Arhopala democritus democritus  (Fabricius,1793)

Arhopala democritus democritus ♂ Up. Arhopala democritus democritus ♂ Un. Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Up. Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Un.
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand. ♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Arhopala democritus democritus ♂ Up. Arhopala democritus democritus ♂ Un. Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Up. Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Un.
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand. ♀, Bolikhamxai, Laos.
Arhopala democritus democritus ♂ Up. Arhopala democritus democritus ♂ Un. Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Up. Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Un.
♂, Ranong, Thailand. ♀, Ranong, Thailand.
Arhopala democritus democritus ♂ Up. Arhopala democritus democritus ♂ Un. Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Up. Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Un.
♂, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. ♀, Ranong, Thailand.
Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Up. Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Un. Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Up. Arhopala democritus democritus ♀ Un.
♀, Satun (Koh Tarutao), Thailand. ♀, Yala (Than To dist.), Thailand.

ON : Hesperia democritus Fabricius,1793
OD : Ent. syst. 3(1):285.
TL : "India orientali" [Phuket] (ZMUC)
Distribution : E.India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Langkawi, W.Malaysia (North).

Synonym

Amblypodia albopunctata Hewitson,[1869] : Ill. diurn. Lep. Lycaenidae 1:14e, pl.3b, figs.43(♂),44(♂,Un). TL. Maulmein. (♂, NHML)


Type Material Information

democritus ; Lectotype ♂, "in India Orientali" [Phuket], det by Gaonkar & Vane-Wright,2003. (ZMUC)


Records taken from Literature

[ THAILAND ]
Arhopala albopunctata ; Pendlebury,1923 : 45. (Nakhon Sri Thammarat: Khao Ram, Khao Luang)
Amblypodia albopunctata ; Godfrey,1930 : 331. (Prae: Me Song forest / W: Eka Klo / Takuapa: Nang Yaawn / Ranong: Kapor)
Amblypodia albopunctata ; Godfrey,1932a : 272. (Peninsula)
Narathura democritus democritus ; Evans,1957 : 105. (Siam / Peninsular Siam)
Arhopala democritus democritus ; Pinratana,1981 : 84, pl.14, fig.1♂(Un). (Chiang Mai / Nakhon Sri Thammarat / Phuket / Ranong / Trang / Uthai Thani)
Arhopala democritus democritus ; Seki,1986 : 14, fig.14♂,15♂(Un). (Ranong)
Arhopala democritus democritus ; Ek-Amnuay,[2007] : 618, pl.279, fig.L227a,♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Khao Phanom Benecha / Trang / Ranong)
Arhopala democritus lycaenaria ; Ek-Amnuay,[2007] : 618, pl.280, fig.227b,♂,♀,♀(Un). (Yala)
Arhopala democritus democritus ; Les Day,2011-2022 : Samui Butterflies, fig. (Koh Samui)
Arhopala democritus democritus ; Ek-Amnuay,2012 : 650, pl.295, fig.L252a,♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Khao Phanombencha / Trang / Ranong)
Arhopala democritus democritus ; Kimura et al.,2014 : 65, fig.♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Kapar WF / Ranong Hot Spring / Kam Puan / Khlong Naka / Ka Chong / Thaleban)
Arhopala democritus lycaenaria ; Kimura et al.,2014 : 65, fig.♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Than To WF)
Arhopala democritus democritus ; S.Sophonviwatkul, C.Sunthornwiphat & T.Laola,2015- : Butterflies of Thailand, fig. (Chiang Mai / Chanthaburi)

[ LAOS ]
Arhopala democritus democritus ; Motono & Negishi,1989 : 74, pl.105, fig.A3(Un). (Nam Moh)
Arhopala democritus democritus ; Osada, Uémura & Uehara,1999 : 216, pl.115, figs.♂,♀(Un),♀. (Thakhek)
Arhopala democritus democritus ; Nimura & Wakahara,2005 : 47. (Namdhua / Thabeng / Thakhek)
Arhopala democritus democritus ; Nakamura & Wakahara,2012 : 53.


Specimens Examined

[ THAILAND ]
Chiang Mai : 6♂ 4♀ (incl. photo).
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Ranong : 6♂ 5♀.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Phang-nga : 2♂.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Nakhon Si Thammarat : 1♂.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Satun (incl.Koh Tarutao) : 1♂ 3♀ (incl. photo by A.Giudici).
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Yala (Than To dist.) : 1♀.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec


[ LAOS ]
Bolikhamxai : 4♂ 3♀ (incl. photo by H.Onodera).
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec


Notes

The butterfly is locally common in montane forest at low to moderate elevations (Alt. 10 - 1100m).
Examples from Chiang Mai and Laos have more brighter ground color on the upperside. On the other hand, example from Than To, Yala has darker blue ground color on the upperside as Kimura et al.,2014 pointed out. Although they treated it as ssp.lycaenaria, the markings on the underside of both wings is same as ssp.democritus. I consider it is transition form between ssp.democritus and ssp.lycaenaria. In Thailand, definit ssp.lycaenaria has been found in Betong dist., Yala and Narathiwat.


Literature

Fabricius, J.C.,1793 : Entomologia systematica emedata et aucta. secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, adjectis synonymis, locis, observationibus, descriptionibus.
3(1): [iv] + 488 pp. Copenhagen. C.G.Proft.

Hewitson, W.C.,1863-1878 : Illustrations of diurnal Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae.
London, van Vorst. x+229pp. and 14a-14h, Suppl. 1-47; pls. (108, numbered;)
1-85, 88-92, 3a,3b,3c, Suppl.I-VII, Ia, Ib, IIIa, IIIb, IVa, Va, Vb. In 8 parts.

Vane-Wright, R.I. & Gaonkar, H.,2006 : The Arhopala butterflies described by Fabricius: A. centaurus is from Java, A. democritus from Phuket (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)
Entomological Science (2006)9:295-311.


Arhopala democritus democritus ♂ Arhopala democritus democritus ♀
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand. ♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Arhopala democritus democritus ♂ Arhopala democritus democritus ♂
♂, Satun, Thailand. (photo by A.Giudici) ♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

1999.07.18 - 2018.12.31.
A Check list of Butterflies in Indo-China, Chiefly from THAILAND, LAOS & VIETNAM. Copyright © 1996- Y.Inayoshi.