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

94. Jamides celeno aelianus (The Common Cerulean)

Number: 94

Family: Lycaeniidae
Sub-Family: Polyommatiinae

Species: Jamides celeno aelianus (Fabricius, 1793)

Common name(s): The Common Cerulean

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

This species is common along forest streams and at forest edges.  Males are often found mud-puddling, and both sexes are seen feeding from flowers of small shrubs. The dry and wet season forms are strikingly different.

A male (wet season form) from Cuc Phuong, June 2015

Note the presence of the "spike" on the hindwing space 1b that indicates that it is a Jamides species

Jamides celeno, Cuc Phuong, June 2015

Jamides celeno, Cuc Phuong, June 2015

Jamides celeno (dry season form), Ba Vi, December 2016

Very pale underwing, obvious in flight

50. Jamides bochus bochus (The Dark Caerulean)

Number: 50

Family: Lycaeniidae
Sub-Family: Polyommatiinae

Species: Jamides bochus bochus (Stoll, [1782])

Common name(s): The Dark Caerulean

Photography location: Hanoi

 The commonest Jamides species in Vietnam, even recorded in urban wastelands (Hanoi).

A male Jamides bochus

In flight, the intense iridescent blue exposed on the upperside wings is magnificent

A female Jamides bochus

Female, same specimen than above

The male is dark metallic blue above on both wings, whereas the female is paler blue with prominent marginal spots on the hindwings