Flos adriana  (Nicéville, 1884)

Flos adriana ♂ Up. Flos adriana ♂ Un. Flos adriana ♀ Up. Flos adriana ♀ Un.
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand. ♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Flos adriana ♂ Up. Flos adriana ♂ Un. Flos adriana ♀ Up. Flos adriana ♀ Un.
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand. ♀, Mae Hong Son, Thailand.
Flos adriana ♂ Up. Flos adriana ♂ Un. Flos adriana ♀ Up. Flos adriana ♀ Un.
♂ (bred), Chiang Mai, Thailand. (photo by T.Laola) ♀ (bred), Chiang Mai, Thailand. (photo by T.Laola)

form asoka
Flos asoka ♂ Up. Flos asoka ♂ Un. Flos asoka ♀ Up. Flos asoka ♀ Un.
♂ (bred), Chiang Mai, Thailand. (photo by T.Laola) ♀ (bred), Chiang Mai, Thailand. (photo by T.Laola)
Flos asoka ♂ Up. Flos asoka ♂ Un. Flos asoka ♀ Up. Flos asoka ♀ Un.
♂ (bred), Chiang Mai, Thailand. (photo by T.Laola) ♀ (bred), Chiang Mai, Thailand. (photo by T.Laola)

ON : Nilasera adriana Nicéville, 1884
OD : J. asiat. Soc. Bengal, Part II. 52(2/4):79, pl.9, figs.5,♂,5a♀.
TL : Sikkim. (♂)
Distribution : Nepal, Sikkim, Assam, Myanmar, Thailand,
Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, S.China.
Flos adriana map

Synonyms

Nilasera asoka Nicéville, 1884 : J. asiat. Soc. Bengal, Part II. 52(2/4):78-79, pl.9, figs.6,♂,6a♀. TL. Sikkim. (♂, NZC)
Satadra chola Moore, 1884 : J. asiat. Soc. Bengal, Part II. 53(1):39-40. TL. Sikkim. (♂, NHML)
Arhopala asoka vaya Fruhstorfer, 1914 : Duet. ent. Zeit. [Iris] 28(2):130. TL. Hongkong. (♀, NHML)


Type Materials Information

adriana ; Type 1♂ 1♀, Sikkim. (NZC) ; Sheela et al.,2019 : 110, figs.♂,♂(Un) ; 111, figs.♀,♀(Un).
asoka ; Types 1♂ 1♀, Sikkim. (NZC) ; Sheela et al.,2019 : 112, figs.♀,♀(Un),♂,♂(Un).


Records taken from Literature

[ THAILAND ]
Amblypodia adriana ; Godfrey,1932b : 328. (Petchaburi: Tung Luang)
Flos adriana ; Shirôzu & Saigusa,1962 : 52-53, pl.6, figs.45,♀,46,♀(Un). (Doi Inthanon)
Flos asoka ; Pinratana,1981 : 105, pl.18, fig.9(Un). (Chiang Mai; Nakhon Ratchasima)
Flos adriana ; Pinratana,1981 : 105, pl.31, fig.14(Un). (Kanchanaburi)
Flos asoka ; Yamaguchi & Aoki,2002 : 37, fig.110,♂. (Mukdahan: Ban Na Lak; Ubon Ratchathani: Nam Tok Soi Sawan)
Flos adriana ; Yamaguchi, Aoki & Akiyama,2005 : 55, fig.30,♂. (Mukdahan: Ban Lao Kram; Phu Huai Sing; Ubon Ratchathani: Nam Tok Soi Sawan; Phu Pung; Ban Ba Hai)
Flos adriana ; Ek-Amnuay,[2007] : 652, pl.297, figs.L291,♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Doi Phu Kha)
Flos asoka ; Ek-Amnuay,[2007] : 652, pl.297, figs.L292,♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Wiang Pa Pao; Tak)
Flos adriana ; Ek-Amnuay,2012 : 688, pl.314, figs.L315,♂,♂,♀,♀(Un). (Doi Phu Kha)
Flos asoka ; Ek-Amnuay,2012 : 688, pl.314, figs.L316,♂,♂,♀,♀(Un). (Wiang Pa Pao; Tak)
Flos adriana ; Kimura et al.,2014 : 86, figs.♂,♂(Un),♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Doi Suthep; Wan Nam Khiewo; Phu Huay Sing)
Flos asoka ; Kimura et al.,2014 : 87, figs.♂,♂(Un),♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Doi Suthep; Ban Na Lak)
Flos adriana ; S.Sophonviwatkul, C.Sunthornwiphat & T.Laola,2020- : Butterflies of Thailand, figs, Early Stages. (Chiang Mai) (accessed: 2024.04.04)
Flos asoka ; S.Sophonviwatkul, C.Sunthornwiphat & T.Laola,2015- : Butterflies of Thailand, figs, Early Stages. (Chiang Mai; Ubon Ratchathani) (accessed: 2024.04.04)

[ LAOS ]
Flos adriana ; Osada, Uémura & Uehara,1999 : 217, pl.120, figs.♂,♂(Un),♀. (Xam Neua; Xiang Khouang)
Flos asoka ; Osada, Uémura & Uehara,1999 : 217, pl.120, figs.♂,♂(Un),♀. (Xam Neua)
Flos adriana ; Nimura & Wakahara,2005 : 47. (Laksao)
Flos adriana ; Nakamura & Wakahara,2012 : 54.
Flos asoka ; Nakamura & Wakahara,2012 : 54.

[ CAMBODIA ]
Flos asoka ; Chartier & Kosterin,2022 : 122, fig.4K. (Koh Kong)

[ VIETNAM ]
Flos asoka ; Ikeda et al.,2001 : 51, figs.4:5,♀,6,♂,7,♂(Un),7:32(♂genitalia). (Cuc Phuong)
Flos asoka ; Luong et al.,2004 : 11, 79, figs.♂,♂(Un). (Cuc Phuong)
Flos asoka ; Monastyrskii & Devyatkin,2015 : 62. (by Ikeda et al.,2001)


Specimens Examined

[ THAILAND ]
Mae Hong Son : 2♀.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Chiang Mai : 10♂ 13♀ (incl. photo by T.Laola).
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Lampang : 3♂ (photo by T.Laola).
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec


Notes

The butterfly is not rare in semi-dried montane forests at low to moderate elevations (Alt. 300 - 900m).
The relationship between adriana and asoka has long been unclear. Evans (1947:132) mentioned in his note on adoriana: "Same genitalia as asoka of which it may be a dimorph or an ecological sub-species: it is not a seasonal form".
Recently, Thianchai Laola found the larvae of these species and bred them several times in Chiang Mai province. The larvae and pupae were identical, but individuals identified as both adriana and asoka emerged (see photos of specimens above). Their DNA was analysed and found to be clearly identical (Shao-Ji Hu, pers. comm.). Thus, I conclude that adriana and asoka are forms of the same species and tentatively treat asoka as a synonym of adriana.


Literature

Nicéville, L. de,1884 : On new and little-known Rhopalocera from the Indian Region.
J. asiat. Soc. Bengal, Part II. 52(2/4):65-91. pls.1,9,10.

Moore, F.,1884 : Descriptions of some New Asiatic Lepidoptera; chiefly from Specimens contained inthe Indian Museum, Calcutta.
J. asiat. Soc. Bengal, Part II. 53(1):16-52.

Fruhstorfer, H., 1914 : Neue Arhopala Rassen.
Deut. ent. Zeit. [Iris] 28(2):121-137.


Flos adriana ♂ Flos adriana ♀
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand. ♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Flos adriana ♂ Flos adriana ♂
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand. ♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Flos adriana ♀
♀ (bred, f. asoka), Chiang Mai, Thailand. (photo by T.Laola)

1999.07.18 - 2023.04.30.

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