Horaga albimacula?

[horace2264]

Is this Horaga albimacula?

27433
Underside, no white band in the hindwing.

27434
Close-up of legs, whitish front legs.

27435
A glimpse of its upperside.The FW white patch does not extend below vein 2.

[Psyche]

Yes. It is Horaga albimacula.
The subspecies in P. Malaysia & Singapore is stated to be albistigmata.

The FW white patch is wider & its outer margin more irregularly angulated.
The patch does not extend below vein 2.
On the underside the white discal band is very narrow & may be partially obscure.
The bluish scales seen sub-basally on the FW appears to be a female trait.
It is also seen in the other subspecies.

Taiwan ssp tiumphalis.
http://dearlep.tw/images/Papilionoidea/Lycaenidae/%E5%B0%8F%E9%91%BD%E7%81%B0%E8%9D%B6%EF%BC%8D%E9%9 B%84_1.jpg
India ssp viola.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horaga_viola#/media/File:Horaga_viola.jpg
Male. Ssp. viola is also treated by some as a separate species.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2015/233_10421-888-5672658b20aa9-1.jpg
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/media_images/2015/233_10421-888-5672658b20aa9-2.jpg



Horaga chalcedonyx was originally considered a ssp of albimacula.
THe upperside FW white patch is narrower, extend below vein 2 into space 1b, its outer margin more regular.
The bases of both wings are usually sprinkled with purple blue scales.
On the underside the HW white band tends to be wide.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4g/83173020.html




TL Seow: Cheers.

[horace2264]

Many thanks, Dr Seow for the ID confirmation.
According to Cowan's article on Horagini (Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology, vol.18 no.4, 1966), the subspecies in Singapore was called H. albimacula malaya, and those collected in Sarawak was called H. albimacula albistigmata.

27437


27438

Was there some revision after that Cowan's article?

[Psyche]

During Cowan's time in 1966 all the taxa were thought to be subspecies of H. albimacula.


It was thought there is only one form in Singapore named malaya.
Noticed Cowan stated two males of malaya were taken, one with blue scales & one without.

Even in 1972 with the publication of C&P3 only one species H. albimacula malaya was stated to be present in Singapore.

Eliot have since revised the taxa.
The one with blue scales is taxon malaya which falls as a ssp of H. chalcedonyx. (Originally taxon chalcedonyx TL Sintang, Borneo, was itself considered to be a form of H. albimacula).

The male without the blue scales is shown to be similar to the Sarawakian taxon albistigmata which is now H. albimacula albistigmata.

Eliot has put in the revised taxonomy in C&P4 1992 , page 306 & page 423.

You yourself had raised a specimen of H. chalcedonyx malaya in the past.
It is very distinctive with the blue scales around the wing bases.


TL Seow: Cheers.

[horace2264]

Thank you, Dr Seow, for explaining the revision history of the two rare Horaga species in Singapore.

It is very interesting and exciting that we still have these two Horaga species present in Singapore.