232. Athyma perius perius (The Common Sergeant)

Number: 232

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Limenitidiinae

Species: Athyma perius perius (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name(s): The Common Sergeant

Photography location: Hanoi City

The genus Athyma is represented in Vietnam by 15 species – perius, pravara, asura, larymna, kanwa, jina, opalina, orientalis, selenophora, zeroca, whitei, cama, nefte, ranga and punctata (Monastyrskii & Devyatkin, 2016).

The shrublands and wastelands of Hanoi City are certainly not great places for butt hunting, but they can sometimes reserve some surprises. In October 2015, the surprise comes in the shape of this (migrant, vagrant ?) Athyma perius, a species that I've never seen anywhere else (despite not being particularly rare, so very probably overlooked).

Athyma perius feeding on Chromolaena odorata shrubs - Hanoi (October 20, 2015)

58. Athyma ranga obsolescens (The Blackvein Sergeant)

Number: 58

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Limenitidiinae

Species: Athyma ranga obsolescens (Fruhstorfer, 1906)

Common name(s): The Blackvein Sergeant

Photography location: Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.), Ba Vi N.P. (Hanoi)

Athyma ranga, from Tam Dao (June 2014)

Athyma ranga, from Ba VI (December 2016)

48. Athyma cama camasa (The Orange Staff Sergeant)

Number: 48

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Limenitidiinae

Species: Athyma cama camasa (Fruhstorfer, 1906)

Common name(s): The Orange Staff Sergeant

Photography location: Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

Like Athyma nefte, the two sexes have very different color pattern: male black with white stripes but female dark brown with orange markings. 

Male Athyma cama camasa

46. Athyma nefte asita (The Color Sergeant)

Number: 46

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Limenitidiinae

Species: Athyma nefte asita Moore, [1858]

Common name(s): The Color Sergeant

Photography location: Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.), Ba Vi (Hanoi)

Subsp. asita differs from subrata in having orange outer subapical spots of FW in male, not white.

Like Athyma cama, the two sexes have very different color pattern: male black with white stripes but female dark brown with orange markings.

Male Athyma nefte asita (Tam Dao foothills, June 2014)

A supposed female Athyma nefte asita (Ba Vi foothills, December 2016)

The female A. cama is very similar to the female of A. nefte asita but the bands are narrower & the underside bands well-defined

 Male Athyma nefte asita, upperside

  Male Athyma nefte asita, underside

45. Athyma selenophora batilda (The Staff Sergeant)

Number: 45

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Limenitidiinae

Species:  Athyma selenophora batilda (Fruhstorfer,1908)

Common name(s): The Staff Sergeant

Photography location: Cuu Thac-Tu Son (Hoa Binh Prov.), Xuan Son N.P. (Phu Tho Prov.)

Male Athyma selenophora (Cuu Thac-Tu Son, Hoa Binh, August 2013)
Female is browner above than male, with more patches and stripes

Another male, from Xuan Son (July 2016)

43. Athyma asura asura (The Studded Sergeant)

Number: 43

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Limenitidiinae

Species: Athyma asura Moore, [1858]

Common name(s): The Studded Sergeant

Photography location: Cuu Thac-Tu Son (Hoa Binh Prov.)

The genus Athyma is represented in Vietnam by 15 species – perius, pravara, asura, larymna, kanwa, jina, opalina, orientalis, selenophora, zeroca, whitei, cama, nefte, ranga and punctata  (Monastyrskii & Devyatkin, 2016).

A. asura is a distinctive Athyma with hindwings showing a series of white postdiscal white spots, each of them bears a small black spots in the middle.

Athyma asura perched on rocks along a stream

My camera bag was a fine bait; this specimen poses patiently while sucking sweat