246. Taxila dora

Number: 246

Family: Riodiniidae
Sub-Family: Riodiniinae

Species: Taxila dora (Fruhstorfer, 1904)

Common name(s): The Dora's Harlequin (?)

Photography locations: Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016) listed 3 Taxila species in Vietnam viz. haquinus berthae, dora and hainana - the first one only recorded from the South.

Fruhstorfer described Taxila dora from two males, one from "Than-moi", Lang Son Prov. near the Chinese border, and the other from Chiem-Hoa, Tuyen Quang Prov., both locations in North Vietnam and north of the Red River.  

Taxila dora is a restricted-range species (Indochinese endemic) only recorded from N. Laos, N. & C. Vietnam (to Khanh Hoa Prov.). Can be encountered locally from sea level to 1700m in primary evergreen forest, and occasionally in secondary forest.

Male Taxila dora, Tam Dao, 900m asl (June 2016)

Another specimen, from Tam Dao foothills (July 2016)

245. Abisara freda (The Lesser Judy)

Number: 245

Family: Riodiniidae
Sub-Family: Riodiniinae

Species: Abisara freda Bennett, 1957

Common name(s): The Lesser Judy

Photography location: Ô Quy Hô pass (Tam Đường District, Lai Chau Prov.)

According to Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016), 11 Abisara species are currently known from Vietnam.
Abisara freda ranges from Myanmar through N.Thailand and N.Laos to N.Vietnam. In Vietnam, this Riodinid is only recorded from the Hoang Lien Son range (the Fansipan massif), especially Sa Pa District (Lao Cai Prov.). The butterfly fauna in this area is characterized by a great number of Sino-Himalayan species.

Abisara freda, photographed in scrub-shrub habitat below Ô Quy Hô pass, 1800m asl
(Tam Đường District, Lai Chau Prov., January 2017)

Same specimen

141. Abisara echerius (The Plum Judy)

Number: 141

Family: Riodiniidae
Sub-Family: Riodiniinae

Species: Abisara echerius (Stoll, 1790)

Common name(s): The Plum Judy

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

According to Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016), 11 Abisara species are currently known from Vietnam.

Abisara echerius is represented in Vietnam by two subspecies: echerius (Lang Son and northern areas near Chinese border) and paionea (N., C. and S.).

Male Abisara echerius paionea, Tam Dao foothills

Male Abisara echerius paionea - wing pattern of the underside (left) and the upperside (right)

Abisara echerius, probably subsp. echerius (Tam Đường District, Lai Chau Prov., January 2017)

65. Zemeros flegyas flegyas (The Common Punchinello)

Number: 65

Family: Riodiniidae
Sub-Family: Riodiniinae

Species: Zemeros flegyas flegyas (Cramer, [1780]) 

Common name(s): The Punchinello

Photography location: Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

Zemeros flegyas is a variable species found commonly over most of the Indo–Malaysian realm. Twelve subspecies have been described, mainly from the Sunda Islands.

The nominate subspecies is distributed from Nepal to Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China, and southern China. In Vietnam, Z. flegyas is found throughout the country from sea level to 2000m.

This species can be quite common in secondary to severely degraded forest habitats, where they feed on flower nectar during the morning hours. Both sexes will congregate in groups during the middle of the day along trails or clearings. The flight is rapid, but of short duration after which they come to rest on the dorsal surface of leaves not more than a meter off the ground with the wings raised at an angle. 

A small reddish-brown Riodinid butterfly commonly seen flitting around in forest understories

Often seen taking sunbath or guarding its territories on plants, it only takes short flights when disturbed

 Underwing pattern

14. Abisara neophron chelina (The Tailed Judy)

Number: 14

Family: Riodiniidae
Sub-Family: Riodiniinae

Species: Abisara neophron chelina (Fruhstorfer, [1904]) 

Common name(s): The Tailed Judy

Photography location: Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc Prov.), Lai Chau 

Abisara neophron is very widespread through the Oriental region, from Nepal through the Indian subcontinent, to Indochina and Peninsular Malaysia. Subspecies chelina is found from Myanmar and Yunnan to Indochina and Malaysia.

Abisara neophron chelina, Tam Dao, 900m asl

Easily recognized by a long, pointed white tipped tail on the hindwing formed by an extension of vein M3 and a wide white band crossing the discal area of the forewing from the costa and tapering just before the tornus. Sexes are similar.

Same specimen

Abisara neophron, Lai Chau, January 2017

12. Abisara fylla magdala (The Dark Judy)

Number: 12

Family: Riodiniidae
Sub-Family: Riodiniinae

Species: Abisara fylla magdala (Fruhstorfer, 1914) 

Common name(s): The Dark Judy

Photography location: Sa Pa (Lao Cai Prov.)

According to Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016), 11 Abisara species are currently known from Vietnam.
Abisara fylla ranges from Nepal to Yunnan, China and south to Vietnam and Laos. Subspecies magdala (described from a male and female from Chiem Hoa in central North Vietnam) occurs in North and central Vietnam, Thailand, and eastern Laos.

Male Abisara fylla magdala, Sa Pa, 1300m asl (September 2012)
The female shows a broader and white oblique band on FW

Same specimen
Found in disturbed habitas along a stream