ID review request - Sep 8, 2024

[SL Liew]

Hello Dr. Seow, Need your help to review the id of these 2 species.

A) Lexias pardalis female vs Lexias canescens
I have seen very small size Lexias that I have thought is L.canescens but got feedback that split yellow spot in the forewing is not found in L.canescens. Yet some of the Langkawi observations below are very yellow overall and hope you can confirm id. Thanks.

#1 Small size but split yellow spot and yellow tipped antennae. Not as skittish as usual female L.pardalis. L.pardalis?
@ Penang Botanic Gardens - Aug 21, 2024
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237425894

#2 Small size but split yellow spot. L.pardalis? L.canescens?
@ Langkawi - April 11, 2023
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/154520058

By other observers - ID as L.canescens but with split yellow spot

Langkawi - September 3, 2024
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/239787229

Langkawi - August 17, 2022
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131677543


B) Ixias pyrene vs Ixias alticola

#3 Ixias pyrene, female - white form? or Ixias alticola, female?
@ Sungai Sedim, Kedah - January 12, 2024
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/196474680

My photo looks similar to these observations at high elevation at Fraser's Hill
Ixias alticola?

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111759306

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111759304

#4 Ixias pyrene, female - yellow form?
@Sungai Sedim, Kedah - January 12, 2024
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/196474657

[Psyche]

Colour & size cannot be used as an ID guide as they are very variable.

The 4th spot from base in FW space 1b if single is a very reliable guide to Lexias canescens in both sexes.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lim2/722100010.html
https://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Lexias%20canescens%20pardalina/Yellow-Archduke---2---Neo-Chee-B.png

The other factor is the confusion between L. dirtea & pardalis.

L. pardalis is IDed by the orange tip of the antennal club.(tip- apical tapering part.)
A common error in the past was to look for a speck of orange at the very end of the club to Id it as L. pardalis.
The orange tip is typically clearly visible from the top view.
https://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Lexias%20pardalis%20dirteana/Archduke%20150309%20female.jpg
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/424101491/large.jpg
https://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Lexias%20pardalis%20dirteana/Archduke%20150309%20Male.jpg


L. dirtea is Ided by the antennal club being all black in the top view.
The underside of the club is orange.
If the orange is small the club may appear all black; if large a side view may look confusingly similar to L pardalis.
In some examples orange may leak along the edge of the black in a top view.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/391443122/large.jpg
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/380850778/large.jpeg
https://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist/mugshots/Lexias%20dirtea%20merguia/Black%20Tipped%20Archduke%20-%20Federick%20Ho.jpg
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q98N0Hwc5vA/UaIqwKVcWjI/AAAAAAAAHqI/OatHifge7LU/s1600/DSC_0380.JPG

Intermediates due to crossing may occur.
Some have the orange above the club darkish.
This male with the orange tip rather darkish woulde be considered a L. pardalis variant.
https://static.inaturalist.org/photos/421903139/original.jpeg

Back to your query.
#1.https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237425894
Female L. pardalis.


#2. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/154520058
FW 4th spot double.
There is no sign of an orange tip.
Female L. dirtea.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/239787229
Female L. dirtea.
The yellow colour is immaterial.


https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131677543
Female L. dirtea.



#3.https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/196474680
Female Ixias pyrene verna.
Ssp verna is very variable in the female.
The male base is pale cream.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/pie/20890020.html

#4. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/196474657
Female Ixias pyrene birdi.
Ground colour yellow.
Male with orange patch.
Female normally with yellow patch but a form with an orange patch (as in the male( was also discovered.
The two subspecies overlap in Kedawi.

The taxon alticola was raised to full species by Eliot based on a study in which he concluded there were no intermediate forms with birdi& the fact it was restricted to over 3000feet.
Ground colour white in both sexes.


TL Seow:Cheers.

[SL Liew]

Thanks so much Dr. Seow for the clarification. It is clearer to me now. Appreciate it.
Cheers, SL Liew

[Psyche]

In going through various examples of l. canescens I did come across a male from Trang which have the 4th spot split.
See below.
https://yutaka.it-n.jp/lim2/722100010.html
This is of course a rarity & may be due to gene introgression ie crossing.
The antennal club is all black in L. canescens.

There are other supporting features for L. canescens.
The yellow spots form a ring near the apex & the spot in space 5 (3rd from the top) have its inner margin concave/crescentic.
The underside spots are yellow & UnH submarginal marks are sagittate.

Examples of L. canescens.
Thailand.
https://thaibutterflies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Lexias-canescens.jpg
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/13288785/large.jpeg
P.Malaysia.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/59282852/large.jpeg
Singapore.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/15228568/large.png
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/309341832/original.jpg
Saarawak.
https://static.inaturalist.org/photos/418809214/large.jpeg
Sabah. The ssp there is very different.
https://static.inaturalist.org/photos/295190044/large.jpg
Underside.Singapore.
https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/309343159/large.jpg


TL Seow: Cheers.

[SL Liew]

Thanks for Dr. Seow for this extra features information about L.canescens identification.
Cheers, SL Liew