Philippines Blog

[Padfield]

That looks very like Prosotas dubiosa to me. Here's one I photographed in India:



I agree on the ancyra blue - lovely shot!

Guy

[Tony Moore]

Thanks, Guy - of course it is!

Don't know how I missed it - I went twice through the Phillipine Lycaenid list - D'oh!

Must start taking more care

Tony.

[Tony Moore]

Only one new one today, sadly suffering from a set to with a bird by the look of it. Amazing colours - an insect I had not seen before.

Red Base Jezebel:

Tony M.

[Tony Moore]

Further to my last, the RBJ may be Delias henningia, rather than D. pasithoe. Not sure how to separate them.

T.M.

[Tony Moore]

A quick trawl on the net suggests pasithoe from the black/yellow uw distribution. Happy to be corrected .

T.M.

[NickMorgan]

Tony,
The Singapore ButterflyCircle has a wonderful web site and various members have blogs. They are very knowledgeable and I asked if anyone had any expertise about the butterflies of the Philippines. He suggested that you would be welcome to post your pictures on their Facebook page if you would like to ask their opinions on ID.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/112319205455786/

[Padfield]

That's an excellent suggestion, Nick!

The Delias species is certainly one of the pasithoe group (in the Philippines, pasithoe, henningia or hidecoae). In my own reference books, the pictures of henningia seem absolutely spot-on and I would suggest it is that. Pictures on the web seem very variable and make me less sure! In the absence of a field guide to say what is significant and what not, I concede defeat on that one!

If you follow Nick's suggestion, Tony, do post the definitive answers you get!

Guy

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Tony,

I have been following your blog with great interest, such beautiful butterflies, and the photos are super. Looking forward to some more.

All the best, Nick.

[Tony Moore]

Thanks, Nick, for a great suggestion - wilco and report. Just off for my morning search - hope to have something to post later...

Tony.

[Tony Moore]

A cooler day today - like about 27 instead of 32! It was immediately apparent that there were many more butterflies about. Club Silverlines all over the place, although none with open wings. There was much to calm the senses, and delight the eye...

I saw my first Elbowed Pierrot, which, surprise, surprise, flicked off before I could get onto it .
A pair of enormous, apparently pure white Pierids, was performing aerobatics around the forest edge - no idea what they were, but they at least twice the size of a Large White.

My day was made when I spotted this:

It was easily the biggest Lycaenid that I have ever seen, twice Green Hairstreak size. I'm fairly confident that it is Deudorix epijarbas, although happy to be corrected. A lovely insect. I managed to get several shots, but then had the usual troubled walk back, hoping there was something reasonable in the can. I'll try and get out again later and see if I can find it with open wings (we live in hope).

Tony M.

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Tony,
Search on the Web does appear to show it as the Oriental Cornelian.
Nice photo.
Chris.

[Tony Moore]

It has just been pointed out to me (courtesy of the Singapore Butterfly Site), that the supposed Papilio elphenor, previously posted, is, in fact, a male Common Mormon Papilio polytes. The lack of tails fooled me completely. There's so much to learn....

Tony M.

[LancsRover]

Keep the pics coming Tony, they are great, you are keeping us all cheerful in these 70mph winds and in the rain/sleet/snow and 5c temps.

Regards Russ

[Padfield]

What were the grounds for identifying the alphenor as polytes, Tony? I understood polytes, sensu stricto to have a much more restricted distribution in the Philippines. But alphenor is often included as a subspecies of polytes and I wonder if that is what they meant - Papilio polytes alphenor.

Guy

[NickMorgan]

I love the variety of butterflies in the tropics, but I do find it frustrating that they are so difficult to identify positively. There seem to be so many species and sub-species that closely resemble each other and they can be so variable, having different wet-season and dry-season forms. I have been doing my best via Google and the books I have to identify any of these butterflies, but I have failed miserably!!!
I'm still not 100% about some of the butterflies I saw in St Lucia last year.
Maybe I should just enjoy looking at them and not worry about what they are called! I'm certainly enjoying Tony's pictures.

[Tony Moore]

What were the grounds for identifying the alphenor as polytes,

.

I have just joined the Singapore Butterfly Group, and one of their members posted a 'correction'. I have also seen a female polytes on the campus, and assumed that the Asian guy was correct. I hadn't realised that a tailless variety of the male occurs. My original ID was from several photographs of alphenor, which were part of a personal website that I found. I'll add a comment to the Facebook picture and see if there is any other response. Thanks, again Guy,. for your interest and input.

Tony.

[Tony Moore]

The initial confusion was because I had mis-spelled alphenor as elphenor - a totally different species. Mea very culpa - apologies

Tony.

[Tony Moore]

Mainly cloudy this morning. Usually means that not so many butterflies are seen, but those that do appear are more likely to be sitting still. I had previously watched several, I think, Wanderers Pareronia boebera flashing about the forest margins, but had never seen one settle. I was astonished today to find one flapping about the various pots in the Jesuit Community's garden! It was quite determined, and returned several times after having been scared away by motor vehicles passing nearby. I was able to get a couple of underside shots. There was a very short burst of sunshine and the insect showed some slight sign of opening its wings. I decided to 'camp out' over it and pray for sunshine (well, I was in the right place...). 22 minutes later, the sun peeked out and my butterfly gave me a lovely, open winged opportunity:

Tony M.

[Chris Jackson]

Wow, a good lesson in patience and perseverance - the perfect pair of photos.
Chris

[Tony Moore]

After a couple of forced days off, I ventured out again this morning. Only saw one newby - a tiny Lycaenid, which I think is a Pygmy Grass Blue Zizula hylax. Its jizz was quite different from the Lesser GB, and it was much more ready to settle. I also post a photo of an amazing Shield Bug - a real jewel and twice the size of the average British one.

.

Tony M.