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Post by wollastoni on Dec 14, 2018 21:24:29 GMT
How on earth did Banko get hold of those so quickly? I've dealt with him before and he is top drawer but that is QUICK. He has very good connections with Japan (he even speaks Japanese well) !
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mosca1
Junior Aurelian
Posts: 81
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Post by mosca1 on Dec 14, 2018 23:04:00 GMT
This is the first ever photo of the upperside of a female. Hahaha Laurie I was SURE you would be the first to go and collect them. Congrats for having found the female! Thanks Olivier . Here's a better shot of the hind wing colour. Attachments:
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Post by wollastoni on Dec 15, 2018 9:11:53 GMT
Both sexes look very close, which is common in Papilio. The female FW has an interrupted yellow line, it seems to be the key character to differentiate them.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Dec 15, 2018 11:08:58 GMT
The female FW has an interrupted yellow line, it seems to be the key character to differentiate them. Yes, that is correct, the second spot from the apex of the discal band is missing both in this female and in the underside of the first specimen ever seen, which was photographed in nature. Presumably this is a constant but small difference, not obvious dimorphism but a difference between the sexes. It will be interesting to see the upperside of the female after it has been spread, as the hindwing is half covered by the forewings in the photo above. Adam.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2018 11:57:13 GMT
How on earth did something so beautiful, large and distinctive escape detection until now?
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Post by Adam Cotton on Dec 15, 2018 12:42:18 GMT
It certainly is amazing that this butterfly has not been found before, as Fiji has been very well explored in general over a very long time, and it's not exactly a large place. Seemingly it only occurs deep inside the forest on the Natewa Peninsula, and is not found anywhere else. Apparently the Japanese who went looking for it tried to find it in similar habitat on the main part of the island not far away for a couple of days but found absolutely nothing. They only saw it on the peninsula.
Adam.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Dec 15, 2018 17:02:15 GMT
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Post by nomad on Dec 15, 2018 20:49:33 GMT
I some how missed these earlier posts, when I commented on the recently discovered early stages. Breathtaking specimens and nice to see the first image of a female.
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