Penthema darlisa mimetica

Penthema darlisa mimetica Lathy, 1900


♂, Chanthaburi, Thailand.		♀, Chanthaburi, Thailand.

♂, Sa Kaeo, Thailand.		♀, Chanthaburi, Thailand.

♂, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand. (photo by M.Hayashi)		♀, Chanthaburi, Thailand.

♂, Sekong, Laos.		♂ genitalia, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand.

♂ genitalia, Chanthaburi, Thailand.		♂ genitalia, Sekong, Laos.

ON : Penthema mimetica Lathy, 1900
OD : Entomologist 33: 213-214.
TL : "Siam" [Pak Chong, Saraburi, Thailand]. (NHML)

Distribution : C. & SE.Thailand, Cambodia, S.Laos, C. & S.Vietnem.

	● ssp.darlisa
	● ssp.melema
	● transition zone of melema and mimetica
	● ssp.mimetica
	● ssp.merguia

Synonyms

Penthema annamitica Fruhstorfer, 1901 : Soc. ent. 16(12): 89. TL. "Xom-Gom, Süd-Annam" [near Phan Rang, Ninh Thuan, S.Vietnam]. (MNHN)
Penthema darlisa annamitica form telearchides Fruhstorfer, 1912 : In: Seitz, Gross-Schmetterl. Erde 9: 464. Loc. "Süd-Annam" [S.Vietnam]. (MNHN) (IFS)

Type Materials Information

mimetica
Holotype ♀, Rh10564. "Pak Jong, Siam" [Pak Chong, Saraburi, Thailand]. (NHML, examined) ; "Neallotype ♂, 'Ranawng [Ranong]', Siam. A.F.G.Kerr. (NHML, examined)"
annamitica ; Syntypes ♂,♀, 17.Feb.1900. Xom-Gom, S.Annam. (MNHN)
telearchides ; Syntype ♂, S.Annam. (MNHN)

Records taken from Literature

[ THAILAND ]
Penthema darlisa mimetica ; Fruhstorfer,1912 : 464. (Korat)
Penthema darlisa mimetica ; Godfrey,1916 : 125. (Chonburi: Hup Bon; Pak Jong)
Penthema binghami mimetica ; Godfrey,1930 : 266. (Pak Jong; Chonburi: Hup Bon) (in part)
'Penthema binghami mimetica ; Godfrey,1932a : 268. (Kraburi, Ranong)'
'Penthema darlisa darlisa ; Pinratana,1979 : 6, fig.N8b♂. ('Kanchanaburi' [loc.err.])'
Penthema binghami mimetica ; Pinratana,1979 : 7, figs.N9,♂♂(UN), N9a,♂. (Chanthaburi; Nakhon Nayok; Nakhon Ratchasima)
Penthema binghami mimetica ; Pinratana,1988 : 19, pl.20, fig.45,♂(ab.). (Chanthaburi; Nakhon Ratchasima) (in part)
Penthema darlisa melema ; Ek-Amnuay,[2007] : 261-262, pl.102, fig.S50a♂(Khao Yai). (Khao Yai) (in part)
Penthema darlisa melema ; Ek-Amnuay,2012 : 260, pl.102, figs.N85b♂(Kao Yai). (Khao Yai) (in part)
Penthema darlisa mimetica ; S.Sophonviwatkul, C.Sunthornwiphat & T.Laola,2015- : Butterflies of Thailand, figs. (Sa Kaeo; Nakhon Ratchasima; Nakhon Nayok; Chanthaburi; Trat) (accessed: 2024.06.18)
Penthema darlisa mimetica ; Kimura et al.,2016 : 160, figs.♂,♂(Un)(Wan Nam Khiewo). (Wan Nam Khiewo) (in part)

[ LAOS ]
Penthema darlisa annamitica ; Saito & Inayoshi,2018 : 29, figs.14,♂,♂(Un). (Sekong)

[ CAMBODIA ]
Penthema darlisa ; Woodfield & Murton,2006 : figs,♀,♀(Un). (Botum Sakor NP.)
Penthema binghami mimetica ; Woodfield & Murton,2006 : figs,♀,♀(Un). (Botum Sakor NP.)
Penthema binghami mimetica ; Kosterin,2020 : 331. (Pursat)
Penthema binghami mimetica ; Chartier & Kosterin,2022 : 115. (Koh Kong; Pursat)

[ VIETNAM ]
Penthema darlisa annamitica ; Fruhstorfer,1912 : 464. (S.Annam)
Penthema darlisa f. annamitica ; Dubois & Vitalis,1924 : 35. (Annam)
Penthema darlisa f. telearchides ; Dubois & Vitalis,1924 : 35. (S.Annam)
Penthema darlisa annamitica ; Metaye,1957 : 93. (C)
Penthema darlisa annamitica f. telearchides ; Metaye,1957 : 93. (C)
Penthema darlisa ; Vu,2003 : 57. (Phu Quoc)
Penthema darlisa annamitica ; Monastyrskii,2005 : 42-43, pl.9, figs.2a♂,2b♂(Un),2c♂,2d♂(Un). (C: Ba Na; Ngoc Linh; Kon Cha Rang; Kon Ka Kinh; Bach Ma / S: Cat Tien)
Penthema darlisa annamitica ; Miyazaki, Saito & Saito,2006c : 28, figs.S-10,♂,♀. (Lam Dong: Dambri; Dai Duc Me)
Penthema darlisa annamitica ; Monastyrskii & Devyatkin,2015 : 21. (C / S: Quang Nam to Dong Nai)
Penthema darlisa melema ; Yokochi et al.,2015 : 40, 48, figs.36,♂,♂(Un),37,♀,♀(Un). (Khanh Hoa: Hon Ba)

Specimens Examined

[ THAILAND ]
Nakhon Nayok : 5♂ (incl. photo by M.Hayashi & T.Aoyama).

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

Sa Kaeo : 2♂ (incl. photo).

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

Chanthaburi : 4♂ 4♀.

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

[ LAOS ]
Sekong : 2012.04.15. 1♂ K.Phongpiyamit (YI) ; 2012.07.12. 1♂ K.Phongpiyamit (YI)

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

Notes

It is the first record from Laos.
The butterfly is locally not rare in montane forests at low to moderate elevations (Alt. 300 - 900m). Males are territorial on trees. Both sexes are polymorphic, with f. darlisa a mimic of Euploea mulciber and f. binghami mimicking other Euploea species. In flight, it looks similar to the model. There is a specimen in the NHML, "Neallotype male Ranawng [Ranong], Siam, A.F.G.Kerr.", but this locality is rather doubtful.
The populations in central-northern to eastern Thailand are highly variable, with individuals often found that appear to be an intermediate between ssp.melema and ssp.mimetica in wing shape and genitalia. This area is considered a transition zone between the two subspecies.
The shape of the valva between the darlisa group (darlisa, melema and merguia) and mimetica is rather different. The taxon mimetica is much closer to michallati, bowringi, adelma and formosanum than to the lisarda and darlisa group. Further taxonomic study is needed.

Literature

Lathy, P.I.,1900 : Three new species of Nymphalinae from Siam.
Entomologist 33: 213-215.

Fruhstorfer, H.,1901 : Eine neue Nymphalidae aus Annam.
Soc. ent. 16(12): 89. (15.Sep.1902)

Fruhstorfer, H.,1912 : 6. Familie: Nymphalidae In: Seitz, Gross-Schmetterl. Erde.
9: 457-488 (18.Mar.1912), Stuttgart, Alfred Kernen.

Riley, N.D.,1932 : Descriptions of New Siamese Rhopalocera.
J. nat. Hist. Soc. Siam Suppl. 8(4): 249-254. 1 pl.


♂ (both form darlisa & binghami), Nakhon Nayok, Thailand. (photo by M.Hayashi)

♂, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand. (photo by T.Aoyama)	♂, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand. (photo by T.Aoyama)

♂ (territorial behavior), Sa Kaeo, Thailand.

1998.12.28 - 2025.02.28.