Sabah Tanaecia

[AJPembo]

I Saw this Tanaecia in Sabah but have struggled to identify it. I suspect it's a female Malay Viscount (T.pelea) but was hoping to have it confirmed.

27624

Many thanks

Alex

[Psyche]

Tanaecia is particularly difficult in Borneo where there are many forms, some of these elevated to full species by different authors.


This is most likely to be Tanecia aruna, the ssp being apsarasa or trratna.

T. aruna have strongly defined arrowheads on the FW.
In space 2 & 3 ,there are two helmet-shaped spots to the inside of the white arrowheads.

Mainland forms Thailand.
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Tanaecia-aruna-1-1080x675.jpg
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Tanaecia-aruna-aruna-female.jpg

Ssp triratna. fig 3.
https://archive.org/details/tijdschriftvoore51861nede/page/n238/mode/1up?view=theater
Ssp apsarasa.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Seitz9FaunaIndoAustralicaPlate133.JPG

Forms like valmikis & lutala have also been upgraded as full species.
Seitz is not without error, ie the puseda female is definitely a female Euthalia monina.

The other species do not have strngly defined white arrowheads.
T. pelea in Borneo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanaecia_pelea#/media/File:Malay_viscount_(Tanaecia_pelea_irenae)_B.jpg
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/mcguire/collection/featured-collections/irving-finkelstein/brush-footed-butterflies/


TL Seow: Cheers.

[AJPembo]

Thank you Seow! Borneo butterflies are very tricky without a decent field guide and such diversity