Arhopala elopura dama  Swinhoe, 1910
Arhopala elopura dama ♂ Up. Arhopala elopura dama ♂ Un. Arhopala elopura dama ♀ Up. Arhopala elopura dama ♀ Un.
♂, Ranong, Thailand. ♀, Ranong, Thailand.
Arhopala elopura dama ♂ Up. Arhopala elopura dama ♂ Un. Arhopala elopura dama ♀ Up. Arhopala elopura dama ♀ Un.
♂, Ranong, Thailand. ♀, Ranong, Thailand.
rhopala elopura dama ♂ Up. rhopala elopura dama ♂ Un. rhopala elopura dama ♂ Up. rhopala elopura dama ♂ Un.
♂, Surat Thani (Koh Phangan dist.), Thailand. ♂, Surat Thani (Koh Phangan dist.), Thailand.
rhopala elopura dama ♂ Up. rhopala elopura dama ♂ Un. rhopala elopura dama ♂ Up. rhopala elopura dama ♂ Un.
♂, Yala, Thailand. ♂, Yala, Thailand.
rhopala elopura dama ♂ Up. rhopala elopura dama ♂ Un. rhopala elopura dama ♀ Up. rhopala elopura dama ♀ Un.
♂, Narathiwat, Thailand. ♀, Ranong, Thailand.
rhopala elopura dama ♂ Up. rhopala elopura dama ♂ Un.
♂, Yala, Thailand.

ON : Arhopala dama Swinhoe, 1910
OD : in Moore, Lep. Ind. 8:186-187, pl.683, figs.4,♂,4a♀,4b♂(Un).
TL : Mergui, Burma. (♂♀, NHML)
Distribution : Myanmar, P.Thailand (Ranong and Southward).
● ssp.dama
● ssp.
Arhopala elopura dama map
Type Materials Information

Syntypes 1♂ 1♀, Apr.1893. Mergui. (NHML, photo examined.)

Records taken from Literature

[ THAILAND ]
Narathura pseudomuta dama ; Evans,1957 : 107. (P) (in part)
Arhopala elopura dama ; Pinratana,1981 : 85. (Ranong; Trang; Yala) (in part)
Arhopala elopura dama ; Seki,1986 : 14, figs.18,♂,19,♂(Un). (Ranong)
Arhopala pseudomuta pseudomuta ; Ek-Amnuay,[2007] : pl.280, figs.L229b♂,♂(Un). (in part)
Arhopala aida aida ; Les Day,2011-2022 : Samui Butterflies, fig.[♂]. (Koh Samui) (in part) (accessed: 2022.08.01)
Arhopala ariana ariana ; Les Day,2011-2022 : Samui Butterflies, figs.♂,[♂](Un). (Koh Samui) (accessed: 2022.08.01)
Arhopala pseudomuta ariavana ; Ek-Amnuay,2012 : 652, pl.296, figs.L254,♂(Ranong),♂(Un,Ranong). (in part)
Arhopala elopura elopura ; Kimura et al.,2014 : 65, figs.♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Ranong Hot Spring; Kam Puan; Khlong Naka; Than To WF.)
Arhopala pseudomuta ariavana ; Kimura et al.,2014 : 66, figs.♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Kam Puan; Khlong Naka; Than To WF.)
Arhopala ariana wilcocksi ; Kimura et al.,2014 : 66, figs.♂,♂(Un). (Than To WF.)

Specimens Examined

[ THAILAND ]
Ranong : 8♂ 10♀.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Surat Thani (Koh Phangan dist.) : 3♂.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Pattani : 1♂ 1♀.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Yala : 6♂ 1♀.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Narathiwat : 2♂.
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec

Notes

The butterfly is locally not rare in montane forests at low elevations (Alt. 30 - 350m).
The populations of P.Thailand are highly variable in size, the width of the marginal black border on the UpF (from a thread to 1.2 mm) and the ground colour on the underside (from greyish brown to dark brown). For this reason, many previous records have been confused with other species. The females have two colour forms, brilliant blue and purple.
Evans,1957 treated the entire continental area up to peninsular Thailand and Langkawi as ssp.dama. However, specimens from north to S.E.Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam have an indigo-blue ground colour on the upperside and a broader black border on the UpF. Therefore, I restrict ssp.dama to Myanmar and P.Thailand, and consider the continental populations as a separate taxon.
The relationship between elopura and its allied species remains unclear and needs to be re-examined, including DNA analysis.

Literature

Swinhoe, C.,1910-1911: in Moore, Lepidoptera Indica. vol.VIII. Rhopalocera, Family Lycaenidae.
8:1-96,1910 ; 97-293,1911. L.Reeve & Co., London.

1999.07.18 - 2023.07.31.
A Check list of Butterflies in Indo-China, Chiefly from THAILAND, LAOS & VIETNAM. Copyright © 1996- Y.Inayoshi.