Blue butterfly, Ankarana, Madagascar

This is a hasty shot with my zoom lens, I was not quick enough to switch to macro. I'm posting it for the species value.
Identification theory so far is some kind of hairstreak Lycaenidae -> Polyommatinae.

comments (13)

Vodkaman

Lion

I love hairstreaks, evolution gone mad!

Dave Posted 9 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Lol yes, but this one confuses me. It's fat like a skipper, yet blue, and has hairstreaks. Posted 9 years ago

WildFlower

Lion

I think it is a Theclinae, maybe Hemiolaus sp. but without the ventral side of the wings it would probably not be possible to discriminate between them. Posted 9 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  I believe you are right. In the total list of butterflies of Madagascar, I saw a few suspects in that sub family, but as photos are lacking for several species, I could not find something specific. This is the only shot I have, sorry. Posted 9 years ago
2. 1. Vodkaman
    
    Lion
    
    Well, you were lucky! The hardest shot to get from a hairstreak is the wings open. When I get close enough for a shot, they turn their backs on me, shuffle their wings and wiggle their wands in my face.
    
    Dave Posted 9 years ago

Vodkaman

Lion

Hemiolaus ceres is a very good match.

Dave Posted 9 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks! I'm going to go for that for now. Posted 9 years ago
2. WildFlower
  
  Lion
  
  How can you tell that it is not Hemiolaus cobaltina or Hemiolaus maryra? Posted 9 years ago
3. 1. Vodkaman
    
    Lion
    
    The features that I used were;
    The front wing rear profile. The cutback shape is unique.
    The pointed profile of the rear wing trailing edge.
    The bump on the rear wing trailing edge.
    The comparative lengths of the trailers.
    The difference in color shade between the front and rear wings.
    
    Many of these chosen features are common amongst ceres, cobaltina and maryra.
    
    Cobaltina has prominent black spots at rear wing trailing edge.
    
    I failed to find a reliable image of maryra.
    
    Dave Posted 9 years ago
  2. 1. WildFlower
      
      Lion
      
      I only got 1 reference for H. ceres (male and female) but I don't know how reliable it is and 1 for H. cobaltina. All the others are of the azure haistreak (Hemiolaus caeculus) which is not found in Madagascar.
      http://www.neutron.phys.ethz.ch/Lepidoptera/Lycaenidae.htm
      http://www.neutron.phys.ethz.ch/Lepidoptera/Collecting/2012-2013/Madagascar2013/AZ13-0490R.jpg
      http://www.neutron.phys.ethz.ch/Lepidoptera/Collecting/2012-2013/Madagascar2013/AZ13-0479R.jpg
      http://www2.nrm.se/en/lep_nrm/c/hypolycaena_cobaltina.html
      http://www.metamorphosis.org.za/articlesPDF/1218/265%20Genus%20Hemiolaus%20Aurivillius.pdf
      
      The other references that should be reliable are some old descriptions (most of them in French) and drawings.
      http://ftp.funet.fi/index/Tree_of_life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/lycaenidae/theclinae/hemiolaus/
      
      http://archive.org/stream/illustrationsofd01hewi#page/n86/mode/1up
      This is supposed to be the original description of H. ceres, however it was collected in South Africa so it should be H. caeculus instead. Plate 17 with the figure is missing.
      
      Here the first reference says that in the second one H. caeculus should be H. cobaltina so all 3 species are described and drawn in the same paper.
      http://archive.org/stream/rhopalocerathi00auri#page/316/mode/1up
      http://archive.org/stream/histoirephysique1819gran#page/230/mode/1up
      http://archive.org/stream/histoirephysique1819gran#page/231/mode/1up
      http://archive.org/stream/histoirephysique1819gran#page/238/mode/1up
      http://archive.org/stream/histoirephysique1819gran#page/n450/mode/1up
      http://archive.org/stream/histoirephysique1819gran#page/n452/mode/1up
      
      According to the descriptions both H. maryra and H. ceres have darker forewings and light blue hindwings. In H. ceres they are described as having violet and greenish reflections respectively. H. maryra has a small black line on the hindwings that is probably hidden between the wings. The other difference is in the spot in the base of the anal tail, but we cannot see it here. If you compare drawings 1 and 3 on plate 30a they are not so different.
      In the first reference there is a ? is H. maryra = Iolaus ceres?
      
      I agree it is probably not H. cobaltina. If H. ceres and H. maryra are different, we cannot see the different parts on this photo. Based on the colour difference, the hindwings are not greenish so it may be H. maryra but this is just speculating without a reliable reference. Posted 9 years ago
    2. 1. Vodkaman
        
        Lion
        
        The neutron ceres image was the most convincing for me, and such a high quality too.
        
        http://www.neutron.phys.ethz.ch/Lepidoptera/Collecting/2012-2013/Madagascar2013/AZ13-0490R.jpg
        
        Everything matched Ferdy’s image, even the diagonal vein, just forward of the shaped trailing edge.
        
        The female had enough similarities in the details to convince me that it was the same species; vein layout, trailer size and coloring. But with significant differences that cast doubt on the species, like the front wing trailing edge and the rear wing ocelli. Rear wing black edging, similar to the caeculus image.
        
        I think the cobalt is out of the equation.
        
        The caeculus image looks so close, but there are features that would account for species difference; the black edging of the rear wing, wrong sized trailers, dark patches on the front wing at rear inboard.
        
        If the neutron ceres male is correct, then I believe Ferdy’s is a match. If the image names are in doubt, then we are screwed.
        
        The drawings of ceres and maryra are disappointing, in that neither of them match the front wing trailing edge profile. The entomologist’s assistant needs a slap. I think the broadness of the front wing pattern could be significant, it could also be a wet season thing though.
        
        This series of butterflies are obviously all evolved from the same stock before Madagascar split. The species may have split before Madagascar became isolated, or the central range of mountains could have promoted a species split, but I haven’t looked into this. DNA analysis of a proper collection is required to put this one to bed. But for now, it is all down to which images you trust.
        
        Dave Posted 9 years ago
      2. WildFlower
        
        Lion
        
        Looking at the neutron image again, it has the black line on the hindwings of H. maryra, doesn't it? Looking at the ventral side of it, it has more strait lines like H. maryra, but I am not so sure about it. The description also says that all 4 lines of the forewing of H. maryra are red while the smaller 2 towards the base of H. ceres are brownish red. They look all the same colour to me. So maybe what we've got is a H. maryra. If only we had a specimen of the other species to compare, it might have been easier. Posted 9 years ago
        
        Vodkaman
        
        Lion
        
        I don't have an image of maryra.
        
        I think we have gone as far as we can with our web resources. We need to get input from a Madagascar expert.
        
        DAve Posted 9 years ago