It's taken me some to work out correct identifications of the Cethosia species of butterflies at the annual Wisley butterflies event. Until fairly recently I'd accepted the spotter guide handout's name and picture of "Cethosia biblis Malay Lacewing" as being correct. However, Wurzel's posting in his PD (page 30) showed that I'd got it wrong, as had those who had compiled the guide
![A Hypolimnas bolina, Great Eggfly (on butterfly key) 16.01.11.jpg (237.27 KiB) Viewed 343 times Picture is not Cethosia biblis but may be Malay Lacewing?](./files/thumb_10062_4fae4d6614adac52390da267945944cb)
- Picture is not Cethosia biblis but may be Malay Lacewing?
Ironically the butterfly actually present in previous years and in the early part of this 2013 exhibition,
was biblis but the correct common name should be Red Lacewing not Malay Lacewing
![B Cethosia biblis Red Lacewing 22.01.12.JPG (330.6 KiB) Viewed 343 times Red Lacewing not Malay as I named it in a previous post](./files/thumb_10062_7b32d9ae1507cde7928092551c38353b)
- Red Lacewing not Malay as I named it in a previous post
![C Cethosia biblis Red Lacewing 27.01.13.jpg (237.51 KiB) Viewed 343 times Biblis taken the earlier part of this year's event](./files/thumb_10062_e2ce3a217da4bd19436ce21dd5373255)
- Biblis taken the earlier part of this year's event
![D Cethosia biblis, Red Lacewing (1) 09.02.13.jpg (317.34 KiB) Viewed 343 times Open wing male Cethosia biblis Red Lacewing](./files/thumb_10062_fe14384bf6d47d318ced5d89fc2990d7)
- Open wing male Cethosia biblis Red Lacewing
. The confusion was further compounded with one of the same guide pictures fixed to the raised level railing was named "Cethosia hypsea". C. Hypsea is indeed the "Malay Lacewing" but the picture looked like ones that Wurzel had named "Cethosia cyane" or "Leopard Lacewing". Just when I was thinking it might be another Wisley picture or naming error Cethosia 'hypsea' started to turn up.
So to cut a long story short I'm now having difficulty differentiating between hypsea and cyane Malay or Leopard Lacewings
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
(biblis is easy
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
) and I've only have photos and sightings of males.
![E Cethosia hypsea-cyane (male); Malay-Leopard Lacewing (1) 21.02.13.jpg (272.63 KiB) Viewed 343 times Malay or Leopard Lacewing?](./files/thumb_10062_fda7386be1a05cea953585713427b2ad)
- Malay or Leopard Lacewing?
![F Cethosia hypsea-cyane (male); Malay-Leopard Lacewing (2) 21.02.13.jpg (336.07 KiB) Viewed 343 times Malay or Leopard Lacewing?](./files/thumb_10062_19b57b85d02caeb18f93afdd314905c4)
- Malay or Leopard Lacewing?
![H Cethosia hypsea-cyane (male); Malay-Leopard Lacewing (4) 21.02.13.jpg (326.54 KiB) Viewed 343 times Malay or Leopard Lacewing?](./files/thumb_10062_a73a84b8e69f8b39ec7db1e83b1605c6)
- Malay or Leopard Lacewing?
I've also encountered an unlisted swallowtail which is causing difficulty in identification. It is either Papilio demoleus or Papilio demodocus and I've tentatively concluded that the butterfly is demoleus after poring over lots of internet images and taking into account that demoleus the Chequered or Lime Swallowtail appears to be the more common of the two
![I Papilio demoleus, Lime Swallowtail (1). 16.02.13.jpg (324.36 KiB) Viewed 343 times Papilio demoleus? male?](./files/thumb_10062_f08dd63abcf0f6804425bed80a1b997e)
- Papilio demoleus? male?
. Demoleus has a large and increasing range and is considered a pest for citrus fruit growers as its larvae can repeatedly defoliate trees. Papilio demodocus or Citrus swallowtail is confined to Sub-saharan Africa and is also considered a pest but the ranges of the two species do not overlap. Despite their very similar morphology they are not thought to be closely related.
The second photo shows another of these swallowtails from a later visit
![J Papilio demoleus, Lime Swallowtail Franny's hand (2) 2.02.13.jpg (326.55 KiB) Viewed 343 times Papilio demodocus or demoleus female?](./files/thumb_10062_71d39720ba145d49234baa154343dd0a)
- Papilio demodocus or demoleus female?
. This one is considerably larger than the first (see picture) but the size discrepancy could simply be due to it being a different sex the female being the larger? There again, the African or Mocker Swallowtail (Papilio dardanus) is featured at Wisley so could it be another of the African species:- demodocus? Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the undersides
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
although I'm not sure this would help.
Anyone have any thoughts on this please?
Phil