Sunday, October 9, 2016

The Yellow Orange Tip, Ixias pyrene birdi (Distant)

The females can be mistaken for a very large Eurema nicevillei in flight because of the overall yellow uppersides with heavily dusted black wing margins and the yellow spots bordered with black on the forewing apex. The males are more variable, with different shades of lemon yellow to creamy off-white with a tinge of yellow on the uppersides of the wings and have more intense orange-yellow spots on the forewing apex much like the Great Orange Tip, Hebomoia glaucippe. On the undersides, they have a rather sullied overall yellow appearance because of mottling over a more drab yellow.

While males are commoner under the morning sun visiting flowering bushes and sunning themselves, females seem to be more discreet and prefer nectaring in shaded conditions. They seems to have an affinity for flowers of the Chinese Violet, Asystasia gangetica. Highly localised and rather scarce in lowland forest glades.

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)

2016
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec









 S17(F)



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








S17
S17






An all yellow female taking a rest after being disturbed while nectaring under sun-speckled forested trunk road glades: 08 Oct 2016 @ 16:46. They are commoner towards the late afternoon, nectaring on flowers when the males would have roosted.


Another female came out in the earlier part of a sunny morning to look for nectar: 09 Oct 2016 @ 10:16.


Towards late morning when the sun gets hotter, males come out to nectar and sun themselves on sunny bushes on the forest's edge. Above photos 09 Oct 2016 @10:47

 10:51

 10:51
Above pictures of a rather small male which was yellower on the uppersides.

10:57
A pristine male came out to sun itself on a sunny spot at the edge of the forest. Above pictures 09 Oct 2016.

11:46

 11:47

 11:47

11:48
Above pictures of a yellow-based male: 17 Oct 2016

Friday, October 7, 2016

Cirrochroa satellita satellita (Butler)

Rare and confined to heavily wooded forest trails where it can often be dismissed as a small C. orissa in flight. Unlike the larger and commoner Cirrochroas or Yeomans, this species is shy and do not stay long on open trails where they make occasional visits and darts back into the safety of the undergrowth once they sense the presence of human in the vicinity.

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







X




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

2016
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec





 S2(F)
S2
S2
S2
S2

S20

2017
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
S20












A record shot of a specimen sunning itself on a leaf under a sun-speckled forest trail. 26 June 2016 @ 11:36.


Above photos of a worn specimen visiting moist sand on an open trail: 02 October 2016 @ 10:48

Gerosis limax dirae (de Nicéville)

Denizen of sunny open spaces under canopies of tall forest trails. Seasonal and can be sometimes observed to puddle on bird droppings on leaves.

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












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

2016
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec





 S2
S2
S2
S2




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













 12:16

 12:16

 12:18

12:18
Above photos 02 June 2016

15 July 2016 @ 12:20