Delias magsadana and Graphium euphratoides on Mt. Hamiguitan

[Adam Cotton]

Jan, thank you for posting the interesting information on these species in Mt. Hamigutan. Of course I am particularly interested in Graphium euphratoides as part of my upcoming DNA analysis of Leptocircini. My colleague (Fabien Condamine) received legs of a specimen from that area, but when I saw photos of the wings (the body had been preserved in alcohol) I knew that it was clearly not Graphium euphratoides but the common species G. decolor:



The difference is quite obvious compared to the photos of true G. euphratoides above.

There are some very interesting historical questions about G. euphratoides as published in Eimer (1889). The illustration of the type does look like euphratoides, but Eimer suggests the same species is found throughout The Philippines. Of course he didn't realise that there are actually 3 separate species in those islands, but as such it is even more surprising that his type specimen of his Philippine species is by far the rarest of the three. It is possible that back in the 1880s Graphium euphratoides was much more common across Mindanao than it is nowadays, but it is certainly a puzzle.

Adam.

[Adam Cotton]

Generally the major requirement for any butterfly species to occur in a particular area is presence of larval food plant. Obviously a species that is restricted to one or only a few species of plant will be less common than one which eats either a very common widespread plant species or is able to accept a wide range of different plant species.

In the case of Graphium euphratoides it almost certainly feeds on species of family Annonaceae like other relatives in subgenus Pathysa, such as G. antiphates which feeds on Anomianthus and Desmos. The fact that G. euphratoides occurs at such differing altitudes does suggest that it is probably able to feed on more than a single species of plant.

Interestingly I just checked and the specimen of Graphium decolor tigris above, misidentified as G. euphratoides, also came from Mt. Hamiguitan, but only 830m asl, caught 16-VI-2016. It would be good to see photos of the specimens identified as G. euphratoides you mention above to confirm their identity. Graphium euphratoides has some obvious differences in wing pattern, note for instance the narrow submarginal black scaling on the hindwing upperside, and particularly the shape of the outer black discal bar in space 7 of the hindwing underside, straight in euphratoides but curved in decolor.

Adam.

[wollastoni]

Dear Jan, thank you also for this great post about Delias magsadana, a relatively recent discoveries. We had the same discussion in a Delias collector group few months ago about his type locality.

Indeed the description paper is quoting a wrong locality "Mt Magsad", very strange. Was it an issue of communication between the Japanese descriptors and locals ? A way to protect a valuable business ?
I would be happy to read the Treadaway & Schroeder, 2012 paper if you can mail it to me.

A Philippine contact confirmed me its presence in the pigmy forest of Mt Hamiguitan, I agree with you that Mt Tagubud should be better explored to find it.

In collection, it is rare, and all the specimens I have seen are labelled "Mt Magsad".
This is the specimen from my collection you are quoting in your initial post :


Mount Magsad ?
Mindanao (Philippines).
20 June 2008

I found a second specimen this year that I exchanged with a Delias collector friend.

[deliasfanatic]

It also seems unlikely that Mt Pasian would be a location for D. magsadana, since it's the location for another species of the same group. D. schoenigi pasiana. Offhand, I don't think any other species of this group occur together, instead being "replacement" species from one location to another.

[wollastoni]

Aug 20, 2017 13:17:34 GMT deliasfanatic said:

It also seems unlikely that Mt Pasian would be a location for D. magsadana, since it's the location for another species of the same group. D. schoenigi pasiana. Offhand, I don't think any other species of this group occur together, instead being "replacement" species from one location to another.

why ? Don't any georgina group species live together ?

magsadana is most different from all other members of georgina group , it doesn't look as an isolated schoenigi.

[deliasfanatic]

Unless I've forgotten a taxon, yes, all can be considered "replacements" for one another. For decades, they were all thought to be subspecies of a single species until the modern view was proposed, i.e. a group of many related species.

[wollastoni]

Aug 20, 2017 1:49:34 GMT skandinavisk said:

Thanks for posting the specimen from your collection here on ICF Olivier, especially pertaining to this thread. It would be nice to see your new specimen too.

This is the only picture I have of it. Not A1 but good as it is very hard to find.
I find it on ebay for 5 dollars, it was unidentified in a lot. When you know your species, you can find a lot of great deals on ebay !

[wollastoni]

Jan, there's no proof that these specimens don't come from Mt Hamiguitan.
They all have been caught btw 2005-2008 and in those times it wasn't that "closed off" to local catchers.
One local told me it is nearly impossible to get permits now.

[wollastoni]

Aug 20, 2017 15:52:39 GMT deliasfanatic said:

Unless I've forgotten a taxon, yes, all can be considered "replacements" for one another. For decades, they were all thought to be subspecies of a single species until the modern view was proposed, i.e. a group of many related species.I 

I was interested by this statement and took the time to make few verifications.
It appears to be a wrong statement deliasfanatic:

. in Central Sulawesi, in Pulu-pulu locality, there are Delias shirozui and Delias battana ariae
. in Mindanao on Mt Batutum, there are Delias schoenigi samusawai and Delias nuydaorum tagai.
. and in North Luzon, it has to be checked that Delias georgina is not present on Delias paoaiensis localities.

[deliasfanatic]

OK, I qualified my statement when I said "unless I've forgotten a taxon". But nuydaorum and paoaiensis are considerably different from the basic "georgina type", and although I haven't checked, I believe they weren't described as ssp of georgina as were most of the others. The species pair in Pulu-Pulu is probably the only place where two of that type occur together.

[wollastoni]

[wollastoni]

Thanks a lot for the video Jan !
And indeed it is a very fresh magsadana ! Very nice

[exoticimports]

Off topic, but those cans of sardines look exactly like PNG tinpis. Except for what looks like Chinese letters. I love tinpis in tomato!

Chuck