ID Help for Coastal Karnataka Butterflies

[gkbaliga]

Greetings from South India Dr Seow

I would appreciate if you could help me identify this specimen.
All photos of the same individual taken at our home on Coastal area of Karnataka State at Mangalore City

Could this be Thoressa honorei (Madras Ace) ?

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50513934442_252a4eede3_w.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jXK7Qb)20201018-IMG_9502 (https://flic.kr/p/2jXK7Qb) by GKBaliga (https://www.flickr.com/photos/93793400@N02/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50513934427_b20a2d046a_w.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jXK7PV)20201018-IMG_9505 (https://flic.kr/p/2jXK7PV) by GKBaliga (https://www.flickr.com/photos/93793400@N02/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50513767016_8e8b324324_w.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jXJg4w)20201018-IMG_9511 (https://flic.kr/p/2jXJg4w) by GKBaliga (https://www.flickr.com/photos/93793400@N02/), on Flickr

[Psyche]

It should be Thoressa honorei. Correction: Cephrenes acalle female.

Pic 1 shows the broad end of a female & longer profile.
UnH have exceptionally wide black spots, likely an aberration.

Pic 3 shows the UpF without a spot in space 1b. UnF with a broad spot in space 1b.

As stated the male honorei is typically without any spot in space 1b, while the female may have a lower spot.

The abdominal end is tawny in the male but dark shaded dorsally in the female.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/26689187@N00/5086057307/
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2014/1_1002-311-5461008ea0286-1.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/ThoressaHonorei/ThoressaHonorei_HemantOgale_ab051.jpg


The only similar species is T. masoni. Range; Myanmar & eastwards.
UpF with spots in space 1b forming a band with spots 2 & 3.
UnH spots are typically heavier. (in honorei, UnH black spots obsolete in DSF.)
Abdominal end strongly black-banded.
https://ftp.funet.fi/index/Tree_of_life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/hesperioidea/hesperiidae/hesperiinae/thoressa/masoni-1x.jpg
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Thoressa-masoni-1080x675.jpg


TL Seow : Cheers.

[gkbaliga]

Thank you so much Dr Seow

[gkbaliga]

Greetings again Dr Seow

Thoressa honorei is supposed to be a forest dweller. Our home where this is shot is nowhere near forest. Nearest dense forest would be about 100 Kms away.

Some of my friends have raised doubts that this could be Cephrenes acalle.

Instead of the "UnH have exceptionally wide black spots, likely an aberration" could those spots be of Cephrenes acalle and the UP view doesn't show all spots properly because the specimen is worn out?

What is your opinion on this?

[Psyche]

Your friends are right.

It is Cephrenes acalle female.
This species is extremely variable in India.

It matches this one perfectly.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/CephrenesAcalle/CephrenesAcalle_AshokSengupta_aj672.jpg

The upperside (pic 3) is confusing in that it has reduced spots ie the large spot in space 1b is absent & so the appearance is like most Thoressa species.
Typical C. acalle females upperside.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2015/137_6269-854-554dc1a85cc9c-3.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2019/1442_48897-778-5df1efa7dc655-1.jpg


TL Seow: Cheers.

[gkbaliga]

Thank you so much Dr. Seow