May 3 I was picking up large bags of litter in Xuan Son National Park, a place that is quickly becoming popular with day-trippers, now that a concrete path along the stream and a wide road through the park have been constructed. This may bring economical benefits, but it also brings copious amounts of litter, as many people just drop any wrapping, cans or bottles without thinking twice. This is not a battle I can win, but for the time being I just cannot see the place turn into a rubbish heap and do nothing. The good thing was that some young adults seeing me pick litter came to the rescue and started to help. There is hope.
But, let's go to the topic for this post. Amongst the 100 or so orange-winged males of Mnais mneme I saw a total of 3 hyaline winged males. Until that day I had seen none and already sort of concluded that the hyaline form does not occur here. Now I know it does, but it is scarce. It differs also in that it has no pruinosity on the dorsum of the thorax. It does appears are quite a different insect and indeed, for a moment I thought it might be. Under the microscope it is however clearly M. mneme.
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| Mnais mneme, orange-winged male |
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| A younger male in different lighting |
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| A hyaline-winged male Mnais mneme |
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| Scan of both types in lateral view |
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| Scan in dorsal view |
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