Sunday, May 5, 2013

The Archduke, Lexias pardalis dirteana (Corbet)

This butterfly is a very strong flyer and can be seen readily in village orchards during fruiting season or a forested path (use of fruit bait is always "fruitful"), often flapping and gliding in a low but extremely rapid trajectory.

Habitat indicator
RSP
WV
PG
VF
FTR
SC
LWDF
LWPF
LMEF
UMN
MN
 x


 x

 x





Frequency observation chart: (S marks the usual occurences, H marks an unusually high occurence, F for first record)
2013
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct


S1-3
S1-3
S1-3
S1-3



2013
2014
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct


S1-3S1-3S1-3S1-3,S5S1-3S1-3S1-3S1-3S1-3S1-3
2014
2015
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
June
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec




S1


S2



S4
S3

2016
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
S3
S2S3
S2S3
S1S3
S2S3
S2S3
S2(H)
S

S
S

2017
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
 S
 S
 S
 S
 S
 S2
S1S2 



2018
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec













2019
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec



S
S2









 27 July 2013 @ 12:34

*     *     *     *     *



Above 2 photos 22 March 2014 @ 13:25. I left my bag and my sweaty singlet in the shades and it came "puddling" on my shirt...

13 June 2014 @ 12:51

15 Mac 2015 @ 13:37

12 Mac 2016 @ 14:36

14 Mac 2016 @ 12:47

*     *     *     *     *



Above photos of a  female: 21 June 2013 @ 11:40

attracted to rotting fruits: 14 Mac 2016 @ 11:57

23 Apr 2016 @ 13:50

10 June 2016 @ 15:43


Above photos 05 July 2016 @ 13:09

*     *     *     *     *

 I observed this female depositing her egg onto the leaves of a Kelat plant (Cratoxylum spp) on 4 May 2013 along my usual trail. It was completely oblivious to my presence and after it had left, I went near the plant to have a better look...(pic below)


The deposited tiny egg...

a pix of its spectacular caterpillar from 2010


Above 5th instar caterpillars on Cratoxylum formosum.

Compare L. pardalis to the darker Lexias dirtea merguia Tytler (below) which incidently has completely black antannae compared to the distinctively orange-tipped antannae of the pardalis.



Above photo of Lexias dirtea merguia taken on a granite boulder 18 Feb 2014 @ 11:16 in Fraser's Hills.

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