Singapore's Archduke butterfly species
A male Archduke foraging amongst the leaf litter in the shaded forest understorey
In my earlier article on this blog, I postulated that the English common naming convention of butterflies could have been possibly coined after the titles of English peerage or Imperial gentry and military ranks. In this article, we take a look at the Archduke butterfly species that can be found in Singapore.
A female Dark Archduke on leaf litter
Unlike the English peerage titles, the Archduke (feminine: Archduchess) was a title that originated from the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria. It denotes a rank within the former Holy Roman Empire, which sat just below that of Emperor and King.
Hierarchy of titles in Imperial, royal, noble, gentry and chivalric ranks © Wikipedia
The etymology of the word Archduke originates from various European languages and purportedly signifies authority or primary (Arch) and leader (Duke). Notwithstanding the historical origins of the royalty-linked name, the Archduke butterflies are no less majestic in their size and prominence in the butterfly world, befitting of their common name.
A Yellow Archduke perches on a leaf in the forested nature reserves
There are 3 extant species of Archdukes that can be found in Singapore. Belonging to the genus Lexias, which features large, robust-bodied and fast-flying butterflies that prefer the heavily shaded forests rather than open sunny areas. All are considered forest-dependent and not found in urban parks and gardens. They are usually found foraging for over-ripened fruits and feeding amongst the leaf litter on forest paths.
The Archduke (Lexias pardalis dirteana)
Upperside and underside of a male Archduke
The commonest species of the genus, the Archduke displays sexual dimorphism in that the male is physically very different from the female. The male is dark velvety black above with a broad blue hindwing border, which is continued (usually in a lighter shade) along the termen of the forewing. The underside is a deep reddish brown with yellow spots.
Upperside and underside of a female Archduke
The female is dark brown above, with prominent yellow spots on both wings, including the body of the butterfly. The underside is a light brown with the yellow spots showing through. The hindwing is a pale-greyish blue throughout.
Note the bright orange apical tip of the Archdukes' antennae
In both sexes, the apical portion on the topside of the antennae is prominently orange. The orange colour is continued on the underside of the antennae as well. This is the most reliable distinguishing characteristic that separates the Archduke from its very closely related Dark Archduke.
The Dark Archduke (Lexias dirtea merguia)
A male Dark Archduke on leaf litter
Almost identical to the Archduke, the Dark Archduke (previously called the Dark-Tipped Archduke), is also sexually dimorphic, with the male and female's appearance corresponding to the Archduke. The habit of this species mirrors the Archduke, and individuals are often found feeding on rotting fruit and other organic matter amongst leaf litter on the forest floor.
Upperside and underside of a female Dark Archduke
The male and female of the Dark Archduke closely resemble the corresponding sexes of the Archduke. The male is velvety black above with the blue marginal border on the hindwing, which extends to the termen of the forewing. The female is dark brown with yellow spots on both wings.
Note the black antennal tips of the Dark Archduke male and female
The primary difference between the Archduke and Dark Archduke is that the apical portion of the antennal club is black instead of orange. The underside of the antennae can still show some orange colouration like the Archduke. It is almost impossible to distinguish the two species when in flight, although there are some key, but still variable differences on the wings of both species to help distinguish them.
The Yellow Archduke (Lexias canescens pardalina)
Yellow Archduke puddling on the forest floor
The third, and smallest species of the three Archdukes is the Yellow Archduke. Of great interest is that it is the only species in the Lexias genus that is not sexually dimorphic! Both the male and female look alike, although the female is usually much larger. Displaying the same forest-floor foraging habits as its two other cousins, it is also a forest-dependent species.
Upperside and underside of the Yellow Archduke
The Yellow Archduke is dark brown above with large yellow spots on both wings, resembling the females of the Archduke and Dark Archduke. However, both the males and females look alike. The underside of the hindwing only has the dorsal margin a pale-greyish blue with the larger part of the wing brown and yellow.
Mating pair of the Yellow Archduke
On the upperside of the forewing, the line of yellow spots at the post-basal area features a spot (the 4th spot from the base) which is coalesced into a single spot. In the female Archduke and Dark Archduke, this yellow spot is split into two spots. This is the most reliable characteristic to separate the Yellow Archduke from its two close cousins.
Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Koh CH, Nelson Ong, Simon Sng and Jonathan Soong
A female Dark Archduke on leaf litter
Unlike the English peerage titles, the Archduke (feminine: Archduchess) was a title that originated from the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria. It denotes a rank within the former Holy Roman Empire, which sat just below that of Emperor and King.
Hierarchy of titles in Imperial, royal, noble, gentry and chivalric ranks © Wikipedia
The etymology of the word Archduke originates from various European languages and purportedly signifies authority or primary (Arch) and leader (Duke). Notwithstanding the historical origins of the royalty-linked name, the Archduke butterflies are no less majestic in their size and prominence in the butterfly world, befitting of their common name.
A Yellow Archduke perches on a leaf in the forested nature reserves
There are 3 extant species of Archdukes that can be found in Singapore. Belonging to the genus Lexias, which features large, robust-bodied and fast-flying butterflies that prefer the heavily shaded forests rather than open sunny areas. All are considered forest-dependent and not found in urban parks and gardens. They are usually found foraging for over-ripened fruits and feeding amongst the leaf litter on forest paths.
The Archduke (Lexias pardalis dirteana)
Upperside and underside of a male Archduke
The commonest species of the genus, the Archduke displays sexual dimorphism in that the male is physically very different from the female. The male is dark velvety black above with a broad blue hindwing border, which is continued (usually in a lighter shade) along the termen of the forewing. The underside is a deep reddish brown with yellow spots.
Upperside and underside of a female Archduke
The female is dark brown above, with prominent yellow spots on both wings, including the body of the butterfly. The underside is a light brown with the yellow spots showing through. The hindwing is a pale-greyish blue throughout.
Note the bright orange apical tip of the Archdukes' antennae
In both sexes, the apical portion on the topside of the antennae is prominently orange. The orange colour is continued on the underside of the antennae as well. This is the most reliable distinguishing characteristic that separates the Archduke from its very closely related Dark Archduke.
The Dark Archduke (Lexias dirtea merguia)
A male Dark Archduke on leaf litter
Almost identical to the Archduke, the Dark Archduke (previously called the Dark-Tipped Archduke), is also sexually dimorphic, with the male and female's appearance corresponding to the Archduke. The habit of this species mirrors the Archduke, and individuals are often found feeding on rotting fruit and other organic matter amongst leaf litter on the forest floor.
Upperside and underside of a female Dark Archduke
The male and female of the Dark Archduke closely resemble the corresponding sexes of the Archduke. The male is velvety black above with the blue marginal border on the hindwing, which extends to the termen of the forewing. The female is dark brown with yellow spots on both wings.
Note the black antennal tips of the Dark Archduke male and female
The primary difference between the Archduke and Dark Archduke is that the apical portion of the antennal club is black instead of orange. The underside of the antennae can still show some orange colouration like the Archduke. It is almost impossible to distinguish the two species when in flight, although there are some key, but still variable differences on the wings of both species to help distinguish them.
The Yellow Archduke (Lexias canescens pardalina)
Yellow Archduke puddling on the forest floor
The third, and smallest species of the three Archdukes is the Yellow Archduke. Of great interest is that it is the only species in the Lexias genus that is not sexually dimorphic! Both the male and female look alike, although the female is usually much larger. Displaying the same forest-floor foraging habits as its two other cousins, it is also a forest-dependent species.
Upperside and underside of the Yellow Archduke
The Yellow Archduke is dark brown above with large yellow spots on both wings, resembling the females of the Archduke and Dark Archduke. However, both the males and females look alike. The underside of the hindwing only has the dorsal margin a pale-greyish blue with the larger part of the wing brown and yellow.
Mating pair of the Yellow Archduke
On the upperside of the forewing, the line of yellow spots at the post-basal area features a spot (the 4th spot from the base) which is coalesced into a single spot. In the female Archduke and Dark Archduke, this yellow spot is split into two spots. This is the most reliable characteristic to separate the Yellow Archduke from its two close cousins.
Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Koh CH, Nelson Ong, Simon Sng and Jonathan Soong
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