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Butterflies of the Forbidden Kingdom - China (1 Viewer)

Hi Dave,

First two are bit nagging me. I have been been deep into the handbook trying to find something but nothing has panned so far. Handbook doesnt list P.pseudaegon in China list.
Something to consider is Polyommatus eros which has a wide distribution.

Agreed on C.argiades.

Another troublesome one, definitely a Satyrium type, possibly Satyrium tshikolovetsi

Thanks Dev - I think Polyommatus is a good call for the first one, the only member of the eros group in that part of china is Polyommatus forresti but does not look right. I will keep it as Polyommatus cf eros for time being.

Image 0586 - that's a shame, such a nice insect and appears so distinctive. I can find nothing on Satyrium tshikolovetsi at moment so that one will have to go in the pending file as well.

Next a couple of Satyrids
Image 0567 I am reasonably confident is Mycalesis francisca, Pingwu 28 May 2018
Image 0764 Lethe sp Tangjiahae, 29 May 2018 - cant find species name for this one.
cheers
Dave
 

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Hi Dave,

Here is the illustration of Satyrium tshikolovetsi from the handbook. There is no other Satyrium type which looks this pale and also looks like this is one of the new Hairstreaks from 2015. Will update later this evening on the Satyrids.
 

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Hi Dave,

Here is the illustration of Satyrium tshikolovetsi from the handbook. There is no other Satyrium type which looks this pale and also looks like this is one of the new Hairstreaks from 2015. Will update later this evening on the Satyrids.

Brilliant Dev, you've cracked it.

found type description online and it really leaves no doubt.


Very glad to put a name on that one, and described only 4 years ago!

cheers
Dave
 
Hi Dave,

Sorry for the late reply. I was on the Jiangsu coast over the weekend and took a while to sort out the photos and still sorting.

Image 0567 - Concur with M. fransisca - have a very wide distribution
Image 0764 - Palaeonympha opalina found in Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Sichuan and Taiwan.

I'm very happy to assist with the hairstreak, there is literally no description or images from chinese search engines.
 
Thanks Dev

Should have got Palaeonympha opalina as its in my photo ref but overlooked it.

Images 0650 and 0677 I identify as Polygonia c-aureum - Tangjiahae 29-5-18
Image 0783 I call Libythea celtis - also Tangjiahae 29-5-18.

cheers
Dave
 

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Agreed with Polygonia c-aureum, they are very wide spread and very common in Shanghai.

Handbook doesn't have L.celtis listed in China. This one looks good for Libythea lepita, another widespread species.
 
Handbook doesn't have L.celtis listed in China. This one looks good for Libythea lepita, another widespread species.

Thanks Dev, this is a taxonomic thing, I didn't realise celtis had been split.

next two a skipper and a swallowtail.

Image 0692 - closest I can get is Sovia cf separata - Tangjiahae 29-5-18
Image 0696 - pretty sure this is Papilio bootes - Tangjiahae 29-5-18


Dave
 

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Hi Dev! I occasionally snap a pic of a butterfly or moth that catches my attention up here in Liaoning. This is prime season here for such, so I'll post any pictures I snap here.

Just yesterday I caught a moth in action that intrigued me. It was tiny, 1-1.5cm, and caught my attention because it had a very rapid wing motion, comparable to the Sphinx Moths (Hummingbird Moths). However, instead of hovering, it would land on the flower to feed.

Your going to force me to start carrying my fast 50mm lens for close-up work! I had to do these with the 100-400mm that I had mounted. The poorly done shot of the wing action doesn't look as fast as it really was as it was done at 1/1600th. (Forgot to adjust from my birds in flight mode)
 

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Starting with the most abundant butterfly in East China. As the palearctic winter is cold which doesn't suit the butterflies. So November- March is a no butterfly season in East China except for few individuals fluttering around during warm days in February.

Pale Grass Blue is found literally everywhere, once in my office in 16th floor and the other time in the barber shop.

What is this strange thing you speak of? Warm days in February? 8-P

Back on September 10th I caught a decent shot of what I think is a Pale Grass blue (Pseudozizeeria maha). These tiny fellows are fairly common up here but not the most common. They usually keep their wings folded up when perched.

Regarding the reference material, I have encountered the same issues. I did receive a notice from the iNaturalist website that "some" of my photos of butterflies and moths were going to be used in a Chinese reference work. I apparently accidentally deleted that email though as I can't find it now. Oh well, I figured that is more than one can expect from a Chinese publisher as they usually just use whatever they want without asking or notifying you.
 

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Hi Dev! I occasionally snap a pic of a butterfly or moth that catches my attention up here in Liaoning. This is prime season here for such, so I'll post any pictures I snap here.

Just yesterday I caught a moth in action that intrigued me. It was tiny, 1-1.5cm, and caught my attention because it had a very rapid wing motion, comparable to the Sphinx Moths (Hummingbird Moths). However, instead of hovering, it would land on the flower to feed.

Your going to force me to start carrying my fast 50mm lens for close-up work! I had to do these with the 100-400mm that I had mounted. The poorly done shot of the wing action doesn't look as fast as it really was as it was done at 1/1600th. (Forgot to adjust from my birds in flight mode)

Looks exactly like Helicoverpa armigera
 
A couple more that I still had in my library from August 31. The first is of a pair that I caught flying by just as I arrived home. Again had the birding 100-400mm w/1.4 telextender mounted. In form at least they remind me of the Swallow-Tail that were common in America. I first saw one here last fall and have only seen a few since. The second was just a nice photo opportunity that I took while birding. Somebody had left some fruit on the wall next to Gedalou Reservoir.
 

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Thanks Dev, this is a taxonomic thing, I didn't realise celtis had been split.

next two a skipper and a swallowtail.

Image 0692 - closest I can get is Sovia cf separata - Tangjiahae 29-5-18
Image 0696 - pretty sure this is Papilio bootes - Tangjiahae 29-5-18


Dave

Hi Dave,


Sorry again for the late reply. I cant visit BF often as i used to before.

For the ID's. its very tough to nail the ID from the photos. Do you have more shots?
 
What is this strange thing you speak of? Warm days in February? 8-P

Back on September 10th I caught a decent shot of what I think is a Pale Grass blue (Pseudozizeeria maha). These tiny fellows are fairly common up here but not the most common. They usually keep their wings folded up when perched.

Regarding the reference material, I have encountered the same issues. I did receive a notice from the iNaturalist website that "some" of my photos of butterflies and moths were going to be used in a Chinese reference work. I apparently accidentally deleted that email though as I can't find it now. Oh well, I figured that is more than one can expect from a Chinese publisher as they usually just use whatever they want without asking or notifying you.

Hi Owen,

Agreed on the ID. It's the Pale Grass Blue.
 
A couple more that I still had in my library from August 31. The first is of a pair that I caught flying by just as I arrived home. Again had the birding 100-400mm w/1.4 telextender mounted. In form at least they remind me of the Swallow-Tail that were common in America. I first saw one here last fall and have only seen a few since. The second was just a nice photo opportunity that I took while birding. Somebody had left some fruit on the wall next to Gedalou Reservoir.

The Swallowatails are Asian (Papilio xuthus) and the feasting party is Asian Comma (Polygonia c-aureum).
you can do very well with the Tele lens for the butterflies. All my butterfly photos are from 400mm lens with 2x converter. I dont carry a separate macro lens or flash.
 
Hi Dave,


Sorry again for the late reply. I cant visit BF often as i used to before.

For the ID's. its very tough to nail the ID from the photos. Do you have more shots?

No problem Dev, very grateful for any help.

I don't have any more photos of the last two that show any more, not surprised the Skipper is unidentifiable, but what are the confusion species with the swallowtail?

Hopefully these two Pierids will be more straight forward.

Image 0740 - think I'm ok wirth Gonepteryx mahaguru Tangjiahae 29-5-18.
Image 0905-6 - again reasonably confident with Aporia largeteaui nr Jiangyou 31-5-18

cheers
Dave
 

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No problem Dev, very grateful for any help.

I don't have any more photos of the last two that show any more, not surprised the Skipper is unidentifiable, but what are the confusion species with the swallowtail?

With majority of the hindwing being lost, its very hard for me to narrow down but the hint of red flash on the forewing gives two candidates

Papilio alcmenor
Papilio bootes
 
Image 0740 - think I'm ok wirth Gonepteryx mahaguru Tangjiahae 29-5-18.
Image 0905-6 - again reasonably confident with Aporia largeteaui nr Jiangyou 31-5-18

cheers
Dave

The taxonomy is bit confusing, the handbook has listed G.mahaguru and G.aspasia as two diff species while some internet literature is considering aspasia is a subspecies of mahaguru.

As per the handbook mahaguru is in Tibet while aspasia occurs widely in China including Sichuan.
Agreed with A.largeteaui.
 
The taxonomy is bit confusing, the handbook has listed G.mahaguru and G.aspasia as two diff species while some internet literature is considering aspasia is a subspecies of mahaguru.

As per the handbook mahaguru is in Tibet while aspasia occurs widely in China including Sichuan.
Agreed with A.largeteaui.

Many thanks Dev, I can see that female Papilio bootes and alcmenor are a bit too variable to decide between them on this photo of a damaged specimen, reluctantly dispatched to unidentified file!

A couple more Lycanids next

images 0715 & 0717 I am sure is Tongeia filicaudis Tangjiahae 29-5-18
images 0776-7 best I can do with this very attractive butterfly is cf Araragi enthea Tangjiahae 29-5-18

cheers
Dave
 

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Agree with Tongeia filicaudis. That was the first butterfly i looked up over the web and realized that Chinese butterflies were not that easy. Took several days to narrow down and arrive on the ID. Although, the ones i have encountered in East China were bit different(see page 1 for the photos)

The other one fits best for Araragi sugiyamai
 
Agree with Tongeia filicaudis. That was the first butterfly i looked up over the web and realized that Chinese butterflies were not that easy. Took several days to narrow down and arrive on the ID. Although, the ones i have encountered in East China were bit different(see page 1 for the photos)

The other one fits best for Araragi sugiyamai

Brilliant, many thanks again Dev, I seem to have just overlooked Araragi sugiyamai as photos now seem to be available on web.

Hopefully this one straight forward.

Image 0732 Araschnia prorsoides Tangjiahae 29-5-18
 

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