Charana mandarina splendida (Moulton)

This magnificent lycaenid was photographed nectaring on Siam Weeds flowering in an open patch along a forested trunk road. It is rather large for a lycaenid and has a very pronounced brown borders on the undersides of its forewings and hindwings, contrasting with the creamy yellow base (which attracted my attention), ressembling an over-sized Sithon nedymond (The Plush) male from afar. This is a rare jungle insect.

Habitat indicator

RSP	WV	PG	VF	FTR	SC	LWDF	LWPF	LMEF	UMN	MN
				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
		S3F

2014

2015

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mac

Apr

May

June

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Above 3 photos 12 Jan 2014 @ 12:28.

When it does take to the wings after being disturbed, it doesn't fly far and came back to the same spot. The beautiful turquoise blue of its uppersides is visible in flight. Above 2 photos 12 Jan 2014 @ 12:47, the second showing a hint of its magnificent blue uppersides. 

The Narrow-banded Velvet Bob, Koruthaialos rubecula rubecula (Plötz)

This skipper is found in the same vicinities of K. sindhu and are often seen together. It can be differentiated from K. sindhu by its narrower and shorter discal band which does not reach the costal margin of the forewings.

Habitat indicator

RSP	WV	PG	VF	FTR	SC	LWDF	LWPF	LMEF	UMN	MN
		x	x	x	x	x	x	x

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

2013
Mac	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct

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

2014

2015

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mac

Apr

May

June

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

x

x

x

x

Above photos 17 Jan 2014 @ 12:47

Above 3 photos 18 Jan 2014 @ 11:34

17 August 2014 @ 13:14

The Chocolate Pansy, Junonia hedonia ida (Cramer)

Common grassland and wasteland butterfly that was only recently found in the district of Raub, overlapping all the localities that support J. iphita and is now more widespread than the latter.

Habitat indicator

RSP	WV	PG	VF	FTR	SC	LWDF	LWPF	LMEF	UMN	MN
x	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
		S3F				S3	S3		S3	S3	S3

2014

2015

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mac

Apr

May

June

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

S3

S4

S4S6S7

S3

S2S3S4

S3S4

S3S4S6

S3S4S6

2016
Jan	Feb	Mac	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
S3S4	S3	S3S4	S3S4	S1S2	S1

I thought this was a female Chocolate Soldier, J. iphita but then I realised that it had very pronounced reddish coloured occelli. The Chocolate Pansy is not a commonly recorded butterfly from this area - could this be an invasive migrant? Grasslands and roadside bushes of Raub are usually inhabited by  J. iphita. Above 3 photos 12 Jan 2014 @ 12:20

31 Aug 2014 @ 11:56

Their range has since extended all over Raub and was recently found to the furthest North of Raub. 27 Nov 2014 @ 10:53

31 Dec 2014 @ 12:27

*     *     *     *     *

9:56

12:26

Above photos 02 Jan 2016. This species has since 2013 superseeded J. iphita as the more dominant and widespread species on grasslands and wastelands in Raub except on the higher parts at mid-elevation .