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View Full Version : ID doubt about Potanthus species


horace2264
21-Feb-2007, 11:47 PM
Recent encounters with various skipper species necessitate frequent checks of my past record shots. There were two shots which I ID'ed as Potanthus omaha omaha (Lesser dart) previously (see pic 1 and pic2 ) seem to be different upon a closer look. Could the two shots be of two different Potanthus species? What do you think?

Horace
Commander
22-Feb-2007, 12:03 AM
They're both Potanthus all right, but exactly which species, we can never be 100% sure. Just take a look at Plate 59 of C&P4 would make you tired already.
horace2264
22-Feb-2007, 12:26 AM
They're both Potanthus all right, but exactly which species, we can never be 100% sure. Just take a look at Plate 59 of C&P4 would make you tired already.

I suppose I can at least record them as two separate Potanthus species with the first one being the Lesser dart as it is of much closer match to those pics in the BC checklist.

Horace
Commander
22-Feb-2007, 12:35 AM
Actually, even that is doubtful. I've shot mating pairs of Potanthus before. The males and females are so variable in their markings that even with C&P4's ID Key, it's quite mind boggling to distinguish them.

Unfortunately, C&P4 doesn't show male/female, upper/underside shots of all the species. So it's difficult to tell them apart.
horace2264
22-Feb-2007, 10:35 PM
Actually, even that is doubtful. I've shot mating pairs of Potanthus before. The males and females are so variable in their markings that even with C&P4's ID Key, it's quite mind boggling to distinguish them.

Unfortunately, C&P4 doesn't show male/female, upper/underside shots of all the species. So it's difficult to tell them apart.

Sigh. The pictures in C&P4 plates for the small butts are really hard for me to make out the details of wing markings. The book "Butterflies of Hong Kong" has male/female, upper/underside shots of quite a number of Potanthus species, but unforturnately not for Lesser dart.

Horace
Commander
22-Feb-2007, 10:39 PM
Keep at it. Whenever you encounter a mating pair of these Potanthus spp, please take as many shots and from different angles as possible. It would also help us to see the characteristics and also be aware of the differences between the male/female of the species.