Archdukes : ID Confusion.

[Psyche]

The two Archdukes Lexias pardalis & dirtea are often confusingly similar in photos.

Lexias pardalis
1. Antennal club, tip broadly orange, often well-demarcated.
2. FW with more spots; thorax often with 2 spots.
3. FW marginal band strongly tapers upwards , rather broad at tornus; inner margin often prominently notched.
4. HW tornus often greyer .

Typicla example. Note large orange tip; tapered FW band ; more spots.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/91/243452492_d1bd396305.jpg

Slight variation Federick.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lFxx4DVM_nI/UwCVvjYi8wI/AAAAAAAANtM/abHsCCoUydY/s1600/HFH_1291-Male-Archduke.jpg


Lexias dirtea.
1. Antennal club all black above.
2. FW with few spots; thorax without spot.
3. FW marginal band less tapered ; inner margin less notched.
4. HW tornal area bluer.

Examples Federick & Khew.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r17Uqf8giJg/UDjW4VFRJdI/AAAAAAAAGgQ/0YcyteSQBdQ/s1600/DSC_2377-Black-Tipped-Archduke.jpg
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Lexias%20dirtea%20merguia/Black%20Tipped%20Archduke%20-%20Khew.jpg
Ellen's shot. Antennae with the very tip orange but otherwise typical for dirtea.
https://wanderingbutterflyeffect.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/6a0100a801ee89000e01347ee3e5d2860b.jpg



An example with typicla markings for dirtea, but orange-tipped antennae. A sliver of black actually extend along the top part of the club. May be classified as pardalis but likely with a hybrid element.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WhFXpz9wiJs/TJ4D7_x1uoI/AAAAAAAAE7s/jRquuC8R_Bo/s1600/IMG_0247.JPG

TL Seow:cheers:
PS. other examples.
Lexias pardalis dirteana. Apart from the more extensive FW spotting, the thorax often have two orange spots.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Lexias%20pardalis%20dirteana/Archduke%20-%20Nelson%20Ong.jpg
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs43/f/2009/147/2/8/Archduke___male_270509_by_inckurei.jpg

Lexias dirtea merguia . FW spotting is mainly along the costal area . Note lack of the 2 body spots.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aSCemWHlyMA/UCM2z-CwZiI/AAAAAAAAGZo/R9tjrQlcbMU/s1600/DSC2254+Black+Tipped+Archduke.jpg
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Lexias%20dirtea%20merguia/Lexias%20dirtea%20merguia%20-%20fedrick%20ho.jpg

[Psyche]

The archetypal male L. pardalis is unmistakable, broadly orange-tipped antennal club; tapering FW band with more strongly notched innner margins & more orange spots including the thorax.
http://www.parfaitimage.com/Images/Insecta/Lexias_pardalis_1993-02.jpg

Less spotted.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Lexias%20pardalis%20dirteana/Archduke%20150309%20Male.jpg


In L. dirtea the FW is less spotted, band less tapered & less notched, an overall darker appearance.
Note the underside of the antennal club dirtea is also orange, & this shows as an orange tint at the side or tip.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9j5-HxbwvIo/UpnM-1-vCyI/AAAAAAAALOA/Spr5D9ZN0fs/s1600/Archduke-NelsonO.jpg

These two have similar genitalia & can not be readily separated.

There are some which appeared intermediate.
This one have the right antennal club shaded dark orange, left antennal club black but the appearance is dirtea.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Lexias%20pardalis%20dirteana/Archduke%20150309.jpg

This one also have the right antennal club distal half orange but better demarcated. Left black.
The upperside is much closer to L. pardalis, with more notched & tapered FW band. Raub,Pahang Malaysia, Liew.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3BP1P0E55Vk/UWQ1FDAnqjI/AAAAAAAAGuM/e1J0Y6Ub35k/s1600/DSC_0126.JPG

In the above two cases, an injury (amputation) of the right antenna & the ID becomes L. dirtea, vice versa.

This one has antennae as in pardalis but FW spotting is sparse.
The FW is band is somewhat narrow, but is tapered & strongly notched. Would be considered a pardalis variant.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ThQmjR5JkPU/TlxwjbwtvYI/AAAAAAAADl8/l-_VQewYvvg/s1600/archduke_butterfly.JPG

Last by Khew, a male with the upperside as in dirtea, but the antennal with strongly demarcated orange as in pardalis.
http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/236x/e7/94/dc/e794dc63d02aa8d724c2a9cb1fabd0f2.jpg

TL Seow:cheers:

[Commander]

Thanks for the detailed analysis of these two lookalikes, Seow. It will be useful for future reference for this species. Have you compared the females yet? Or is that "akan datang"? :)

[Psyche]

Thanks for the detailed analysis of these two lookalikes, Seow. It will be useful for future reference for this species. Have you compared the females yet? Or is that "akan datang"? :)

My pleasure, Khew. I thought I should put these findings down before I forgot or discard them.
As it is even C&P4 seems to have these two males mixed up; Plate 28, 19 & 20.

The females drive me crazy at the moment, since unlike the males , I can find no consistent difference in the spots of the two species..
The antennae varies as in the male.

TL Seow:cheers:

[Psyche]

There is little difference between the females of the two species, so the antennal club provide the only guide.

The female L. pardalis with the broadly orange antennal club.
The 4th row of body spots which continues from the upper HW row are usually large.

http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Lexias%20pardalis%20dirteana/Archduke%20-%20Female%20-%20Nelson%20Ong.jpg

Other examples.
http://www.pbase.com/lcgoh/image/156446965
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FNT0zLDzl8k/UCMznnfn-0I/AAAAAAAAGZI/ihz-PNkW6rw/s1600/DSC_2249-Archduke.jpg

Female L. dirtea with the 4th row of body spots small.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1V4W2JnmdoM/T8Aoo4-jfaI/AAAAAAAAF5Q/oStL0j7sm78/s1600/DSC0545-Archduke+(female).jpg

Another example.
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs43/f/2009/074/f/9/Lexias_pardalis_dirteana_F_by_log1t3ch.jpg


Probably with hybrid blood. Orange club with extended black along the upper surface; body spots small.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WhFXpz9wiJs/TJ4D7eNFwPI/AAAAAAAAE7k/C1LkPm4h_SA/s1600/IMG_0235.JPG

TL Seow:cheers: