-up on a male E. mulciber

A 5th instar E. mulciber caterpillar

Detailed life history information is available from the following resource: ButterflyCircle Blog (courtesy of Dr. Horace Tan)

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

244. Ideopsis vulgaris contigua (The Blue Glassy Tiger)

Number: 244

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Ideopsis vulgaris contigua (Talbot, 1939)

Common name(s): The Blue Glassy Tiger

Photography locations: Cuc Phuong N.P. (Ninh Binh Prov.), Hàm Yên (Tuyên Quang Prov.)

Two species of Ideopsis are known from Vietnam - vulgaris and similis.

I. vulgaris is a widespread species in South-East Asia, occurring from southern Burma, Vietnam and Hainan through the Malay Peninsula to Indonesia, the Philippines and Borneo. Ssp. contigua ranges from S.China, Vietnam, N. & C. Thailand.
This Danaine butterfly inhabits a broad range of lowland habitats, including forest edges, plantations, scrub and  agricultural land. It favours open spaces, where adults fly slowly and frequently visit flowers.

Ideopsis vulgaris nectaring on Bidens flower - Cuc Phuong, August 2015

1) FW with basal spots in spaces 2 & 3 wedge-shaped (more or less rounded in similis)
2) white stripe in space 1a on HW as wide as the adjacent brown vein 1b stripe (much broader in similis)
3) spot at end cell on FW with a deep excavation, upside-down shark-mouth shaped (little excavation in similis)

Ideopsis vulgaris feeding on Chromolaena odorata - Tuyen Quang Prov., January 2017

Ideopsis vulgaris, underwing pattern

243. Tirumala limniace limniace (The Blue Tiger)

Number: 243

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Tirumala limniace limniace (Cramer, [1775])
Common name(s): The Blue Tiger

Photography location: Cuc Phuong N.P. (Ninh Binh Prov.)

Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016) listed 3 Tirumala species from Vietnam - septentrionis, limniace and gautama, the former two widespread throughout the country, the latter recorded from the center (Quang Binh Prov.) and south.

Tirumala limniace is similar to T. septentrionalis, but with broader and paler blue streaks as well as spots. T. gautama can be easily separated from the latter two by the FW discal cell with an additional blue streak along the anterior margin.
These 3 Tirumala species resemble Ideopsis vulgaris and I. similis in wing pattern and style of flight, and thus can be easily confused at first glance.

Tirumala limniace, Cuc Phuong, August 2015
The absence of a scent scale pouch (at vein 2 on HW) indicates that it is a female

230. Danaus chrysippus chrysippus (The Plain Tiger)

Number: 230

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Danaus chrysippus chrysippus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name(s): The Plain Tiger

Photography location: Hanoi

Four Danaus species are recorded in Vietnam: D. chrysippus, P. genutia, D. melanippus & D. affinis. Only the two former are recorded in the North of the country, where they are very common.

Danaus chrysippus is often encountered in lowlands, near cultivation, in disturbed habitats from forest clearing to wasteland, but it is not as common as Danaus genutia. The female Hypolimnias misippus is a mimic of both sexes of D. chrysippus but can be distinguished by the HW without blackish spots around discal cell and scalloped marginal edge.

Danaus chrysippus (male - note the pheromone pouch on the HW below vein 3)

 A mating pair

Same copula, with male showing its upperwing pattern

220. Parantica melaneus melaneus (The Chocolate Tiger)

Number: 220

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Parantica melaneus melaneus (Cramer, [1775])

Common name(s): The Chocolate Tiger

Photography location: Tam Dao N.P. (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

The genus Parantica comprises 39 species, of which 6 are known to occur in Vietnam viz. aglea, agleoides, aspasia, melaneus, swinhoei, sita.

P. melaneus ranges from India through the Southeast Asia mainland to S.China. The subspecies melaneus occurs in S.China and N.Indo-China.

Graphium xenocles, Chilasa epycides, Ch. clytia f. dissimilis (Papilionidae), Hestina persimilis, H. nicevillei (Apaturinae) and Aporia agathon (Pieridae) are regarded as mimics of P. melaneus (Monastyrskii, 2011).

Parantica melaneus, Tam Dao, September 2016

References:

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

219. Parantica sita sita (The Chestnut Tiger)

Number: 219

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Parantica sita sita (Kollar, [1844])

Common name(s): The Chestnut Tiger

Photography locations: Ba Vi N.P. (Hanoi), Tam Đường Distr. (Lai Chau Prov.), Hàm Yên Distr. (Tuyên Quang Prov.)

There are actually 42 species in the genus Parantica, whose representatives occur variously from India to the islands of the South Pacific. Parantica sita is one of the most widespread species, being distributed from northern India to Korea and Japan, and south to the West Malaysian peninsula.  

Six Parantica species are known to occur in Vietnam viz. P. aglea, P. agleoides, P. aspasia, P. melaneus, P. swinhoei, P. sita.

Female Parantica sita sita nectaring on Bidens flowers (Mount Ba Vi, December 2016)

Male Parantica sita sita, from Lai Chau (January 2017)
Particularly easy to see in this picture are the male alar androconial organ (sex brand) on the sub-tornal area of the hindwing

Same individual, showing its upperwings

Another male, puddling in a dry stream bed (Ham Yên District, Tuyen Quang Prov., 30th January 2017)

Same male specimen, in flight

169. Parantica aglea melanoides (The Glassy Tiger)

Number: 169

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Parantica aglea melanoides (Moore, 1883)

Common name(s): The Glassy Tiger

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

The genus Parantica comprises 42 species, of which 6 are known to occur in Vietnam viz. aglea, agleoides, aspasia, melaneus, swinhoei, sita. 
P. aglea is one of the commonest and most widespread member of the genus, occuring from India and Sri Lanka through the Southeast Asia mainland to Indochina, S. China and Taiwan. 
P. aglea is common throughout the country from lowland to mountain habitats.

Parantica aglea melanoides sipping nectar from Bidens flower (Tam Dao, May 2016)

Another individual on Crassocephalum rubens (Lai Chau, January 2016)

The male fluttering over the female during courtship (Tam Dao, May 2016)

Male Danaids have hair pencils near the end of the abdomen which, in nearly all species, are extruded from the abdominal cavity and pheromones are fanned towards the female. The pheromones serve as both aphrodisiacs and tranquilizers to females as well as repellents to conspecific males.

41. Tirumala septentrionis septentrionis (The Dark Blue Tiger)

Number: 41

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Tirumala septentrionis septentrionis (Butler, 1874)

Common name(s): The Dark Blue Tiger

Photography location: Cuc Phuong N.P. (Ninh Binh Prov.), Ba Vi N.P. (Hanoi)

Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016) listed 3 Tirumala species from Vietnam - septentrionis, limniace and gautama, the former two widespread throughout the country, the latter recorded from the center (Quang Binh Prov.) and south.

Tirumala septentrionis feeding on Chromolaena odorata flowers, Ba Vi foothills, December 2016
Absence of a scent scale pouch (at vein 2 on HW) indicates that it is a female

Male Tirumala septentrionis mud-puddling at Cuc Phuong, summer 2013

Underwing pattern

Tirumala cf. septentrionis larva (Ba Vi, April 2017)
Caterpillars in Danainae subfamily have 2 or more long dorsal filaments. They are usually banded with bright warning colour usually black, yellow and white.