Archduke (butterfly)
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The archdukes are a
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
, ''Lexias'', of tropical
forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
-dwelling
butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
that are common throughout
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
and
Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...
. Members of the
brush-footed butterfly The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a redu ...
family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a red ...
, the genus is represented by about 17
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
. Two very similar and coexisting genera are ''
Tanaecia ''Tanaecia'' is a genus of butterflies of the family Nymphalidae. Species The genus includes the following species:869]"">"''Tanaecia'' Butler,
''_(the_viscounts_and_earls)_and_''Euthalia.html" ;"title="869]"at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms'' *''Tanaecia amisa'' Gro ...
'' (the viscounts and earls) and ''Euthalia">869]"at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms'' *''Tanaecia amisa'' Gro ...
'' (the viscounts and earls) and ''Euthalia'' (the barons and counts), the latter previously including some ''Lexias'' species. The largest species reach a wingspan of about .


Description

''
Lexias pardalis ''Lexias pardalis'', the common archduke, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Subspecies Subspecies include: * ''L. p. pardalis'' (Hainan) * ''L. p. jadeitina'' (Fruhstorfer, 1913) (north-eastern India, Cambodia, Burma – northern Thailan ...
'' and '' L. dirtea'' are also among the most colourful archdukes. Sexual dimorphism, Sexual dichromatism is however extreme, with the two sexes appearing entirely different. The males' dorsal wing surfaces are a dramatic combination of velvety black forewings and metallic blue green to violet covering the margins of the forewings and hindwings. The females' dorsal wing surfaces are a drab brown, with small yellowish white spots. Both sexes have drab ventral wings, presumably as a means of
camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
. The dramatic colours of the males are thought to play a role in intraspecies communication, both by signalling to other males when defending territory, and by attracting females. ''L. pardalis'' and ''L. dirtea'', two commonly farmed species, are nearly identical and often confused, but they can be distinguished by their differing antennae: the dorsal surface of ''L. pardalis'' antennae tips are yellow orange, whereas they are black in ''L. dirtea''.


Life cycle

Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
s of the genus are protected from
predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
s by their long spinous bristles. Archduke chrysalids are pale green and angular in shape; they may be up to 30 mm in length. ''
Calophyllum ''Calophyllum'' is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Calophyllaceae. They are mainly distributed in Asia, with some species in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, and the Pacific Islands. History Members of the genus ''Calophyllu ...
'' trees are host to the caterpillars of Southeast Asian archdukes. The observed readiness of Southeast Asian species to feed on both decaying
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
(of ''
Garcinia ''Garcinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae native to Asia, America, Australia, tropical and southern Africa, and Polynesia. The number of species is disputed; Plants of the World Online (POWO) recognise up to 400. Common ...
'' tree species) and the
nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...
of
flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s suggests that these species inhabit the forest periphery. Because both types of food are common in this
habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
, the Southeast Asian archdukes have not become specialised in feeding on one or the other, as is usual in butterflies. Archdukes are found primarily in virgin forests and are attracted to sunlit areas such as clearings and paths.


Butterfly farming

Several archduke species are raised in large numbers on
butterfly farm Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise ...
s for the specimen collecting market and for live sale to butterfly conservatories. The most commonly farmed species are '' L. pardalis'' and '' L. dirtea''.


Species

In alphabetical order:"''Lexias'' Boisduval, 1832"
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms'' *'' Lexias acutipenna'' Chou & Li, 1994 *'' Lexias aeetes'' ( Hewitson, 1861) *'' Lexias aegle'' ( Doherty, 1891) *'' Lexias aeropa'' (
Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
,
1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...
) – orange-banded plane *'' Lexias albopunctata'' (
Crowley Crowley may refer to: Places * Crowley, Mendocino County, California, an unincorporated community *Crowley County, Colorado * Crowley, Colorado, a town in Crowley County *Crowley, Louisiana, a city * Crowley, Oregon (disambiguation) * Crowley, Te ...
, 1895) *'' Lexias bangkana'' (
Hagen Hagen () is the Largest cities in Germany, 41st-largest List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany. The municipality is located in the States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the south eastern edge of the R ...
, 1892) *'' Lexias canescens'' (
Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...
, 869 - yellow archduke *'' Lexias cyanipardus'' (Butler, 869 – great archduke *'' Lexias damalis'' ( Erichson, 1834) *'' Lexias dirtea'' ( Fabricius, 1793) – archduke *'' Lexias elna'' ( van de Poll, 1895) *'' Lexias hikarugenzi'' Tsukada & Nishiyama, 1980 *'' Lexias immaculata'' (
Snellen Snellen is a Dutch surname. ''Snel'' means "quick" in Dutch and the original bearer of the name may have been a lively person. However, the origin of the surname often was patronymic, as Snel and Snelle were short forms of the archaic Germanic give ...
, 1890) *'' Lexias panopus'' C. & R. Felder, 1861 *''
Lexias pardalis ''Lexias pardalis'', the common archduke, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Subspecies Subspecies include: * ''L. p. pardalis'' (Hainan) * ''L. p. jadeitina'' (Fruhstorfer, 1913) (north-eastern India, Cambodia, Burma – northern Thailan ...
'' (
Moore Moore may refer to: People * Moore (surname) ** List of people with surname Moore * Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador * Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior officer in the British Army * Moore Powell (died c. 1573 ...
, 1878) *'' Lexias perdix'' (Butler, 1884) *'' Lexias satrapes'' C. & R. Felder, 1861


Images

File:Lexias aeropa.jpg, ''L. aeropa'' File:Illustrations of new species of exotic butterflies Adolias III.jpg, ''L. satrapes'' File:Lexias aeetes.jpg, ''L. aeetes'' File:Lexias pardalis - ventral.jpg, ''L. pardalis'' (male) File:Lexias pardalis - dorsal.jpg, ''L. pardalis'' (male) File:Nymphalidae - Lexias pardalis.jpg, ''L. pardalis'' (male) File:Lexias pardalis up 051028 3383 stgd.jpg, ''L. pardalis'' (male) File:Nymphalidae - Lexias dirtea.JPG, ''L. dirtea'' (male) File:RN026 Adolias dirtea female.jpg, ''L. dirtea'' (female) File:Lexias canescens.jpg, ''L. canescens'' (female) File:LexiasDirteaJavanaSeitz.jpg, ''L. dirtea javana'' (female) File:LexiasDirteaKhasianaMSeitz.jpg, ''L. dirtea khasiana'' (male) File:LexiasDirteaKhasianaFSeitz.jpg, ''L. dirtea khasiana'' (female) File:AdoliasCyanipardus215 1.jpg, ''L. cyanipardus'' (male) File:AdoliasCyanipardus215 1a.jpg, ''L. cyanipardus'' File:AdoliasCyanipardus215 1b.jpg, ''L. cyanipardus'' (female) File:AdoliasAlbopunctata216 1.jpg, ''L. albopunctata'' (male) File:AdoliasAlbopunctata216 1a.jpg, ''L. albopunctata'' File:AdoliasAlbopunctata216 1b.jpg, ''L. albopunctata'' (female) File:AdoliasAlbopunctata216 1c.jpg, ''L. albopunctata'' File:Lexias satrapes male.JPG, ''L. satrapes'' (male)


References

*Harris, M. (2003). The Archduke reigns. ISU Extension News Release. Retrieved 20 May 2005 fro
iastate.edu
*Missouri Botanical Garden Butterfly House. (2005). The Archduke - Male. Retrieved May 20, 2005 fro
butterflyhouse.org
*Savela, M. (2005). Limenitidinae. Retrieved 20 May 2005 fro


External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q662122 Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Boisduval