No love for Chilasa?

General discussion on entomology
Post Reply
Chuck
Premium Member - 2024
Premium Member - 2024
Reactions:
Posts: 876
Joined: Mon May 23, 2022 2:30 pm
Solomon Islands

No love for Chilasa?

Post by Chuck »

I find it odd that there's virtually no discussion on Chilasa. It's an amazing genus, with some Danaidae mimics. I searched and found but on mention of Chilasa since this site was refreshed.

Anyway, I got down this path because I was checking to see if Cornell had any Chilasa toboroi straatmani or needed a pair. So I dug out some set specimens, location Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands.

Image

Then I got to wondering what this species costs these days...OUCH! 610 Euros for an A- pair! https://www.theinsectcollector.com/acat ... idae2.html

With China and Vietnam revealing so many new species/ subspecies, I've not seen anything new on Chilasa. Anyone?
User avatar
adamcotton
Global Moderators
Global Moderators
Reactions:
Posts: 734
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2022 12:24 pm
Location: Thailand
Thailand

Re: No love for Chilasa?

Post by adamcotton »

I don't think there are new Chilasa species in China or Vietnam. The last one named from Vietnam was imitata Monastyrskii & Devyatkin, 2003 from S Vietnam. It was described as a species, but is only a subspecies of epycides. Yoshino (2008) described epycides ssp. yamabuki from Zhongdian, NW Yunnan.

Adam.
User avatar
adamcotton
Global Moderators
Global Moderators
Reactions:
Posts: 734
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2022 12:24 pm
Location: Thailand
Thailand

Re: No love for Chilasa?

Post by adamcotton »

Genus/subgenus Chilasa, depending on opinion, is indeed rather interesting. I assume that straatmani mimics a local Alcides species (day-flying Uraniidae).

Somewhere I saw the name tolei for the toboroi from Malaita, but I have no record of the original description. I suppose it is a nomen nudum or catalogue name.

Adam.
Chuck
Premium Member - 2024
Premium Member - 2024
Reactions:
Posts: 876
Joined: Mon May 23, 2022 2:30 pm
Solomon Islands

Re: No love for Chilasa?

Post by Chuck »

It would be interesting if C toboroi from Malaita was a different ssp. I'd not heard of a capture, but it was/ is bound to happen. Toboroi does mimic Alcides in Bougainville, so presumably the same relationship is found on the other islands.
Post Reply

Create an account or sign in to join the discussion

You need to be a member in order to post a reply

Create an account

Not a member? register to join our community
Members can start their own topics & subscribe to topics
It’s free and only takes a minute

Register

Sign in