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Post by wollastoni on Jan 5, 2015 15:21:44 GMT
Let's start my report of Koh Phi Phi butterflies. I have met more than 70 species of rhopalocera in one week and pictured about 50 of them. Let's start with Nymphalidae.
Tanaecia julii bougainvillei is a splendid Nymphalidae which lives only in the forest. Males are territorial and are easy to spot thanks to their splendid fluo-blue band on the recto. In the darkness of a tropical forest, this touch of vivid blue is a wonderful sighting. It is about 70 mm large.
Males often rest on trees along the paths of the forest.
Another very fresh male :
The verso is less impressive but very different :
Females are rather hard to find and less showy :
It is a very nice encounter in Phi Phi forests.
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Post by nomad on Jan 5, 2015 20:11:01 GMT
I am very pleased that you had a great trip, did you go with a party. Splendid images.
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Post by wollastoni on Jan 5, 2015 20:13:41 GMT
Thank you for your nice words Peter. I went alone with my wife. She staid on the beach when I was in the jungle : perfect holidays for both of us !
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Post by wollastoni on Jan 8, 2017 14:28:23 GMT
During my last trip, I achieved to take better macro pictures of the females of the splendid Tanaecia julii bougainvillei. Some pictures :
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Post by Paul K on Jan 8, 2017 15:37:16 GMT
Very nice pictures, Olivier, but I believe it is subspecies xiphiones Paul
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Post by wollastoni on Jan 8, 2017 16:56:06 GMT
Are you sure about this Paul ? Both are done for peninsular Thailand.
In my "Butterflies of Thailand, 1st edition" by Ek-Amnuai : - female bougainvillei have white spots in FW like mine, whereas spots of xiphiones females are brown - bougainvillei is done from type locality Songkhla and xiphiones from Kanchanaburi, Phiphi is closer from Songkhla
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Post by Adam Cotton on Jan 8, 2017 17:51:57 GMT
The new Kimura et al. 2016 Nymphalidae volume calls it ssp. xiphiones and the photos of the female in that book look like your specimen.
Adam.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Jan 8, 2017 17:58:28 GMT
It seems Ek-Amnuay changed his mind in the 2nd edition of his book, there he has mansori Yokochi, 1993 = bougainvillei (Corbet, 1941) from Satun and xiphiones (Butler, 1869) from Kanchanaburi, Ranong, Phuket.
According to the Kimura volume, mansori was described from Langkawi and may be present on Tarutao Island, which is a very interesting place in Thailand just north of Langkawi.
Adam.
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Post by wollastoni on Jan 8, 2017 18:35:40 GMT
Thanks for the clarification Adam, it seems I need to buy the new edition of the Ek Amnuay...
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