Polytremis lubricans lubricans (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869)

KC, Sajan, Pariyar, Surendra & Sapkota, Anisha, 2025, Refining Nepal's butterfly records: self-corrections and notes on previously recorded Papilionoidea (Lepidoptera) species, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 11 (2), pp. 363-377 : 372-373

Polytremis lubricans lubricans (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869)

Goniloba lubricans Herrich-Schäffer, 1869 , Type locality: Java.

Material Examined. Photographic evidence: 1, sex unknown, NEPAL, AFU, Rampur, Chitwan District , Bagmati Province (27°39'19.5"N 84°21'12.5"E, 150 m), 26-IX-2021 ( Fig. 4H) .

Diagnosis. Dorsal forewing with hyaline discal yellow spots from spaces 2–8 except 5, and cell spots which are usually conjoined in males; spot 1b non-hyaline; hindwing (dorsal and ventral) with discal spots from spaces 2–6, spots in spaces 4 and 5 conjoined ( Evans, 1949; Ek-Amnuay, 2012).

Remarks. At the given location, inside a mango orchard, we observed a hesperiid that resembled Pelopidas conjuncta narooa Moore, 1878 ( Fig. 4H). The initial identification as Pelopidas Walker, 1870 , was based on the presence of a cell spot on the ventral hindwing, a feature absent in similar Baorini, except in some cases of Parnara Moore [1881] , where the spot is positioned differently (at the cell-end rather than the upper corner (personal observation)). Additionally, the purplish sheen on the ventral wings and the absence of a brand on the dorsal forewing (assuming it was a male) led us to confirm that it was Pelopidas conjuncta narooa based on Evans (1949). The record was subsequently published in KC and Sapkota (2022).

However, after comparing our images with those in Kunte et al. (2024), we reevaluated our identification and now propose it is potentially a form of Polytremis lubricans (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869) , a more common and widespread species in the study area, although Evans (1949) noted that Polytremis does not have a cell spot on the ventral hindwing. To confirm the identity of Pelopidas conjuncta narooa in Nepal, a specimen is required, as recommended by Van der Poel and Smetacek (2022). The nominotypical subspecies has been recorded in Nepal's eastern regions twice ( Van der Poel & Smetacek, 2022).

Distribution. Nepal ( Smith, 2011), India (including the Andamans), Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia ( Inayoshi, 2024).