A common yet not easy to ID "orange skipper" - Telicota besta bina

This is a big genus with about 30 species widely distributed throughout SE Asia. We've 4 representative from this genus in Singapore. Namely Telicota augias, Telicota besta, Telicota colon and Telicota linna.

Telicota species, are similar to Potanthus in appearance and habits but distinguished by their larger size and short, stubby third segment of the labial palps.

The immature stages are like those of Potanthus, but the pupa is proportionately longer with a more tapering abdomen and longer cremaster. The proboscis projects slightly beyond the wings. There is no girdle. Head marking of the larva are somewhat variable but the black mark on suranal plate appears to show reasonably consistent differences.



Specimen photo of Telicota besta bina



Genitalia of Telicota besta bina





Genitalia as documented in "The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society."

Baoris oceia (Paintbrush Swift)

Identification of Baoris oceia (The Paintbrush Swift)

此弄蝶的幼虫以竹叶为寄主植物。雄蝶后翅背面前缘有一束长毛，但只在展翅标本才看得到。

岛国共有两种 Baoris sp., 与另一种 Baoris farri farri - 刺胫弄蝶，无论在体形和斑纹都极为相似，在野外几乎无法分辨。只可靠解剖雄蝶的交尾器和五龄幼种形態作为鉴定的依据。


雄蝶的交尾器

Genitalia as documented in BMP (The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, Malayan Nature Society).

BMP 展示的雄蝶的交尾器

Genitalia of Acraea violae (Tawny Coster / 斑珍蝶)

第一次尝试蝴蝶解剖， 没想象中的那么困难。

根据书上所说的, "第一次"最好找只大的或中型的蝴蝶, 所以就选了 -- 斑珍蝶。



解剖完成了以后, 找遍了网络, 想看看第一次做得如何, 却什么都没找到, 看来没人解剖过斑珍蝶 (图1)。

只找到 A. issoria 的雄性外生殖器解剖图 (图2)。


Acraea violae
















A. issoria