Butterflies of Lingmethang

A preliminary checklist of species

December 2016

Piet van der Poel

Leopard Lacewing

(Cethosia cyane, female)

Introduction

From mid May till late August 2016, I worked for the Mountain Hazelnut project in Lingmethang and

used the opportunity to carry out butterfly surveys in the lower Lingmethang valley, between

Menchugang, Masangdaza and the confluence of the Lingmethang and the Kuri Chhus. The area

covers agricultural land, scrub and broadleaved forest along the Lingmethang Chu and some of its

side streams. Inventories were normally done once a week for full day. Between 55 and 85 species

were encountered during one day of survey, not counting a few species that disappeared before

their identity could be established. The checklist contains scientific names and common English

names and a rough preliminary status. Scientific names were taken from the documents used to

identify the species or from one of the preliminary checklists of species of Bhutan. These names may

be not up-to-date. Common names are an even bigger problem as different authors may use the

same name for different species. The sullied sailer may refer to Neptis soma, Neptis clinia or Neptis

nata , while the Clear Sailer may refer to Neptis nata or Neptis clinia. More confusing is that the

pictures presented for one species in different books appear to belong to two different species, not

different sub-species. Once a more complete species list of butterflies of Bhutan and an accepted list

of common names for the butterflies of Bhutan has been published, this preliminary list can be

updated. To get a better picture of the diversity of butterflies in the Lingmethang area, surveys

would also need to be carried out in other months, which now were not or hardly covered: January

to April (one day of survey in 2015 and September-December (a few observations while passing

through Lingmethang in 2014 and 2015).

Results

A total of 201 species were recorded, with a some species remaining unidentified as either the

pictures did not show the distinctive characteristics or the species can only be identified accurately

after catching and dissecting it, a practice I have refrained from and is of little interest to amateur

field lepidopterists and of none to strict Buddhists. It is however of value to science.

The number of species of the 6 families that occur in Bhutan and their percentages of the presently

known total number of species of these families in Bhutan are presented in the table below. The

total number of species is based on combining two checklists of species that have been published

until now (Wangdi, 2015 and 2016 and Singh, 2015) and eliminating at least a number of the

synonyms, doubles and misidentified species. One such misidentified species is my record of a Dingy

Lineblue, which I later reclassified as Orthomiella pontis, the Straightwing Blue. I do not claim that all

of the species in this list have been correctly identified as some species are very confusing and

variation in individuals are often quite large, making some individual look more like another species

than the standard picture of the species it actually belongs to. Sometimes, elevation has been

included as a factor in identifying a species, but butterflies are regularly encountered above or below

their reported range. Climate change may make species move to higher elevations, but there are

also plenty of records of species below their reported range. For example, Kehimkhar (The Book of

Butterflies of India) indicates the range for the Paris Peacock to be 1520 (not 1500!) to 2135m (not

2146.7!), but is has been observed regularly at around 650m (between 619 and 657m).

Family - scientific Family - English No. of species in Lingmethang

No. of listed species in Bhutan

% of the species of Bhutan in Lmt

Papillioniidae Swallowtails 22 57 39

Pieridae Whites & Yellows 24 61 39

Lycanidae Blues 44 169 26

Rhionidae Judies & Punches 3 12 25

Nymphalidae Brushy-footsies 80 275 29

Hesperidae Skippers 28 141 20

Total 201 715 28

Observations of interest

Some rare or new or remarkable observations

Atrophaneura polla, the crimson bordered or De Niceville’s

Windmill. This beautiful and reportedly very rare species was

observed twice at the end of July and on 12 August mudpuddling

for a short while near the bridge at Masangdaza.

Great Zebra and Five-bar Swordtail. These were both first

observed mudpuddling below the cliff on the opposite sited of

the river. I bushwhacked twice to the site, got scratched, stung

by nettles and lost my water bottle, but managed to get a good

picture of a Great Zebra.

Appias nero, the Orange Albatross was seen once flying along the

road just above Lingmethang town and very briefly landing on a

flower before taking off again. Only a vague picture was taken,

but good enough for identification.

Una usta, the Singleton. As the name suggest a single individual

was seen and photographed on 12 August 2016, mudpuddling

near the bridge at Masangdaza. This appears to be a new record

for Bhutan.

A species provisionally identified as Bothrinia chennelli, the

Hedge Cupid, was observed in the Mountain Hazelnut area in

late May 2016, June 2016 and early July 2014. As only pictures of

the underside showing a small portion of the upper side were

obtained, this observation needs confirmation by either a picture

of the upper side of this species or a specimen. This would be the

first record from Bhutan. The July 2014 individual was not

identified until June 2016.

Childrena childreni, the Large Silverstripe, was observed near the confluence of the Lingmethang and

the Kuri Chus on 21 May 2016 at an elevation off about 590m. Isaac Kehimkhar indicates “this

species is never observed below 1200m”. I guess he is wrong by more than 600 m. A second

1 Crimson-bordered Windmill

2 Great Zebra

3 Singleton

4 Large Silverstripe

individual was observed not far from the road bridge near Masangdaza at roughly 900m elevation in

June.

Rajahs, Calyph and Nawabs

Rajahs and Calyphs are in general rare or fairly rare. Some of the Nawabs are much more common.

The common Nawab was seen in small numbers during 4 months, while the Great Nawab was seen

in larger numbers during fewer (2) months. The Tawny, Yellow, Black and Variegated Rajah showed

up once or twice and the Red Calyph once, all in late July or August, and usually they did not hang

around for very long.

There are many more species of interest, but I suppose this gives an idea of what a butterfly watcher

may encounter in the area. Many species were only observed once, indicating that probably many

other species that roam in the area, but seldom sit down in visible places, are present. Some of these

are rare species, some are shy species and others may be common species but at the edge or even

outside their normal habitat range.

8 Tawny Rajah 7 Yellow Rajah 6 Black Rajah 5 Variegated Rajah

10 Red Calyph 9 Great Nawabs

11 Hedge Cupid probably

Papilioniidae Swallowtails Stat

Byasa dasarada Great Windmill fR

Byasa polyeuctes Common Windmill C

Byasa polla De Nicevilli’s Windmill R

Chilasa clytia Common Mime C

Graphium agamemnon Tailed Jay C

Graphium antiphates Five-bar Swordtail fR

Graphium chironides Veined Jay C

Graphium cloanthus Glassy Bluebottle C

Graphium doson Common Jay fC

Graphium sarpedon Common Bluebottle vC

Graphium xenocles Great Zebra fC

Papilio alcmenor Redbreast C

Papilio bianor Common Peacock vC

Papilio castor Common Raven C

Papilio demoleus Lime Swallowtail fC

Papilio helenus Red Helen C

Papilio memnon Great Mormon fC

Papilio nephelus Yellow Helen C

Papilio paris Paris Peacock C

Papilio polytes Common Mormon vC

Papilio protenor Spangle C

Troides aeacus Golden Birdwing fR

Pieridae Whites &Yellows Appias indra Plain Puffin fC

Appias lalage Spot Puffin C

Appias lyncida Chocolate Albatross fC

Appias galba, A. nero Orange Albatross R

Catopsilia pomona Common/Lemon Emigrant vC

Catopsilia pyranthe Mottled Emigrant vC

Cepora nadina Lesser Gull C

Cepora nerissa Common Gull vC

Delias acalis Red-breast Jezebel fC

Delias agostina Yellow Jezebel fR

Delias belladonna Hill Jezebel fC

Delias descombesi Red-Spot Jezebel fC

Delias pasithoe Red-base Jezebel vC

Dercas verhuelli Tailed Sulphur fR

Eurema andersoni One-spot Grass Yellow C

Eurema blanda Three-spot Grass Yellow vC

Euremahecabe Common Grass Yellow vC

Eurema laeta Spotless Grass Yellow C

Gandaca harina Tree Yellow C

Hebomoia glaucippe Great Orangetip C

Ixias pyrene Yellow Orangetip vC

Pieris brassicae Large Cabbage White C

Pieris canidia Indian Cabbage White vC

Prioneris thestylis Spotted Sawtooth C

Lycaenidae Blues Stat

Acytolepis puspa Common Hedge Blue C

Allotinus drumila Great Darkie fR

Ancema ctesia Bi-spot Royal fC

Anthene emolus Ciliate Blue fC

Anthene lycaenina Pointed Ciliate Blue C

Arhopala centaurus Centaur Oakblue C

Arhopala rama Dark Himalayan Oakblue fR Bothrinia chennelli PROVISIONALLY^

Hedge Cupid fR

Castalius rosimon Common Pierrot C

Catochrysops strabo Forget-Me-Not Blue C

Celastrina argiolus Hill Hedge Blue C

Charana mandarinus Mandarin Blue fC

Chilades pandava Plains Cupid C

Chliaria kina Blue Tit C

Cigaritis lohita Long-banded Silverline fC

Cupido lacturnus Indian Cupid C

Curetis acuta Angled Sunbeam fC

Curetis bulis Bright Sunbeam C

Euchrysops cnejus Gram Blue C

Heliophorus epicles Purple Sapphire C

Jamides alecto Metallic Cerulean C

Jamides bochus Dark Cerulean C

Lampides boeticus Pea Blue vC

Leptotes plinius Zebra Blue vC

Lestranicus transpectus White-banded Hedge Blue C

Megisba malaya Malayan C

Miletus chinensis Common Brownie fR

Nacaduba kurava Transparent Six-Lineblue C

Nacaduba pactolus Large Fourline-Blue fC

Prosotas nora Common Lineblue vC

Pseudozizeeria maha Pale Grass Blue vC

Rapala manea Slate Flash fC

Rapala nissa Common Flash fC

Rapala varuna Indigo Flash fR

Remelana jangala Chocolate Royal fC

Sinthusa nasaka Narrow Spark fR

Spalgis epeus Apefly fC

Surendra quercetorum Common Acacia Blue C

Tarucus ananda Dark Pierrot C

Udara albocaerulea Albocerulean fC

Udara dilectus Pale Hedge Blue C

Una usta Singleton vR

Virachola isocrates Common Guava Blue fR

Zeltus amasa Fluffy Tit C

Rionidae Punches & Judies Abisara fylla Dark Judy fC

Dodona egeon Orange Punch C

Zemeros flegyas Punchinello C

Nymphalidae Brushy-footed Abrota ganga Sergeant Major fR

Ariadne merione Common Castor C

Athyma cama Orange Staff Sergeant fC

Athyma perius Common Sergeant fC

Athyma ranga Blackvein Sergeant fC

Athyma selenophora Staff Sergeant C

Athyma zeroca Small Staff Sergeant fC

Auzakia danava Commodore fC

Callerebia hybrida Hybrid Argus fC

Cethosia biblis Red Lacewing fC

Cethosia cyane Leopard Lacewing fR

Charaxes bernardus Tawny Rajah R

Charaxes kahruba Variegated Rajah R

Charaxes marmax Yellow Rajah fR

Charaxes solon Black Rajah R

Chersonesia risa Common Maplet fR

Childrena childreni Large Silverstripe fR

Cirrochroa tyche Common Yeoman fR

Cyrestis thyodamas Common Map C

Danaus chrysippus Plain Tiger C

Danaus genutia Common Tiger vC

Dichorragia nesimachus Constable fR

Doleschallia bisaltide Autumn Leaf fC

Elymnias vasudeva Jezebel Palmfly fR

Enispe euthymius Red Caliph R

Euploea algea Long-branded Blue Crow fR

Euploea core Common Indian Crow fC

Euploea mulciber Striped Blue Crow vC

Euthalia monina Powdered Baron fR

Euthalia phemius White-edged Blue Baron fR

Hestina nama Circe C

Hestina persimilis Siren fR

Hypolimnas bolina Great Eggfly C

Junonia atlites Grey Pansy C

Junonia hierta Yellow Pansy C

Junonia iphita Chocolate Pansy vC

Junonia lemonias Lemon Pansy C

Junonia orithya Blue Pansy C

Kallima inachus Orange Oakleaf C

Lasippa viraja Yellowjack Sailer fR

Lethe confusa Banded Treebrown fC

Lethe mekara Straight Red Forester 0

Lethe rohria Common Treebrown fC

Libythea myrrha Club Beak C

Libythea lepita lepita Common Beak C

Melanitis leda Common Evening Brown vC

Melanitis phedima Dark Evening Brown fC

Mimathyma ambica Indian Purple Emperor C

Moduza procris Commander fR

Mycalesis mineus Dark-branded Bushbrown C

Mycalesis perseus Common Bushbrown vC

Neope pulahoides Veined Labyrinth fR

Neptis cartica Plain Sailer fC

Neptis clinia Sailer (Dirty White) C

Neptis hylas Common Sailer vC

Neptis miah Small Yellow Sailer fR

Neptis pseudovikasi False Dingy Sailer C

Neptis sappho Pallas’s Sailer fC

Neptis soma Creamy Sailer C

Nymphalis canace Blue Admiral C

Aglais cashmiriensis Indian Tortoiseshell fC

Pantoporia hordonia Common Lascar C

Parantica aglea Glassy Tiger vC

Parantica melaneus Chocolate Tiger fC

Phalanta phalantha Common Leopard C

Polyura athamas Common Nawab C

Polyura eudamippus Great Nawab C

Pseudergolis wedah Tabby C

Rohana parisatis Black Prince fC

Sephisa chandra Eastern Courtier C

Stibochiona nicea Popinjay C

Symbrenthia hypselis Spotted Jester fC

Symbrenthia lilaea Common Jester vC

Symbrenthia niphanda Blue-tail Jester fR

Tanaecia julii Common Earl fC

Tirumala septentrionis Dark Blue Tiger C

Vanessa cardui Painted Lady fC

Vanessa indica Indian Red Admiral C

Ypthima baldus Common Five-ring vC

Ypthima newara Newar Three-ring fC

Hesperidae Skippers Aeromachus stigmata Veined Scrub Hopper C

Badamia exclamationis Brown Awl fC

Bibasis sena Orangetail Awl fC

Caltoris tulsi Purple Swift fC

Celaenorrhinus leucocera Common Spotted Flat C

Celaenorrhinus putra Bengal Spotted Flat fC

Dharpa hanria Hairy Angle fR

Halpe homolea* Indian Ace* fC

Hasora badra Common Awl fR

Hasora chromus Common Banded Awl fR

Iambrix salsala Chestnut Bob C

Mooreana trichoneura Yellow Flat fR

Notocrypta curvifascia Restricted Demon fC

Odontoptilum angulata Chestnut Angle C

Oriens gola Common Dartlet fC

Oriens goloides Ceylon Dartlet C

Pelopidas mathias Small Branded Swift C

Pelopidas sinensis Large Branded Swift fC

Pithauria stramineipennis Light Straw Ace fC

Notes:

*1. Review of the pictures taken led to a reclassification

of some species. A few genera and species are difficult or

impossible to identify based on pictures. They may

require the dissection of specimen to correctly identify

the species. Species marked with * belong to this group.

^2. Provisionally. This appears to be a new species for

Bhutan, but it requires specimens or pictures of the

upperside for confirmation.

3. Common names may be very confusing if you use

different guidebooks for identification. Here, I have

followed mainly Singh’s checklist (Bhutan Ecological

Society Journal, 2015), but some of these are Indian

names and not always proper for Bhutan. Besides there is

a second very different set of names for Indian butterflies

(Ifoundbutterflies website). And there are guidebooks for

Nepal and Sikkim in which some names are again

different. Bhutan should come up with its own list of

common English names for its butterflies.

4. Just for those naturalists who look for anything moving,

not only butterflies, I add a list with some of the birds

that have been seen around Lingmethang. There are

many more, but I did not carry binoculars and am not

much of a birder anymore. In addition, there are

monkeys, deer, squirrels, snakes and all kind of other

creepy crawlies and flying invertebrates.

5. The status is a rough preliminary estimate of the frequency of spotting a species in the Lingmethang area. It includes very common (vC), common (C), fairly common (fC), fairly rare (fR), rare (R) and very rare (vR). This status is likely to change when more observations and surveys are done.

Potanthus confucius* Chinese Dart* C

Potanthus nesta* Sikkim Dart* C

Potanthus pseudomaesa* Indian Dart* C

Pseudoborbo bevani* Bevan’s Swift* C

Tagiades litigiosa Water Snow Flat fC

Tagiades menaka Spotted Snow Flat fC

Thoressa hyrie Variable/Large-spotted Ace fC

Thoressa masuriensis Mussoorie Bush Bob C Udaspes folus Grass Demon C

Ashy Bulbul

Black Bulbul

Blue Whistling Thrush

Blue-throated Barbet

Brown Dipper

Common Hoopoe

Common Kingfisher

Common Tailorbird

Crested Kingfisher

Crimson Sunbird

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Greater Yellownape

Grey Bushchat

Grey Treepie

Himalayan Bulbul

Little Forktail

Oriental Magpie Robin

Oriental White-Eye

Plumbeous Water Redstart

Red-vented Bulbul

Scaly-breasted Munia

Slaty-backed Forktail

Spotted Dove

Spotted Nutcracker

White-capped Water Redstart

White-crested Laughing thrush