An abberant form of Graphium sarpedon

[mokky]

Dear all,

The blackish abberant form of Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon) is introduced in our blog.

bsj-t.blogspot.jp/2012/11/an-abberant-form-of-common-bluebottle.html

Maybe some of the colletors coming to this forum have same kind of the abberant form.

Cheers,
mokky

[Adam Cotton]

I caught a very similar specimen in Laos near the Vietnam border a few years ago. These aberrations are caused by the freshly developed pupa being exposed to a sudden drop in temperature.

In the case of Graphium sarpedon the green patches are actually devoid of scales, but in the aberration the areas that are normally green are covered in black scales. It is interesting, as you state in your blog, that the spot at the tip of the forewing and the submarginal spots of the hindwing are still present.

Adam.

Attachments:

[wollastoni]

Such black aberrations are often seen among Nymphalidae (like Boloria, Vanessa)... but it's true they are rarer in Papilionidae and Pieridae.

Here an example in Pieridae, an aberrant female Delias wilemani from Taiwan :
www.delias-butterflies.com/groups/species-groups/group-xiv-belladonna-group/delias-wilemani/

Females wilemani are rare in collection, an aberrant one even more so.

[mokky]

Dear Adam Cotton

Glad to see the same abberant form in your collection. Your data label is detailed!

I know several other specimens of this abberant in Japan. Do you think it is possible to make this form artifically?

mokky

[mokky]

Dear wollastoni

The abberant form of the female of Delias wilemani is great. I have never seen such a specimen.

Thank you for sharing.

mokky

[wollastoni]

mokky < thanks for your words. It's a rarity indeed, never heard of another aberrant wilemani female in collection.

About G. sarpedon black aberration, yes it should be feasible to obtain this form artificially as we do in Europe with Aglais io. Just have a try and let us know ! The fact that Adam caught a natural one makes me think it must not be so hard to obtain some artificially.

[boogtwo]

Nov 23, 2012 6:38:31 GMT -8 mokky said:

Dear Adam Cotton

Glad to see the same abberant form in your collection. Your data label is detailed!

I know several other specimens of this abberant in Japan. Do you think it is possible to make this form artifically?

mokky

Mokky,
Never with this species, but I have created abberants in many species while trying to understand what the circumstances in nature would have to be to cause them naturally. The key I found was it depends on when in the development of the pupal stage of a species the change in environmental conditions needs to occur. It can be a very short window that it has to occur within.

[mokky]

Thank you wollastoni, boogtwo and radusho for your comments.

In Japan some people try to make the abberation aritificially. In the cases of some Lycaenidae, this trial is successful.

But I have never heard the case in Graphium sarpedon.

Now this species is one of the most common butterflies in central to southern Japan. We can get numerous materials even in the nearby park.

I will try next year.

mokky

[wollastoni]

Yes, I caught my first sarpedon when I was 10 years old in the center of Tokyo, in my uncle's garden. It is very common in Tokyo's parks and gardens.

For a French kid, Graphium sarpedon was like a rare treasure !

[Christof]

Nov 25, 2012 8:11:06 GMT -8 wollastoni said:

Yes, I caught my first sarpedon when I was 10 years old in the center of Tokyo, in my uncle's garden. It is very common in Tokyo's parks and gardens.

For a French kid, Graphium sarpedon was like a rare treasure !

Whoa, your uncle has a garden in Tokyo?

[Adam Cotton]

More likely Olivier's uncle HAD a garden in Tokyo, it was 20 years ago.

Adam.

[wollastoni]

Yes he had.

In the "French quarter", a beautiful neighbourhood with many houses with gardens in the center of Tokyo. He was Commercial Director for Michelin there. He's now retired.