Allotinus unicolor aphocha ( Kheil, 1884 )

Šumpich, Jan & Weidenhoffer, Zdeněk, 2025, A review of the types of Lycaenidae species (Lepidoptera) described by Napoleon Manuel Kheil deposited in the collection of the National Museum of the Czech Republic, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 65 (1), pp. 177-195 : 179-182

Allotinus unicolor aphocha ( Kheil, 1884)

( Figs 2–3)

Allotinus aphocha Kheil, 1884: 28 , fig. 30 (original description).

Allotinus aphocha : FRUHSTORÞER (1916a): 810 (checklist).

Paragerydus aphocha : DRUCE (1895): 563 (new combination).

Allotinus (Paragerydus) unicolor aphocha : CORBET (1939): 70 (new combination), ELlOT (1986): 48 (taxonomic review).

Type material examined. SYNTYPES (5 JJ 6 ♀♀; NMPC):5 JJ, ‘Nias [p] // Coll. N. Kheil [p] // ex coll. N. M. Kheil / Coll. National / Museum Prague [p] // Syntype J / Allotinus aphocha / Kheil, 1884 / labelled by J. Šumpich / & Z. Weidenhoffer, 2025 [p, red label]’. Tree specimens were photographed or dissected and have label containing:‘Photo / Gen. prep. / J. Šumpich [p]’as prefix for number of a photo or slide made by J. Šumpich and following numbers: 22155, 22180 and 22181 ( Figs 2A–B).

1 ♀, ‘Typo [hw] // Nias [p] // Orig. [p, pink label] // Typus [p, red label] // Coll. N. Kheil [p] // [small yellow label without text] // Photo / Gen. prep. / J. Šumpich / 22/157 [p] // ex coll. N. M. Kheil / Coll. National / Museum Prague [p] // Syntype ♀ / Allotinus aphocha / Kheil, 1884 / labelled by J. Šumpich / & Z.Weidenhoffer, 2025 [p, red label]’ ( Fig.2C).

5 ♀♀, ‘Nias [p] // Coll. N.Kheil [p] // ex coll.N. M. Kheil / Coll. National / Museum Prague [p] // Syntype ♀ / Allotinus aphocha / Kheil, 1884 / labelled by J. Šumpich / & Z. Weidenhoffer, 2025 [p, red label]’. Three specimens were photographed or dissected and have label containing ‘Photo / Gen. prep. / J. Šumpich [p]’as prefix for number of a photo or slide made by J. Šumpich and following numbers: 22156, 22182 ( Fig. 2D) and 22183.

Additional material examined. INDONESIA: [ NIAS]: without faunistic details, 2 ♀♀, coll. N. M. Kheil ( NMPC) ( Fig. 2E); without faunistic details, 2 ♀♀, coll. J. Šrogl ( NMPC).

Comparative material examined. Allotinus unicolor rekkia Riley & Godfrey, 1921 : THAILAND: NAKHON RATCHASIMA PROVINCE: Wang Nam Khio, 14°28′N, 101°55′E, 550 m, 3.xii.2012, 2 JJ 3 ♀♀, Z. Weidenhoffer leg. ( ZWPC).

Current status. Allotinus unicolor aphocha ( Kheil, 1884) , subspecies of Allotinus unicolor C. & R. Felder, [1865].

Distribution. Indonesia: Nias (KHElL 1884),?Bangka Island,?Batu Island,?Mentawai Islands,? Sumatra Island (ELlOT 1986).

Remarks. ELlOT (1986) pointed out in his review paper that it is very difficult to decide which specimens constitute a valid subspecies because of the great range of phenetic variation. He accepted subspecific status based on the study of large series of butterflies stored in BMNH, but highlighted the difficulty or impossibility of identifying a butterfly to a subspecies if the specimen does not bear a locality label. ELlOT (1986) recognised a total of eight subspecies of A. unicolor , writing for the subspecies aphocha : ‘Differs from subsp. unicolor only in that on the underside of the hindwing the postdiscal spot in space 6 is usually placed closer to the spot in space 7. Many specimens are inseparable from unicolor , so the subspecies is of doubtful validity’. However, the text in ELlOT’ s (1986) work indicated that he did not have the opportunity to study the type material of A. unicolor aphocha . For this reason, the distribution of this subspecies as defined by ELlOT (1986) requires future revision.

Allotinus unicolor unicolor was described from Singapore ( FELDER & FELDER [1865]), and according to INAYOSHl (1996–2024), it is distributed on the Malay Peninsula from Singapore in the south to Ranong province in southern Thailand; according to ELlOT (1986) also to south Myanmar. North from Ranong across Myanmar to Assam, the subspecies A. unicolor continentalis Fruhstorfer, 1913 occurs and in northeastern Thailand, Cambodia and southern Vietnam, there is the subspecies A. unicolor rekkia Riley & Godfrey, 1921 (cf. ELlOT 1986, INAYOSHl 1996–2024).

Allotinus unicolor aphocha was described from Nias and is currently treated as the oldest subspecies of A. unicolor except the nominotypical one. We have for comparison only collection material from central Thailand (Nakhon Ratchasima Province), which we provisionally assign to the subspecies A. unicolor rekkia . However, more specimens of all three subspecies mentioned above are depicted by INA- YOSHl (1996–2024). Obviously, distinguishing these three subspecies is not easy and in some cases it is impossible. It seems also impossible to point out reliable distinguishing characters in the pattern on the underside of the wings. However, the A. unicolor aphocha differs quite markedly from these three subspecies, and therefore we continue to consider this taxon a valid subspecies of A. unicolor . Well visible differences are especially on the upper side of the forewings in females which have reddish tint and instead of a more pronounced discoidal spot, the centre of the wing is only slightly lighter. Other characters, such as the more markedly serrated hindwing margin or the size and position of the small spots on the underside of the wings, are variable and are not reliable. The distinctly elongated distal part of the great lobe of uncus of the male genitalia may also be characteristic for this subspecies ( Figs 3A, B).

KHElL (1884) published one pair of A. unicolor from Nias. There are two other females without locality label in Kheil’s collection in NMPC, one of which is identified as ‘ unicolor Felder’ ( Fig. 2E). These two females are not included in the syntype series of A. unicolor aphocha , but most probably belong to this subspecies.

Tribe Spalgini Toxopeus, 1929