Non-Hesperiidae ID Request - Singapore

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Dear Dr Seow,

Requesting the ID of these two Miletus sp. We unfortunately couldn't get an upper-side shot for both of them. Might both individuals be Miletus biggsii? So sorry that I couldn't compress the photos enough to fit them here :sweat:

1. Upper Seletar Reservoir Park, 2 July 2023

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/170839845
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/170605350

2. Ulu Sembawang, 10 July 2023

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/172169104
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/172161431

Thank you so much in advance!

Cheers,
Lumin Ong

[Psyche]

They are both Miletus biggsii..

Four species were recoded in Singapore but only two seem to be extant.


1. Miletus biggsii.
FW with the upper postdiscal spot 6 (sometimes plus the small spot 9) shifted out usually strongly but variable from spot 5 & 4 below.
Underside of more uniform shade.
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Miletus_biggsii_biggsii#/media/File:MiletusBiggsiiMFUpUnAC1.jpg
Males.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Miletus%20biggsii%20biggsii/miletus%20biggsii%20biggsii%20(biggs%20brownie)%20-%20Ellen%20Tan.JPG
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Miletus%20biggsii%20biggsii/Miletus%20biggsii%20biggsii.jpg
Female.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Miletus%20biggsii%20biggsii/biggsagain%20-%20bene.jpg
Pair. Male at top, female below.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/214366163/large.jpg


2. Miletus symethus.
UnF spot 6 more or less in line with spots 4 & 5.
UnF apex shaded whitish.
UnH apex broadly shaded whitish.
HW postdiscal spots edged dark variably on their inner margins ,stronger than the other.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc2/80270010.html
Males.
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Miletus-symethus.jpg
https://nss.org.sg/butterfly/photohilight/200211-miletus_symethus.jpg
Females.
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Miletus-symethus-1.jpg
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Miletus%20symethus%20petronius/Miletus%20symethus%20petronius%20-%20Neo%20Chee%20Beng.jpg



The next two are probably extinct.

3. Miletus gopara.
FW spot 6 in line with spots 4 & 5.
FW & HW apices lightly shaded whitish, the HW in a narrow zone.
HW postdiscal spots only lightly edged dark.
Female with a distinct tail at HW vein 4.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc2/80250001.html
http://nlliew66butterflies.blogspot.com/2018/11/miletus-gopara-gopara-de-niceville.html
Male Fleming Collection.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2847199540
Male from Java. Note FW postdiscal spots 4, 5, & 6 ( counting upwards) are in line.
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/115271/miletus_gopara_gopara_family_lycaenidae.html
Possibly male M. gopara. FW spot 6 in line with spot 5 & 4 (small); old shot 10+ years ago.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yzw2AzY2du4/S6W7EM-hYlI/AAAAAAAAEZw/hSIdngwQiag/s1600-h/Biggs-Brownie-JamesF.jpg


4. Miletus gaesa.
FW spot 6 in line with spot 4 & 5. (Corrected . Note FW postdiscal spots are spots 4, 5, 6, & a small 9 near the margin.)
FW without white marking, so UnF no white shading at cellend.
HW deeper brown shading in tornal area.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc2/80213001.html
Male.
https://singapore.biodiversity.online/species/A-Arth-Hexa-Lepidoptera-000469
Probable female. Note FW postdiscal spots 4, 5, & 6 are in line.; heavier brown shading in the HW tornal area.
https://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Miletus%20biggsii%20biggsii/biggs%20Brownie%20-%20Ellen%20Tan.JPG


TL Seow: Cheers.

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Thank you so much Dr Seow !!

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Dear Dr Seow,

Requesting ID for this rather large Allotinus sp. shot at Pulau Ubin. A few Allotinus unicolor were shot before encountering this individual and the FW spots look different.

2834228343

iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/174225125

Thank you so much in advance!

Cheers,
Lumin Ong

[Psyche]

Post 4.

It is a large female Allotinus unicolor.

28344

Allotinus unicolor.
HW spot 6 set well inside spot 7; The three spots 5, 6, & 7 forming a triangle.
FW postdiscal spots set in a arc, not dilocated.
Male & female.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Allotinus%20unicolor%20unicolor/Lesser%20Darkie%20-%20Nelson%20Ong.jpg
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Allotinus%20unicolor%20unicolor/LesserDarkwing_01.jpg

The rest have HW spot 6 under spot 7 or farther out.

Allotinus horsfieldi Larger..
This is a relatively common species in P. Malaysia.
It surprisingly seems to be extinct in Singapore.
HW spot 6 under & close to spot 7.
FW postdiscal spots dislocated in the middle.
Finer striations & ground colour lightly buff.
Female with broad based teeth on HW margin.
Males.
https://alchetron.com/cdn/allotinus-3d727b1b-3fe0-4593-94da-e787f5829ba-resize-750.jpg
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/123343807
Female.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/69800330

https://thaibutterflies.com/Butterflies/allotinus-horsfieldi/



Allotinus leogoron.
Much rarer .Like A. horsfieldi but ground whiter & markings darker. Female HW margin with narrow sharp teeth.
Male.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/207392090/large.jpg

Others in Singapore's old records are A. strigatus, subviolaceous, & davidus(very small).

The HW arrangement of spots 5, 6, & 7 is very distinctive in A. unicolor, forming a triangle.

If a shot does not match this you are in luck.

Addendum: Note ID features are not absolute in either species.

TL Seow: Cheers.

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Thank you Dr Seow for the ID and key features to Allotinus!

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Dear Dr Seow

Requesting ID for this Tanaecia sp. sighted at Chek Jawa and shot by Jing Xuan. Is this a female Tanaecia pelea?

28345
iNaturalist:https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/174433459

Thank you in advance!

Cheers,
Lumin Ong

[Psyche]

Female Tanaecia pelea.
note bulging abdomen with pointed tip. HW more rounded.

The female is harder to ID & more confusingly similar.
This does looks a bit like T. munda.


Tanaecia pelea.
FW white helmet spots rather irregularly sized.

[/I]Male more rounded HW than males of T. palguna & munda.. HW arrowheads about midway between margin & inner border.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GQ-j_rFnlo0/VAGY-O1TBII/AAAAAAAAfCU/FUUKJgjDCtA/s1600/MV_adult_Federick_03.jpg
Female HW arrowheads nearly always nearer inner border.
https://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Tanaecia%20pelea%20pelea/Malay%20Viscount%20-%20Federick%20Ho.jpg


Tanaecia palguna (Not recoded from Singapore.)
HW arrowheads nearer margin in the male, & about midway in the female.
FW arrowheads tip short, not penetrating deep into the white helmet spots which are also more regular.
Males.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoHsTzdxVR27sCdfpod20iWCEA1DU6zKtVRwTKGxHdA fedXCl0Yp0n3a0ioTI1IIH8kGHt7F52Uon9rCLy3fDHYnVq5TK kxzdgjaVwIHZeBXS-faPOfS8PusAKgCf-LNAGvTh9rmB0duYNXw5pztHcS4n_zqaXODJf2DuEFEWDP0f4UM cL2_Jjy3I/s1024/tn1.jpeg
https://thaibutterflies.com/Butterflies/tanaecia-palguna/
Female.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/235685135/large.jpg


Tanaecia munda.
HW arrowheads nearer margin in male ,nearer midway in female.
Usually more extensive white shadings on both wings.
FW arrowheads long, the tips penetrating deeper into the white helmet spots (as in T. pelea).
HW arrowheads also rahter long.
Males.
Note fieldshot in webpage is also a male.
https://singapore.biodiversity.online/species/A-Arth-Hexa-Lepidoptera-000485
P. Malaysia.
https://www.pbase.com/lcgoh/image/126652411
Thailand.
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Tanaecia-munda-1.jpg

Female.
https://a4.pbase.com/o6/25/686825/1/87129433.OunlIemV.Tanaeciaia_female.jpg



TL Seow: Cheers.
PS. This female taken in P. Ubin by Horace is most likely correct as T. munda.
Note HW arrowheads are midway or nearer outer margin.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=28186&d=1676903732

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Ahh I see now, thank you Dr Seow!