Curetis bulis?

[Zicky]

Dear Doctor Seow,

Here is a observation of a Curetis species, which i believe is Curetis bulis, as the hindwing space 7 is half black as per C&P5, but i would like to hear your opinion

inat link - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/170621246

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Skipping regards
Zicky

[Commander]

Can you do a close up shot of the legs? They do appear to be black-banded.

[LJK1410]

I have some closer macro shots of the same individual here Mr Khew! The iNaturalist link will have better resolution.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/170615672
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[Psyche]

I would leave this as a variant of Curetis santana.
The HW black area is slightly less than half of space 7.
UnH submarginal spots 6 & 7 appear to be out of line.

I have spoken of C. bulis in the past as it is probably still extant.

Typically C. santana have fairly large orange area on both wings, but there are variations.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc3/84050010.html
Typical males.
https://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Curetis%20santana%20malayica/131-2-Curetis-santana-malayica-(Malayan-Sunbeam)--Sunny.jpg
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uKSnIdlcZUo/TedMfNj0C4I/AAAAAAAALCA/7jq6m6xnJ2Q/s1600/MS_adult_male_Sunny_02.jpg
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PCJviRj0BnI/T75Ta9pTnPI/AAAAAAAAHeM/xMAeCwe9c-k/s1600/MalayanSunbeam-KohCH.jpg
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/98755895
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2 Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fb%2Fb1%2FCuretisSantanaMala yicaMUpUnAC1.jpg&tbnid=D6IEfZM8qUQwpM&vet=12ahUKEwib7IjrkvD_AhXximMGHZUYCpMQMygRegUIARDT AQ..i&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fms.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F Curetis_santana&docid=Gk1yqpEF_tQGNM&w=1581&h=1168&q=curetis%20bulis&ved=2ahUKEwib7IjrkvD_AhXximMGHZUYCpMQMygRegUIARDTA Q
Underside males.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Curetis%20santana%20malayica/Malayan-Sunbeam---Sunny-Chir.jpg
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Curetis%20santana%20malayica/_MG_8404%20(2).JPG
Female.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131688085

Probable variants but no underside shots.
All Singapore.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/95371774
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/fauna/1/0/1023

There were several sightings in the past with narrow orange FW patch suggestings C. bulis.
All appear lost.

Recent postings suggesting C. bulis.

1. The FW orange is very narrow & the HW basal black is longer (wider) than the outer orange in space 7.
[url]https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166052588[/url

2. The upperside view suggest a narrow FW band & the HW tornal area broadly black.
The underside HW postdiscal spot 7 is large with spot 6 tuck inwards; HW submarginal spots 6 & 7 in line.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/157123999

3 The HW black in space 7 is wider & the HW tornal area is broadly black.
https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/malayan-sunbeam-of-singapore-gm184114769-1842380

[I]Curetis bulis./I]
HW space with black basal area wider than the outer orange area in space 7 (view in the set specimen.).
UnH with postdiscal spot 7 often convex & spot 6 tuck in ;submarginal spots 6 & 7in line.

Female black & white.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc3/84030010.html
https://thaibutterflies.com/Butterflies/curetis-bulis/
http://nlliew66butterflies.blogspot.com/2014/11/curetis-bulis-stigmata-moore.html

[Psyche]

http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc3/84030010.html
https://thaibutterflies.com/Butterflies/curetis-bulis/
http://nlliew66butterflies.blogspot.com/2014/11/curetis-bulis-stigmata-moore.html

[Psyche]

Note the HW postdiscal spots 6 & 7 in C. santana may sometime looks the same as that in C. bulis.
eg. female C. santana.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xbka1bL2hYU/TeEj9KaeCuI/AAAAAAAAK9Q/uB7_NEysJ5U/s1600/MS_adult_03.jpg


TL Seow: Cheers.

[Psyche]

Some of the links in post 4 does not come out right.

Post 4.
1.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166052588
2
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/157123999
3.
https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/malayan-sunbeam-of-singapore-gm184114769-1842380

[Zicky]

Dear Doctor Seow,

I am a little confused here, i believe it was C.bulis as i was following CnP5 ID plate, "upperside hind wing with at least half of space 7 black, and basal and tornal areas heavily darkened." Which i observe from my shots it seems to match rather closely with C.bulis, as the basal and tornal areas are heavily darkened. Thats why i concluded it is C.bulis after observing the photo of mine comparing with the plates of CnP5.

As I look through the plate, i also referred to one of my previous shot of a Curetis, which i believe it to be Curetis santana
the inat link is here - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166573942
In the second picture, i got a open wing flight shot of the Curetis, which the palpi is speckled red in this observation as the link above, as well as the upperside hindwing space 7 is mostly orange, while the basal and tornal areas not heavily darkened.

I find this two observation to be rather distinct, and thats where my confusion stem from. Would love to hear your inputs

Skipping regards
Zicky

[Psyche]

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Firstly there are five species of Curetis recorded in Singapore.

Three have red spotted/banded legs & palpi.
The spots may be orange to reddish to rather darkish brown.
They are C. bulis, santana & saronis.

Two have black banded legs, palpi may be dark spotted.
They are C. tagalica & regula.

C. bulis & santana have reddish spots.

It would seem easy to state all with broad orange patches are C. santana & all with narrow orange patches are C. bulis.
This might actually be true but the key does not specifically state this.

The main clue is that on HW space 7 the basal black area is at least as wide as the orange area (or wider).

HW space 7 is very difficult to judge without a specimen in hand.
The orange bar ends obliquely, shorter than the black area in bulis, & longer in santana.

Eg here the HW is only visible to space 6.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F5m2U7YgVNY/Xt5ieE2zQpI/AAAAAAAADTg/XielWeNNeTQN4GNl-VmqdB3hkSSTKHV6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Curetis%2Bsantana%2Bupper.jpg

C. bulis bulis have reduced orange but all the HW spaces are visible.
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KkGDROWOl1U/WKOWAmOvvmI/AAAAAAAALb8/4YnKPS-0UGc2mBqKr2JVjRG2E3HwbuFYgCLcB/s1600/Curetis%2Bbulis%2BCP1.jpg
http://butterfliesvietnam.blogspot.com/2017/03/257-curetis-bulis-bulis-bright-sunbeam.html

C. bulis in P. Malaysia.
Raub.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tIUJ97is3RA/VGoPKyWE5_I/AAAAAAAAROk/xn73VbPYFW0/s1600/DSC_0064-001.JPG
Fraser's Hill Mis-ID.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/moloch05/5945254329

C. santana P.Malaysia.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gancw1/3106579903/
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rD03xEDFVMU/VSKmHMpYk1I/AAAAAAAAUxs/rDAt4OKQ_OM/s1600/DSC_0103.JPG

This was taken in Singapore by Jonathan 2017.
This was IDed as santana, as a careful look of the HW veins suggest in space 7the orange is wider.
The underside also looks closer to santana.
Still C. bulis is a possibility.( as HW submarginal spots 6 & 7 seem in line.)
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4565/24843048758_e571544b58_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4576/37998540944_126929a62b_c.jpg

In your fieldshots.
This view shows the orange areas too wide to be C. bulis.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/295958955/large.jpeg
This view shows the HW submarginal spots 6 & 7 to be out of line.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/295958886/large.jpeg


Lastly the biggest doubt is that no female have ever been shot.
The black & white female C. bulis is irrefutable proof.

TL Seow: Cheers.

[Zicky]

i see, thank you Doctor Seow!

[Psyche]

These examples of Curetis bulis have been misidentified as Curetis sperthis.
They are from The Gap. halfway to Fraser's Hill.

Singapore shots of C. bulis stigmata if present should match these examples.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847199189
https://www.gbif.org/tools/zoom/simple.html?src=//api.gbif.org/v1/image/cache/occurrence/2847199189/media/d7e86924db7ba181c77057f193086756
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847199182
https://www.gbif.org/tools/zoom/simple.html?src=//api.gbif.org/v1/image/cache/occurrence/2847199182/media/db9042dd5760fac31f11f4d892dbabcd


Curetis sperthis sperthis is also recorded from Singapore in the past.
The HW space 7 is wholly black or at least much of the outer half.
The underside postdiscal band is parallel to the outer margin & the ground speckled with black dots ( as in bulis & santana.)
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc3/84070001.html
http://www.jamiun.com/curetis-sperthis-sperthis/



TL Seow: Cheers.