Flos adriana and Flos asoka

[DaveChiangMai]

Photographed this week near Omkoi, nw Thailand.
The first three images I make as Flos asoka, as they match the literature and images on the web well. We saw several of these in the same area.

However, in the same area we also found another individual (images 4 and 5) Flos species which to my mind looks rather different. The width of the outer dark band in the forewing is considerably larger, and the indentation is different than the other individual F. asoka that we saw, and the colouration appears greyer (though this could just be the light/flash). Is this individual F. adriana?

It appears to match images on Butterflies on India of F. adriana quite well, but I am not aware of how much variation there is in asoka. My apologies for the rather poorer images of this one, but it was only present very briefly.

Many thanks.

Image 1. F. asoka.
25886

Image 2. F. asoka.
25887

Image 3. F. asoka.
25888

Image 4. F. adriana?
25889

Image 5. F. adriana?
25890

[Psyche]

They are all Flos adriana.

In Flos asoka there is a broad brown sub-basal band from costa to dorsum(inner margin).
The band may be parti-coloured & composed of merged spots & bars.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/#!/sp/2122/Flos-asoka


In Flos adriana this same HW sub-basal band is incoplete ,ending midway into a couple of round spots, or split into a couple of bars ,often with the inner weak & obscure.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/sp/2119/Flos-adriana



TL Seow: Cheers.

[Psyche]

The two specoes can be rather confusing.

Evans' description of the two species.

Flos adriana: UnH no metallic tornal green scales, lobe small; sub-basal dark band extend to mid-cell.

Flos asoka.: UnH with tornal green scales, lobe prominent; sub-basal dark band to dorsum (inner margin).

Fig 5, 5a F. adriana : fig 6, 6a F. asoka.
https://archive.org/stream/journalofasi521883unse#page/n92/mode/1up


Flos asoka.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beautiful_bugs/17103419589
https://wingscales.com/Lycaenidae/Flos-asoka
https://thaibutterflies.com/Butterflies/flos-asoka/

Flos adriana typical.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/FlosAdriana/FlosAdriana_VivekSarkar_as920.jpg
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Flos-adriana.jpg
Uncertain ? hybrid.
https://wingscales.com/Lycaenidae/Flos-adriana


I think you are right

1, 2, & 3 are Flos asoka. (Sub-basal band continues as scattered spots to dorsum. )

4 & 5 are doubtfully F. adriana. More likely variants of F. asoka.

There are probably some degree of interbreeding that cause this confusion.

TL Seow: Cheers.