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Post by wollastoni on Oct 19, 2015 14:41:12 GMT
Let's talk about one of my personal dilemma : Delias nigropunctata Pictures from "Delias of the World" websiteI have been collecting Delias for years, in quite a maniac way, I rarely miss an opportunity, a good contact, I must have written to all living people in Papua and so on. Of course many Delias species are still missing in my collection, but one is more "bothering" than the others : Delias nigropunctata.
Why ? Because it is not one of those Delias which live in a totally inaccessible mountain or island, nigropunctata has been described by Joicey & Noakes from the Arfak Mounts of New Guinea which are the most collected part of Papua, still today, and all other Arfakian Delias are rather common in collection + there are many local collectors there. On the Delias website, there is a pair from "Arfak" caught in 1990. Has anyone more information about where this species live in Arfak, why is it so rare in collection and where the hell did you find yours, if you ever have one. :-) Thanks a lot
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Post by satyrinae on Oct 19, 2015 15:22:23 GMT
I don't have any Delias in my collection or know anything about Delias but could it be that nigropunctata is just an aberration?
For some reason, the variations in the pictures reminded me of the variations found in Colias.
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Post by wollastoni on Oct 19, 2015 15:40:55 GMT
Thanks for your help but there are enough Delias nigropunctata in collection to remove the aberration or natural hybrid theory. I have made some research and am now even more "bothered" when I see that Mokwam is a known locality. source : Papua Insect Foundation
Mokwam is a highly collected area and it has been visited by a recent ALF expedition recently (see the report here) and there are some local insect dealers/breeders there. It means that even the locals don't find it anymore. Except if it came in reality from another locality and Mokwam being only its commercial provenance. Anyone has the paper about the description of the female by Schroder ? There may be some useful information inside...
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Post by deliasfanatic on Oct 19, 2015 16:47:58 GMT
I've wondered about this too, and have assumed that it's actually from an isolated area that is seldom collected. It does seem quite a rarity; I don't know any Delias collectors who have more than one or two, if that. Offhand I don't remember the dates on my pair, but I can check if you like. I obtained them separately, each pulled from an older collection, and not as "fresh" specimens.
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Post by wollastoni on Oct 19, 2015 16:54:39 GMT
Thanks Danny, yes I would be happy to see a picture of them + labels.
Olivier
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Post by mygos on Oct 19, 2015 18:58:29 GMT
Anyone has the paper about the description of the female by Schroder ? There may be some useful information inside... Olivier, if you have the reference of Schroder paper, I will be happy to have a look. If not give me the year it was described ? A+, Michel
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Post by nomad on Oct 19, 2015 19:40:22 GMT
This reminds me of the situation with D. bosnikiana and D. maudei discovered by the Pratts at Bosnik in Biak. A well collected Island yet no specimens have come forth since the 1990's. I believe there has been major habitat change in the south of that Island, could the same have happened in the Volgelkop where D.nigropunctata occured?
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Post by wollastoni on Oct 20, 2015 7:09:48 GMT
Thank you Michel : Schröder, H. (1978): Das Weibchen von Delias nigropunctata (Lepidoptera, Pieridae). - Ent. Z. 88 (8): 88-90.
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Post by deliasfanatic on Oct 25, 2015 14:02:30 GMT
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Post by wollastoni on Oct 25, 2015 15:07:39 GMT
Splendid pair ! Congrats ! With such a focus, we see well that it is a member of the cuningputi group, the blackest species of this group in HW.
DNA study has revealed something we should have seen with our eyes with a closer look, and more specimen to study.
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Post by mygos on Oct 25, 2015 17:26:32 GMT
Thank you Michel : Schröder, H. (1978): Das Weibchen von Delias nigropunctata (Lepidoptera, Pieridae). - Ent. Z. 88 (8): 88-90.Sorry Olivier, but this publication is not yet online, and I don't have the original either May be someone else can help on this one ! A+, Michel
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Post by nomad on Oct 25, 2015 18:00:36 GMT
Very nice specimens Danny. Has D. nigropunctata been seen recently. The DNA studies have really helped with this species and I suppose they will do with others.
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Post by deliasfanatic on Oct 25, 2015 18:55:25 GMT
I haven't seen any recent specimens, which is strange, since the Arfak Mountains are so well collected and other material is easily available. I suspect that the true home of this Delias is in a remote or seldom-collected part of the mountains.
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Post by wollastoni on Oct 8, 2017 13:37:16 GMT
It has been a long quest, more than 15 years, but I have finally secured a pair of the rare Delias nigropunctata thanks to a good friend ! I am a very happy man ! Delias nigropunctata PAIR by opequin, sur Flickr Unfortunately, this pair won't solve the precise distribution of this species as it is written "Arfak Mounts" with no other locality.
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Post by luehdorfia on Oct 8, 2017 13:58:47 GMT
Congratulations! But sad that you still couldn’t solve the mystery of the location
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