Talk:Castalius clathratus

Species

In Butterflies of Sulawesi, Vane-Wright & de Jong included C. clathratus Holland and C. fluvialis Grose-Smith as species of Castalius. Savela also keeps these two species but attributes them to Tarucus Moore rather than to Castalius. Hirowatari, in a more authoritative revision of Oriental Polyommatini, makes no mention of either of these two taxa under either genus.

Grose-Smith described fluvialis from a single female and even states in his original thoughts that it might be the female of clathratus. He also berates Holland's description and figuring of clathratus as inadequate. Bethune-Baker, 1917, notes also that fluvialis is almost certainly the female of clathratus.

My intention here, in the absence of a more formal revision, is to include clathratus of Holland and fluvialis of Grose-Smith as synonymous but to place them in Castalius. This is tentative, awaiting results of dissection of the male genitalia of the type of clathratus which is in the Carnegie Museum.