Virachola vietnamica vietnamica

Virachola vietnamica vietnamica Saito & Inayoshi, 2024


♂, 2014.10.11. Lam Dong, Vietnam. (Holotype)		♀, Lam Dong, Vietnam. (Paratype)

♂, Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam. (Paratype)		♀, Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam. (Paratype)

♂, Lam Dong, Vietnam. (Paratype)		♂ genitalia, Lam Dong, Vietnam. (Holotype)

ON : Virachola vietnamica Saito & Inayoshi, 2024
OD : Butterflies 94:8,12, figs.23(PT,♂),23v(PT,♂Un), 24(PT,♀),
24v(PT,♀Un), 25(HT,♂), 25v(HT,♂Un), 26(PT,♀), 26v(PT,♀Un),
28a-c(♂genitalia), 29a-c(♂genitalia), 34h-j(♂brand).
TL : Da Huai, Da'Mri, Lam Dong, C.Vietnam. (RIEB)

Distribution : C.Vietnam.

	● ssp.laolai
	● ssp. uncertain
	● ssp.vietnamica

Type Materials Information

Holotype ♂, 11.Oct.2014, Da Huai, 450m, Da'Mri, Lam Dong, C.Vietnam. Dang Van leg. (RIEB, examined.)
Paratypes. All paratypes were obtained from C.Vietnam. (in coll. K.Saito)
3♂ 1♀, Bach Ma, Thua Thien Hue ; 1♂, Ba Na Hills, Da Nang ; 1♂, Chu Yang Sin, Dak Lak ; 25♂ 5♀, Lam Dong (Loc Tan ; Da To ; Bao Loc ; Dai Lam ; Da Huai ; Di Linh).

Records taken from Literature

[ VIETNAM ]
Virachola sp. ; Miyazaki, Saito & Saito,2007c : 40, fig.L-158,♀. (Lam Dong: Dambri)

Specimens Examined

[ VIETNAM ]
Dak Lak : 1♂ (Paratype).

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Thua Thien Hue : 3♂ 1♀ (Paratypes).

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Da Nang : 1♂ (Paratype), (genitalia dissected).

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Lam Dong : 25♂ 5♀ (Holotype & Paratypes), (1♂ genitalia dissected).

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Notes

The butterfly is locally not rare in montane forests at low to moderate elevations (Alt. 450 - 1450m).
In September 2021, an individual thought to be Virachola vietnamica was photographed by Thianchai Laola in Lampang, N.Thailand. It is quite similar to the nominotypical subspecies. Whether this is the rainy season form of ssp.laolai or the nominotypical subspecies needs to be examined by specimens. Further taxonomic and distributional studies are needed.

Literature

Saito, K. & Inayoshi, Y.,2024 : Descriptions of four new species and two new subspecies of Lycaenidae from Thailand and Vietnam.
Butterflies 94:4-14.

? Virachola vietnamica ssp.

♂, Lampang, Thailand. (photo by T.Laola)

2024.09.30.