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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Butterflies of the Forbidden Kingdom - China (1 Viewer)

Do you think this is my species, I have no image of that species and can't search internet here.

What about this one, at Longcanggou today.

Hi Dave,

This is Neope serica. I’m not able to get a conclusive ID on the previous one. Will try to get more details from the underexposed parts and refer the handbook over the weekend.

Have fun!
 
Thanks Dev, I did not realise Neope serica was in Sichuan.

Here's some from today, also Longcanggou.
The Lethe probably insana?

Btw Sid says Hi

Cheers
Dave
 

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You are in safe hands, are you guys heading to Jiuzhaigou? Sid mentioned in the China section of BF, that he will be heading towards JZ in May for the first time after the quake. Throw my pleasantries to Sid as well.

N.serica has a wide distribution range as per the handbook (Henan, Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan)
 
I can't identify this one, possibly Neope sp but what species? Photographed above Moxi on road to Gongga Shan, Sichuan yesterday.

I have just brought out some details from the underexposed wings which is clear enough to get the details. It's Neope agrestis found in Sichuan and Yunnan.
 

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Thanks Dev, I did not realise Neope serica was in Sichuan.

Here's some from today, also Longcanggou.
The Lethe probably insana?

Btw Sid says Hi

Cheers
Dave

1. Neope shirozui (found in Sichuan and Yunnan)
2. Looks good for Lethe titania (found in Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Jiangxi and Guangdong)
3.The Blues are difficult, do you have any shots with its underwing? It could be Pratapa icetas which has lost one of its streamers as i can see a faint of a orange spot at the end of the hindwing.
 
Thanks Dev, that's very useful.

We are heading in the direction of Jiuzhaigou but itinerary flexible so not sure when.

Here's one from Longcanggou that I can identify Bhutanitis thaidina
 

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Thanks Dev, that's very useful.

We are heading in the direction of Jiuzhaigou but itinerary flexible so not sure when.

Here's one from Longcanggou that I can identify Bhutanitis thaidina

Congrats on the B.thaidina, it's a beauty. Good luck for the Rufous-headed Robin on JZ. I'm heading to Fujian for the next couple of days, just doing a recon of the trip from two years ago. Just to see what i missed on the butterfly front plus some missed chickens.
 
Back home and starting the long process of labeling and identifying my photos. Here is a Neope from Labahe which I provisionally identify as pulaha?
 

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These Sichuan Neope's are really hard, never thought it would be this difficult. N.pulahina occurs in Yunnan and Tibet. N.oberthueri and N.dejeani occurs in Sichuan. Infact, all these really almost look the same on the field guide.
My call is on the N.oberthueri given the rusty/ashy combination of the wing coloration.
 
Sorry Dev, I completey overlooked your last post. Thanks again for looking at photos and I think you must be correct.

there is a little more info in Huang 2002 Satyrids of the tribe Lethini although unfortunately the specimen illustrated is in terrible condition.

Here is a Mycalesis from Labahe and a Skipper from Erland Road that I cant even find a genus for despite its distinctive appearance!

cheers
Dave
 

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Hi Dave,

Apologies for the late reply. I just returned from a two week trip in XinJiang.

The mycalesis looks good for M.francisca. Has a very wide distribution except for West China.

The other one is Barca bicolor found in Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan and Shanxi provinces.
 
XinJiang

After 7 years in China, i thought i was ready for XinJiang mostly a scouting trip to see butterflies plus the birds of Western palearctic. Clearly, it was a wrong judgement as i spent most of the time at the police security posts and gas stations. Posts will follow some of the butterflies which i have encountered during this painful trip.
 
Apharitis epargyros

Scientific Name : Apharitis epargyros
Chinese Name : 指名富丽灰蝶
Distribution : XinJiang
 

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Dev
Many thanks for taking the time to look at my photos. I suspected the Mycalesis would be francisca, was very common in Vietnam also.

Very pleased with the skipper det, i could not get anywhere with that one.

Here is another Skipper, I'm sure it is Parnara presumably ganga, bada or apostata but online images more confusing than helpful, probably because as many are misidentified as correctly named.

And a Pierid that I am quite sure is Pieris canidia

cheers
Dave
 

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After 7 years in China, i thought i was ready for XinJiang mostly a scouting trip to see butterflies plus the birds of Western palearctic. Clearly, it was a wrong judgement as i spent most of the time at the police security posts and gas stations. Posts will follow some of the butterflies which i have encountered during this painful trip.

I was there as part of a birdwatching group in May and it was utterly horrendous. On the worst day I had my passport checked 7 times. The final time I was dragged off the street into the nearest police station having just checked into the only hotel in town that allows foreigners to stay where my passport had already been checked by both the police and public security.

Most (but certainly not all) of the officials we met were pleasant enough, they simply didn't know what to do with five westerners.

It was also difficult getting accurate information about which towns, roads and areas were open to foreigners.

It was once my favourite part of China and I'd previously spent a total of 12 weeks there without any serious hassle. I will never return.

For anyone thinking of going - don't - you will spend more time in police stations than in the field.
 
Hot of the plate. April 8th started with our regular spring watch, only to be detained by the Police at the XiaoYangshan Port island, well they thought i was there to bomb the port and disrupt the trade route. After 90 minutes of Same Questions/Same answers routine, they let us go. The cop told me in his tattered English "Go back Shanghai, See bird in Century Park".

It was of any coincidence, two years ago, i had the major passage of "Asian Swallowtails" (9 April 2016). And two years later, we had another big passage just 24 hours ahead of the previous sighting (8th April 2018).

It was good to see massive no's of Swallowtails but our butterfly of the day is the "Chinese Hairstreak". We saw only two individuals, they were seen most of the time on the new leaf buds as it seemed they were feeding on them.

Common Name : Chinese Hairstreak
Scientific Name : Amblopala avidiena
Chinese Name : 丫灰蝶
Distribution : Shaanxi, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian

Nice specimen.
 
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