Id for Choaspes

[ButterflyWitch]

Good evening Dr.Seow Sir..

Is it Choaspes furcata?
Both are same individual...

28614
28615

Thank you in advance...:)

[Psyche]

Yes. I think it is most likely to be Choaspes furcatus.

There are a lot of mis-IDs in Choaspes.

Four species in India.
28616

It is important to get a shot that shows a bit of HW space 1b, whicch appears as a narrow triangle.

Choaspes stigmatus.
Tail long about 1/3 of tornal orange area.
Triangular space 1b only small basal black area.
Spot in space 2 relatively small.
ttps://yutaka.it-n.jp/hes/90300010.html
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Choaspes-stigmatus-1080x675.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/4393/36080964220_5a0b4fb8a7_b.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Close_wing_basking_of_Choaspes_stigmata_Evans ,_1932_%E2%80%93_Branded_Awlking_WLB-NEI_DSC_4533.jpg



Choaspes benjaminii.
As in C. stigmatus ,the black area in the triangular space 1b is small & the spot in space often smaal & detached in ssp japonicus.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/hes/90310010.html
https://wingscales.com/Hesperiidae/Choaspes-benjaminii-japonica
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/sites/default/files/ChoaspesBenjaminii_MilindBhakare_am792_1.jpg


The next two are very difficult to separate based on the undersides.
C. xanthopogon is largely brown on the upperside.


C. furcatus.
Black area in space 1b large reaching close to the margin.
Spot in space 2 large, sited close to the margin,& hooked or angled inwards.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/hes/90340001.html
https://wingscales.com/Hesperiidae/Choaspes-furcatus
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/sites/default/files/styles/284_265/public/av115.jpg?itok=vwsYr8oM


C. xanthopogon.
Similar to furcatus ,the black area a little less & the black spot in space 2 more or less straight.
No prper fieldshot except the Taiwanese ssp chrysopterus.
https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/choaspes-xanthopogon
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/hes/90320001.html
Taiwan ssp.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jameshou/35993957355



TL Seow: Cheers.

[Ngangom Aomoa]

Adding a question for clarification.

Is the feature of "fully detached spot in space 2" occur only in Choaspes benjaminii or can occur in Choaspes stigmatus too?

28659

28660

Regards

[Psyche]

the spot in space can be detached in both C. stigmstud & bejaminii.
However it is rather common in C. benjaminii which can have the sot large.
The spot is relatively small in stigmatus.

Much the difficulty is judging the length of the tail fold.
Some examples of C. benjaminii have slightly longer tail as in this individual and are often confused with stigmatus.

No confusion here.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/918041/original.jpg

The fold here is more open exposing more of the black area ,which does not extend past the outer margin of spot 2.
https://pictureinsect.com/image-handle/image/1080/154135230855249952.jpeg?x-oss-process=image/format,webp

This is likely to be C. furcatus as the black area is large & extend beyond the curved spot 2.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Close_wing_Puddling_of_Choaspes_benjaminii_%2 8Gu%C3%A9rin-M%C3%A9neville,_1843%29_-_Common_Awlking_WLB_MG_0667.jpg

Admittedly some images will be difficult to ID.

TL Seow:Cheers.