Note

Limenitis rileyi Tytler, 1940 (image 2) was described as a subspecies of Limenitis oberthuri Leech, 1890 from Hthawgaw (Fig. 1, site 4), northeastern Myanmar, June. Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2000) raised L. rileyi to species status. Huang (2003) illustrated the genitalia for the two species and also published a checklist of the subspecies. Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2000) clarified that Limenitis oberthuri Leech, 1890 is a synonym of Limenitis mimica Poujade, 1885 (image 4). Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2000) also clarified that the name safeda used in one of Tytler specimens (image 2) was invalid as it was an unpublished name. The species has previously been recorded from southeastern Tibet, Myanmar and northern Vietnam.

A single male specimen of L. rileyi (image1) was collected by the author on 19 July 1987 (approx. 1,800m) near Anini, Upper Dibang Valley District, Arunachal Pradesh, India (Fig. 1, site 3) in wet sub-tropical broad leaf forest.

A neighbouring subspecies L. rileyi xizangana Huang, 1998 (Image 3) has been recorded in southeastern Tibet (Yigong, Yigong Tsangpo (Fig. 1, site 1) and Metok, Lower Tsangpo (Fig. 1, site 2). The Dibang Valley record lies between the southeastern Tibet and northeastern Myanmar records and as such fills a gap in the distribution. No subspecies determination has been made, given the sample size of just one specimen.

There are no similar species in India, however both L. mimica and L. rileyi have been recorded near Kangfang (Fig. 1, site 5), Kachin state, Myanmar (Shizuya et al. 2011), so it is therefore possible that L. mimica may occur in India. The following morphological characters of L. rileyi will distinguish it from L. mimica:

1. Forewing cell completely filled with grey white in L. rileyi. In L. mimica the distal end of the cell has a grey-brown to grey-black triangle.
2. Under hindwing ground colour is reddish-brown in L. rileyi, not grey-brown as in L. mimica.
3. Upperside white markings generally wider between the veins in L. rileyi.

Records of L. rileyi from southeastern Tibet and northeastern Myanmar indicate a flight period of June to August at altitudes between 1,600–2,400 m. This sighting of L. rileyi represents the first record of this species from India, thus adding to India’s butterfly fauna. This species is not listed in Varshney & Smetacek (2015). This species has the general appearance of a Parantica/Neptis species and as such could easily be overlooked, which may account for the lack of records of this species.

References

Huang (2003). A list of butterflies collected from Nujiang (Lou Tse Kiang) and Dulongiang, China with descriptions of new species, and revisional notes. Neue Entomologische Nachrichten 55: 3–114.

Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2000). New taxa and new records of butterflies from Vietnam. Atalanta 31(3/4): 471–492.

Shizuya, H., Y. Watanabe, M. Saito, T. Soe & H. Ozawa (2011) Basic information on butterflies of Kachin State, Myanmar (Part 5). Journal of Butterflies (Teinopalpus) 11–26.

Tytler, H.C. (1940). Notes on some new and interesting butterflies chiefly from Burma. Part 2. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 42: 109–123.

Varshney, R.K. & P. Smetacek (eds.) (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal and Indinov Publishing, New Delhi, ii+261pp+8pls.