Let's see some more hairstreaks!

[mikeh]

Apr 8, 2020 1:16:41 GMT jhyatt said:

I love those Sandia mcfarlandi, Mikeh! Is it single-brooded?

jh

I have taken it in March and June but I think it is just a single long brood.

[mikeh]

North American Satyrium

[mikeh]

[trehopr1]

Hello Mikeh, I see someone else has quite the thing for Hairstreaks as well. Welcome to the forum and happy you "chimed in" with a photo of some of your nice finds. Please continue whenever possible and thanks for sharing !

Paul K, once again you offer us another splendid drawer of super material from your small game hunting forays... Some really nice prep work and curation. Some of those species you found are just "killer". Do you know the species in column 2 / near the top ( 3 light blue/black ones with 3 tails each hind wing); also column 6 / at top ( 5 brown ones with long white tails) ?

Are those 5 located at the bottom of column 1 Arhopala? Awesome color....

[Paul K]

Thank you Trehopr1
Column 2: 2,3,4 from top are Thaduca multicaudata, locally common but I only found them in Central/east Laos.
Column 6: Loxura atymnus, also common and widespread species.
Column1: 5 at the bottom yes they are Arhopala centaurus, the largest Arhopala species.

[trehopr1]

Hey Paul, also wondering if quite a bit of these small guys were fresh pinned. They look like it; as material like this is very difficult to work with from papered. Unless of coarse you have the steady nerves, skillset, and specialized knowledge for such delicate handiwork. I have often lamented about this in the past when dabbling with the "small fry" and their need for quick preparation to reduce spreading damage.

[trehopr1]

Thank you indeed Paul !! Those for me are really something to behold within the drawer. But, don't get me wrong --- they are all beautiful and hard won.

[Paul K]

Column 3: 5th from the top is Mota massyla, very local and rare species known only from few locations in Thailand.
Just thought I should mention that.

All specimens were previously dried and stored for few years before I had the chance to work on them.

[trehopr1]

Well Paul, your specimens are exceptional indeed then. You had me fooled because they really look too good to have been papered. I have see quite a few collections since I did work in an Entomology department of a museum for 6 years. Only a very select grouping of our Lycaenid or Riodinid material ever looked good (from the aesthetic standpoint).

Those specimens which appeared "spot-on" perfect or nearly so almost always had "bred ex." on the label or you could just tell that they were spread right away while flexible and limp as you did not see scratches or pin holes present; which is usually a tell-tale sign of a papered/spread item. Specimens with "crooked wings/ bent shoulders" also occur a fair amount from papered.

My hat's off to you though Paul... Bravo on such great handiwork. 👏

[karan]

I don't know anything about butterflies, but Paul that box is really wonderful.

[exoticimports]

For almost two decades, every time I visited Guadalcanal I'd stay at the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel on the north shore.  The patio, brick pavers surrounding a massive mango tree, was the spot to sit with colleagues, insect sellers, and friends.

At night the fruit bats would crash into the majestic mango tree, fighting between themselves, then dropping half-eaten mango pits, which made a mess and could give one quite a wollop if it landed on your head.

But during the days, particularly early morning, that mango tree was forever graced with some sort of small Lycaenids.  They'd flit around the top third of the tree, always tantalizing me.   Aside from the fact that we were at a rather public patio, I don't think my net would have reached high enough.   So the mysterious Lycaenids remained, for years, undetermined.

Then one day while there for a conference, a mid-afternoon break found me in my 3rd floor room overlooking the sea; this is perhaps 20 meters from where the now-removed great mango tree once stood.  Growing from the sands of the beach directly in front of my room were several trees, on which I'd also occasionally observed these Lycaenids.   This day was no exception; as I sat on the patio watching a thunderstorm roll in, the little blue things flitted around the tree in front of my 3rd floor patio, always fast and out of reach.

As the wind and rain squall hit, and lightning flashed, I ran into my room from the patio, and sat on the bed.  Suddenly I noticed that one of those Lycaenid was frantically trying to get into my room through the sliding door.  Undoubtedly it thought the interior lights were some sort of escape from the storm.

With no net, but with hope, I approached the door, hoping to open it and allow my long elusive prey to enter.  But I was to be pleasantly surprised- the butterfly wasn't trying to get into my room, it was already inside trying to get out!   And to make the situation all that much more spectacular, there were TWO in my room!

So while not rare, I now know what these are and what they look like in detail.  

[larrycurlymoe]

Beautiful. So what are they?

[Paul K]

Few of my favourite hairstreaks.

Mota massyla
Rare species known only from few localities in Thailand.

[Paul K]

Ancema ctesia ctesia
Widespread in northern Thailand and Laos but i wouldn't say it is common species as I found it only once in Lampang Prov. near Chiang Mai.

[Paul K]

Ancema blanka minturna 
Widespread subspecies in continental Thailand and Laos but again seldom seeing.
underside is beautiful shiny silver.