ID needed for Butterfly from Papua New Guinea

[Commander]

Any ideas from anyone?

23755

[Psyche]

It is Lexias aeropa.
http://insecta.pro/images/1024/40499.jpg

TL Seow: Cheers.

[Commander]

Thanks, Seow! I wouldn't have placed this Baron-looking species with the Archdukes! :)



It is Lexias aeropa.
http://insecta.pro/images/1024/40499.jpg

TL Seow: Cheers.

[atronox]

Thanks, Seow! I wouldn't have placed this Baron-looking species with the Archdukes! :)
It is the type species of the genus but our local species apparently are structurally very different from it.

[Psyche]

It is the type species of the genus but our local species apparently are structurally very different from it.

Not really so. They all share having the FW cell lower cross-vein ending above the origin of vein 3.
Two from the eastern part ( Philippines L. panopus, Moluccas, PNG L. aeropa ) have vein 11 & 12 anastomosed(connected) in both sexes & the HW cell slenderly closed (by non-tubular veins).

The dirtea group have veins 11 & 12 free in the male.
in L. canescens however, these veins are anastomosed in both sexes as in L. aeropa.
These two oriental groups have the HW cell open.
This is not really that important as in Bassarona , B. dunya have the HW cell slenderly closed while B. recta & teuta have it open.

Additionally L. aeropa have the FW veins 9, 10, & 11 very close, but these veins are naturally quite close.

TL Seow : Cheers.
PS. Both L. aeropa & panopus have a rounded cellspot on the FW underside; in the others, this is a figure-of-eight or broken in two.
http://www.pteron-world.com/topics/classfication/nymphalidae/limenitidinae/adoliadini/adoliadini1.html

[atronox]

Not really so. They all share having the FW cell lower cross-vein ending above the origin of vein 3.
Two from the eastern part ( Philippines L. panopus, Moluccas, PNG L. aeropa ) have vein 11 & 12 anastomosed(connected) in both sexes & the HW cell slenderly closed (by non-tubular veins).

The dirtea group have veins 11 & 12 free in the male.
in L. canescens however, these veins are anastomosed in both sexes as in L. aeropa.
These two oriental groups have the HW cell open.
This is not really that important as in Bassarona , B. dunya have the HW cell slenderly closed while B. recta & teuta have it open.

Additionally L. aeropa have the FW veins 9, 10, & 11 very close, but these veins are naturally quite close.

TL Seow : Cheers.
PS. Both L. aeropa & panopus have a rounded cellspot on the FW underside; in the others, this is a figure-of-eight or broken in two.
http://www.pteron-world.com/topics/classfication/nymphalidae/limenitidinae/adoliadini/adoliadini1.html

I actually find the vein anastomosis and the bluish cell spot to be quite significant and these set them apart from the other species but since Lexias canescens has the first character as well but externally looks like dirtea(apart from the sexual dimorphism), that makes it quite interesting/non-conforming.

Still, aeropa and panopus are the only two in the genus in which the males have the yellow-orange band across the dorsal wings.

[Psyche]

In the Adoliadini vein anastomosis can be variable.
In Euthalia the male has vein 11 & 12 free, but the female of some species may have them anastomosed.
In particular ,in E. monina the female usually have these two veins typically anstomosed but may occasionally be free.

L panopus & aeropa are distinctive enough to be separated from the others, but whether as species-group or genus is up to the taxonomists.

It may not be justifiable to accord generic designation based on the external appearance.
For example Papilio memnon & P. polytes appeared very different in every way , but in the past when Papilio was divided into numerous genera these two were placed in the genus Menelaides without reservation.
Likewise the genera under Graphium are now back as one.

TL Seow : Cheers.

[atronox]

In the Adoliadini vein anastomosis can be variable.
In Euthalia the male has vein 11 & 12 free, but the female of some species may have them anastomosed.
In particular ,in E. monina the female usually have these two veins typically anstomosed but may occasionally be free.

That is very interesting; I didn't know that.