Neptis nashona nashona  Swinhoe, 1896

Neptis nashona nashona ♂ Up. Neptis nashona nashona ♂ Un. Neptis nashona nashona ♂ Up. Neptis nashona nashona ♂ Un.
♂ (ds), Nan, Thailand. ♂ (is), Luang Namtha, Laos. (photo by H.Onodera)
Neptis nashona nashona ♂ Up. Neptis nashona nashona ♂ Un. Neptis nashona nashona ♂ Up. Neptis nashona nashona ♂ Un.
♂ (ds), Xieng Khouang, Laos. (photo by H.Onodera) ♂ (ws), Phong Saly, Laos.

ON : Neptis nashona Swinhoe, 1896
OD : Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6)17(101):357.
TL : Cherra Punji, [Kashi Hills, Assam]. (♂♀, NHML)
Distribution : Assam, Myanmar (to S.Shan States),
N.Thailand (Nan), Laos, N.Vietnam, S.Yunnan.
ssp.nashona
● ssp.aagaardi
ssp.chapa [? loc.err.]
ssp.kishii
ssp.???
ssp.tamamitsui
Neptis nashona nashona Map

Records taken from Literature

[ LAOS ]
Neptis nashona chapa ; Osada, Uémura & Uehara,1999 : 206, pl.55, fig.♀(Un). (Xiang Khouang)
Neptis nashona chapa ; Onodera,2022 : 36, pl.112, figs.♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Oudomxai; Luang Phabang: Phou Yang)


Specimens Examined

[ THAILAND ]
Nan : 1♂.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec


[ LAOS ]
Phong Saly : 1♂.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Luang Namtha : 1♂ (photo by H.Onodera).
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Oudomxai : 1♂ (photo by H.Onodera).
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Xieng Khouang : 2♂ (incl. photo by H.Onodera).
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec


[ VIETNAM ]
Lai Chau : 2♂.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec


Notes

This is the first reliable record from Thailand. Ek-Amnuay ([2007],2012) recorded 'Neptis nashona aagaardi' from Doi Phu Kha, Nan, however, it is a misidentification of Neptis cartica cartica. The butterfly is uncommon in montane forests at moderate elevations (Alt. 1300m).
The populations from Nan, Thailand, Laos and Lai Chau, N.Vietnam are very similar to the nominotypical subspecies, although the submarginal markings on the UpH tend to be slightly narrower. I treat them here provisionally as this taxon. Further taxonomic and distributional studies are needed.

The fact that a population of what appears to be this taxon was found in Lai Chau means that it is likely to be distributed in Lao Cai province, which is thought to be the type locality of ssp.chapa. If this is the case, it means that the type locality of ssp.chapa is more likely to be an erroneous locality.


Literature

Swinhoe, C.,1896 : New Species of Lepidoptera from the Khasia Hills
Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6)17(101):357-363.

Lang, S.Y.,2012 : The Nymphalidae of China (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera) Part 1
Libytheinae, Danainae, Calinaginae, Morphinae, Heliconiinae, Nymphalinae, Charaxinae, Apaturinae, Cyrestinae, Biblidinae, Limenitinae
456 pp, 32 col. + 41 black&white pls. Tshikolovets Publications, Pardubice.


2024.04.30.

A Check list of Butterflies in Indo-China, Chiefly from THAILAND, LAOS & VIETNAM. Copyright © 1996- Y.Inayoshi.