The Archduke is a powerful flyer and is difficult to capture on the wing. It is essentially a jungle butterfly and is relatively common in lowland forests.
   They prefer paths, clearings and edges of primary forests and they are easily sighted in sunny areas standing on the forest floor.
    They are attracted by rotting fruit (pineapple and guava are favorites) and can be found feeding greedily on these fruits on the forest floor.
   Lexias pardalis dirtea exhibits a strong sexual dimorphism, with very different pattern and color.      The dorsal side of the wings of the male are black with shimmering greenish blue margins, especially in the hindwings. The dorsal sides of the cryptic wings of the larger females are dark brown with several rows of yellow spots, a pale green pattern on the lower wings. The wing pattern of yellow spots continue across the thorax and the abdomen.

The ventral sides in the males are brownish with whitish spots, while in the female the forewings are dark brown and the hindwings are pale bluish green, with white spots in both wings.

   The apical portion of the antennae are yellow orange in both sexes, while in the very similar species Lexias dirtea the clubs are black.

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* Being members of the Btrush Footed Family (Nymphalidae), Archdukes use theur shorter pair of front legs for food tasting, and their two pairs of longer rear legs for propulsion.