InsectNet forum

Being as there has been a few posts with African leps I thought I would post a few pics of P antimachus and ssp Parva
I just remember reading a thred a while ago over the difference between the males and females ( apart from size ) so thought it might be useful to have a look at the different potential sizes on males and also to highlight that potentially some males do not have the white markings on the underside ( which was classed as an easy way to determine a female from a male.
There are 4 photos to follow that show males and females of each from various parts of Africa and one of the photos will show the underside of one of the boxes that highlights that males do not always have the white markings, but in fact can look more like the female

Apologies I attached the same image twice

I suppose that these males lacking white markings are rare as much as females in collections so to clip one to produce fake female wouldn’t make sense at all.
Although it is an interesting point that this is indeed not a rule, thanks for sharing it.

One of the P. antimachus boxes at ABRI:

Paul K wrote: Tue Jun 07, 2022 10:32 pm I suppose that these males lacking white markings are rare as much as females in collections so to clip one to produce fake female wouldn’t make sense at all.
Although it is an interesting point that this is indeed not a rule, thanks for sharing it.

I’ve no idea how rare / common these males might be, but these two were just out of this selection. It would be interesting to see if other members have any to gauge what % of the population might be like this though

parva was first caught in Uganda on a small specimen (why the name) and some details in the verso pattern. These differences seem not supported on long series with mixed characters in transitional zones (as Kivu). I barcoded antimachus from central africa (Congo) and from Western Africa (Ghana) and there are exactly the same meaning that gene flow occurs from and exterme to the other. The break in the Togo Benin gap seems not having separate the two populations for a long time.