Saturday, January 11, 2014

The Cornelian, Deudorix epijarbas cinnabarus (Fruhstorfer)

Common in wastelands, forest fringes and verdures where males are often seen feeding on the flowers of Siam Weed.

Habitat indicator
RSP
WV
PG
VF
FTR
SC
LWDF
LWPF
LMEF
UMN
MN


 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x



Frequency observation chart: (S marks the usual occurences, H marks an unusually high occurence, F for first record)

2013
2014
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct


S3FS3


S2S2S2
S2
2014
2015
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
June
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec


S3S6S7

S4





S4
S4
S4
S3S4
2016
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
S3
S3
S2










2017
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec













2018
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec





 S1





 S20

2019
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
S20 
 S1









S3

2020
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec













Above 2 photos: 11 Jan 2014 @ 14:00

A worn out male, giving a glimpse of the copper coloured uppersides @ 14:11

17 Jan 2016 @ 11:50

05 Dec 2019 @ 14:22

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A newly eclosed male: it could hardly begin to fly when it was disturbed. 11 Oct 2015 @ 11:34

a pristine male encountered along a forest trail. 17 Mac 2016 @ 11:09

08 Feb 2019 @ 13:11

*     *     *     *     *







Above photos of a female visiting the fruits of Saracca cauliflora on the forest's edge: 01 August 2014 @ 13:30-13:33

*     *     *     *     *

a female from S4: 24 Sept 2015 @ 11:29

*     *     *     *     *



Above photos of a thought to be "aberrated" form feeding on the same patch....11 Jan 2014 @ 14:22. 

Recently, Dr TL Seow checked on this "abberrated" form and discovered that Les Day had the same posted on his site on Samui Butterflies. Guess what - this turned out to be a new record for Peninsular Malaysia. It is in fact Deudorix diara (Swinhoe) thaught previously to occur only in Assam, Myanmar, Java and Borneo, leaving a disjuncted distribution (missing from Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia)!

7 comments:

  1. Liew, Check this thread out , you have a new species for Malaya

    http://www.butterflycircle.com/showthread.php?14515-Deudorix-diara-New-to-Thailand-amp-Malaya

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is exciting...I thought it could be an aberrated form as it was found at the same patch of flowering plants with quite a number of others D. epijarbas at the same time, and the fact that at that particular period (Jan-Feb 2014), they seem to be everywhere.

      Delete
    2. Liew , Yes indeed, Les Day's shot was labelled as aberrant as well.

      Thanks to Dr. Seow TL for picking it up

      Perhaps you might want to obtain a voucher specimen for record purpose


      Sunny Chir

      Delete
    3. I am not sure if that's possible because this was the only time I have come across it...and I am weary about taking anything from nature.

      Delete
    4. Normally for formal inclusion into a national checklist as a new species , a voucher specimen is required for record and verification purpose if so required. You have some very good shost of it and it is a very unique species , may be this may not be required.

      Perhaps get in touch with Dr. Seow ( Psyche), he will be the best person to advise for inclusion into the Peninsula Malaya checklist . He is contactable at ButterflyCircle.com , the link which I posted as an Anonymous.

      Cheers!

      Sunny

      Delete
  2. Congratulations on your find of Deudorix diara. Mine was found back in April 2012 on Koh Samui, Thailand, and, though I do not like collecting, I will take a single voucher specimen. It is now residing in my small collection of local species and will be used for formal recognition in due course for the Thai list.

    I, also, have not seen the species again!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I will wait till the next flowering season of the Siam Weed to see if it will come back again. The current unusually dry season had put a stop to the "fiesta" of lycaenids.

    ReplyDelete