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Post by lepidofrance on Jul 1, 2013 8:01:09 GMT -8
Sorry ! I added the second "e" !!!
Yes, you're right about tailed Papilionidae : so many samples collected flying now with glued tails !
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Post by nomad on Jul 1, 2013 9:04:15 GMT -8
Graphuim weiskei is certainly a dazzling species. That must have been a amazing sight to see an assemblage of beautiful Arfak Delias mud puddling. Lepidofrance did you take any photographs of the different Delias species ingesting together. Most of the Delias specimens that I have shown in this thread are males, the females of the uncommon species seem much harder to obtain. Perhaps it is because the males of the rarer species visit the damp spots to ingest and the females fly higher. I look forward to seeing any of your photographs of the Delias, if you can overcome the technical hitch.
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Post by lepidofrance on Jul 1, 2013 11:56:50 GMT -8
Here, two others G. weiskei and one Delias toxopei (all mud-puddling) from the Pass Valley in Papua.  |
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Post by lepidofrance on Jul 1, 2013 12:22:53 GMT -8
I quote : "Lepidofrance did you take any photographs of the different Delias species ingesting together. Most of the Delias specimens that I have shown in this thread are males, the females of the uncommon species seem much harder to obtain. Perhaps it is because the males of the rarer species visit the damp spots to ingest and the females fly higher. I look forward to seeing any of your photographs of the Delias, if you can overcome the technical hitch." 1. I'm very sorry ! When collecting in Arfak mountains, I was much more collecting than photographying. So, I have very few photos from Delias species. It's a shame ! Prospecting (and climbing) along the Siobri stream, I was so impressed by the number of Delias (and G. weiskei) that I was handling the butterfly net instead of the camera. For sure,to-day I'll act in an other way. Some of the few Delias photo made are on the pages : www.lepido-france.fr/2010/01/quelques-observations-sur-le-comportement-des-delias-de-l%E2%80%99arfak/picasaweb.google.com/113703781091091595078/Arfak2007PapilionidaePieridae2. Here is a figure showing the sexual ratio among Delias butterflies collected in Arfak mountains. As you say, females are much less seen (and caught) than males. Females fly high in the canopy and don't go down to mud-puddle. The female ratio is higher for Delias ladas levis (23,52 %) just because we had the luck, guided by the children of the Mokwam village to discover a small stream hidden in the forest which was a kind of dormitory for the species. We went there just before the night (around 5 PM) and Delias ladas levis males and females were resting on leaves just 2 meters above the stream. It was a piece of luck ! Thanks to the Papu Children !!   |
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Post by nomad on Jul 1, 2013 12:26:45 GMT -8
Here, two others G. weiskei and one Delias toxopei (all mud-puddling) from the Pass Valley in Papua. View AttachmentThanks for sharing that wonderful image. Also the further information on your experiences of the Arfak Delias species and your link to the other high quality Delias images. I really enjoyed viewing those. |
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Post by wollastoni on Jul 1, 2013 23:51:55 GMT -8
Just to complete JMG words about male/female ratio in Papua highlands.
In the Baliem and Pass Valleys, I guess we had about a 5% ratio with females. But there were many females of Delias ladas wamenaensis and Delias pheres approximata (with about 30% female/male ratio). From other species, we caught nearly no female...
I caught one female Delias nais form nais.
Let's remain to readers here that many females of Delias species are still unknown to science.
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Post by lepidofrance on Jul 2, 2013 1:26:05 GMT -8
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Post by africaone on Jul 2, 2013 4:20:53 GMT -8
Just to complete JMG words about male/female ratio in Papua highlands. In the Baliem and Pass Valleys, I guess we had about a 5% ratio with females. But there were many females of Delias ladas wamenaensis and Delias pheres approximata (with about 30% female/male ratio). From other species, we caught nearly no female... I caught one female Delias nais form nais. Let's remain to readers here that many females of Delias species are still unknown to science. Isn't possible to breed them ! In Africa it is not difficult to breed Mylothris I think the replacement group in Africa equivalent of Delias) |
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Post by wollastoni on Jul 2, 2013 4:21:13 GMT -8
OK let's feed this subject with other rare Delias from New Guinea. Here is Delias bobaga bobaga and Delias bobaga homeyo (Coll. Pequin)  Delias from the clathrata group are generally the hardest to find on field and in collection. |
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Post by wollastoni on Jul 2, 2013 4:23:32 GMT -8
Other rarities from clathrata group, Delias hemianops males ! Morig river, Okbibab (Coll. Pequin)  |
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Post by nomad on Jul 2, 2013 9:06:30 GMT -8
Interesting information on the sex ratio of the Delias butterflies. Wollastoni, marvellous Delias rarities from New Guinea. Thanks for posting those.
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Post by wollastoni on Jul 2, 2013 23:45:44 GMT -8
Delias menooensis from Magoda, West Papua (Coll. Pequin) Attachments:
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Post by nomad on Jul 3, 2013 9:12:29 GMT -8
Nice specimens of menooensis from the West Papua. I see it is still listed as a subspecies of D. mariae on the Delias of the World website. Is this species rare?
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Post by wollastoni on Jul 3, 2013 12:14:41 GMT -8
Yes there are some debates about it´s real status...
Yes it is a rare species, especially in collection.
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Post by nomad on Jul 3, 2013 22:11:10 GMT -8
Yes, I believe it is one thing with butterfly classification, that the taxonomists certainly do not agree. I believe it is the same with D. roepkei, the Delias website has it as a good species, while others place it as a subspecies of D. mira. I would be interested to know if there are other collectors of Delias butterflies on InsectNet. com Forum. Have a  day. |
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day.