Arhopala aurelia - check ID

[DaveChiangMai]

I think this should be female Arhopala aurelia, but would like to check/confirm that please.
Photographed at Ton Nga Chang, Songkhla province, s Thailand, 25 Jun 24.
The upperside image is my own and the underside from a friend's camera who was there at the same time - same butterfly.
Many thanks.

28549

28550

[Psyche]

I am afraid the two images are of totally different individuals.

Image 1. UnF band with straight margins ;HW spots 6 & 7 also woth straight margins ;tails broken.

Image 2; UnF band very irregular; UnH spots 6 & 7 large & rounded ;tails fully intact.


Image 1 female possibly Arhopala aida.
FW spot 4 (just at the edge of the HW appear to be dislocated & shifted out.
HW V spot well-shaped but hard to see if it is fully dislocated.
General appearance suggest alitaeus group.
Arhopala aida female is the only one in which female have uniformly broad border to the tornus.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4f/82050001.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arhopala_aida#/media/File:ArhopalaAidaAidaMFUpUnAC1.jpg



Image 2 uncertain. Correction: Arhopala agaba.
FW postdiscal spot 4 appear to be slightly shifted out.
HW spots 6 & 7 large & rounded.
Hw V spot only partially dislocated from the postdiscal band.
The pattern suggest the eumolphus group & only A. corinda have HW spots 6 & 7 large & rounded.

Two features are at odd with corinda, ie the irregular FW postdiscal band & the longer tail.
Examples of A. corinda.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G5yXU0ysxZM/VZn9ef5qT5I/AAAAAAAAV-s/7JD30VGpips/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/DSC_0574.JPG
https://pbase.com/lcgoh/image/131828980

A. aurelia; FW band spot 4 not dislocated ;HW V spot fully dislocated.
https://wingscales.com/Lycaenidae/Arhopala-aurelia

A. alitaeus ;HW V spot widely detached from the postdiscal band. Multiple FW costal spots.
https://pbase.com/lcgoh/image/95981454

A vihara.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/ArhopalaViharaViharaMUpUnAC1.jpg

Perhaps an intermediate cross of some sort.
Closest to A. corinda but the FW postdiscal band & tail do not match.


TL Seow; Cheers.

[Psyche]

Revision.

Image 2 should be Arhopala agaba.
In the alea subgroup FW spot 4 may be slightly dislocated & the hW V spot may be variably dislocated.
This cause confusion with other groups whose id depends on the position of these two spots.

Arhopala agaba & aurelia are closely related .
They possess two features which set them apart from the other alea subgroup members.

Underside purple washed.
HW spot 5 & the cellend bar often close ,even touching.
Both FW & HW have the apical regions whitish ,with the submarginal spots there faded.
They can be separated by the FW postdiscal band.

Arhopala aurelia .FW band regular & broad.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4f/82100001.html
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Arhopala-aurelia.jpg
https://wingscales.com/media/2400/6975-1-f3d77.jpg

Arhopala agaba .FW band composed of irregular spots.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4f/82260001.html
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/les/lyc4/82260001.pdf
https://wingscales.com/Lycaenidae/Arhopala-agaba-agaba


TL Seow: Cheers.

[Psyche]

Revision 2.

Image 1 https://www.butterflycircle.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=28549&d=1720263508

This is probably correct as Arhopala aurelia.

As stated earlier both aurelia & agaba have the apical areas shaded whitish.
This is seen especially on the FW.
The regular FW postdiscal band also ruled out agaba.

On the upperside the FW is marked by a diffuse cellend bar.
This is not seen in all the female Arhopalas that are possible suspects.

In A. aurelia female this cellend bar is sometimes present.
Female from Ranong.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/pict14f/82100001_221.jpg
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/pict14f/82100001_222.jpg
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4f/82100001.html



TL Seow: Cheers.

[DaveChiangMai]

Many thanks for those updates. Yes, I should have seen the broken tails. Same time and place, but evidently more than one species flying around! Thanks you.