Arhopala norda?

[horace2264]

I was looking through my photo archive and saw this Arhopala taken in 2018 in Singapore Botanical Gardens. It was identified as A. major then, but with the recently acquired knowledge that A. norda has a white tornal spot on the cilia in the HW, I am wondering whether this is A. norda instead.

28666

[Psyche]

This is one of those enigma in Singapore that have never been solved.

In the past there were examples with various trace of tornal white cilia.
eg.
https://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Arhopala%20major%20major/Arhopala%20major%20major%20-%20Tan%20CP.jpg
https://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Arhopala%20major%20major/Arhopala-major-major---2---Tan-C.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayviKlFuRfkKkYRPXgxlED91QV23sjZFzLAetNMsEfG DgfD5rM2DmQ-IFWSx_F8JAhDuLftFgvXUZlRw8epdQ4rjcxP1Jt3xF38xQdCL4 EZauIUG-9OuUB0O3JjSW0tmEfCeDdltKliBk/s1600/Amajor_adult_Khew_01.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22g7gZfPpEj0kddIrEzACgzAZLLmyIWco22aVpkRsC7 XL90JDXIadTiLvmkmEwZZyJnoCbnKgkrnh6egu_5w_dixfxgGX QRG27GwfVT0eyD9HRtmAPWTOeau6ifE1nmUXryEATXOGJN4G/s1600/A_major_adult_Jonathan_01.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjTDNrqX5UQCuDQEXWYr7de_nt-5kbbet92i5QcZSlaqOdFyu_J2U4jDFh6BPseaUbes4kRH1DPIL 3ZYUoAWVewdnf50pDUNrhv2pNxstFVvQyTk1q-Z7ksM_-NAR6zP6M6PPSuy4rfEb/s1600/A_major_open_wing_01.gif
They were also examples in which the tornal white spot is quite distinct eg.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbUewlQzLt1BIJqhsCF4805DJlhV0w9QiDpK7I1TF7V XldxDRDlxRwJBbM6bTatAD76ZrwhvBtJ7PQVkFf0umMEGgXWKW NHmQPban4DbuWOSqVs9ob3-M-60dDiKdxC5XTmL72vbGurfW/s1600/A_major_adult_female_01.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHd1lOLI4SrB3ihkhd3xi6JQUJWBJGt1k76nVIPaFlM egxQMoTJIn3XHXqoPzwxwAT-3XrvnWr0iBKxdG_APDRnPf66uB-0ik6QZgabjAMRubPH_0as_lXJyncH95EWBdEis0MG96eCoR/s1600/A_major_newly_eclosed_female_01.jpg

Also present are examples without the white tornal spot.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/budak/52368565445
https://wanderingbutterflyeffect.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/6a0100a801ee89000e0123de1c48c6860d.jpg

The only way to find out if there are two species is to catch a male with a defined white spot.
Squeezing the abdomen will cause the valvae (claspers) to open out.
A smartphone picture of the inside of one of the valva, zoomed for comparison.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4f/81900001.html
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4f/81920010.html



TL Seow: Cheers.

[horace2264]

This is one of those enigma in Singapore that have never been solved.
'
'
'

The only way to find out if there are two species is to catch a male with a defined white spot.
Squeezing the abdom,en will cause the valves to open out.
A smartphone picture of the inside of one of the valve, zoomed for comparison.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4f/81900001.html
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4f/81920010.html

TL Seow: Cheers.

Many thanks, Dr Seow for the detailed explanation.
From CP4, the difference in the male valva is about being unilobate (A. norda) or bilobate (A. major). The links at yutaka.it-n.jp show the difference clearly.
Definitely more work is needed in order to solve this SG mystery. :-)