Lexias dirtea

 

<> Lexias dirtea  Fabricius,1793 <>

the Black-tipped Archduke     ผีเสื้ออ๊าชดุ๊คปลายหนวดดำ

 

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Lexias dirtea
Photo taken at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♂ 400m a.s.l.

Fairly widespread through the region although I have only seen it once. It is uncommon in many places but may be common locally. It is sexually dimorphic and the sexes look quite different to each other. It is almost impossible to distinguish from its more common sister species, L.pardalis, unless you can get close enough to see the tips of the antennae which are black in dirtea and orange in pardalis. Multivoltine with several broods per annum. Further study of this species is much needed.

Synonyms and previously used names:   Euthalia dirtea, Papilio dirtea, Adolias dirtea, Euthalia acutipenna, Lexias pandita, Euthalia eleanor

Taxonomy:  Animalia - Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Nymphalidae - Limenitidinae - Lexias - dirtea

Regional Distribution:  India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines

Habitat:  montane forest, up to 1800m a.s.l.                                         Wingspan:  65-90mm

Flight time:  most of the year, depending on location

Larval Hosts:  Agathis robusta (Araucariaceae), Cratoxylum maingayi (Hypericaceae), Garcinia lateriflora (Clusiaceae), Calophyllum sp. (Calophyllaceae).  Hosts used depends upon location and availability of plant species.

Adult Food Sources:  Nectar - Not known to visit flowers. Other - mud puddling, over-ripe fruit, animal dung, carrion

Agathis robusta
Agathis robusta, a larval host

Calophyllum sp.
Calophyllum sp., another larval host

Butterflies of Thailand and SE Asia  -  BugsAlive Species Information Sheet
© All images are the copyright of Tim Stratford

 

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