''Graphium philonoe'', the eastern white-lady swordtail, is a
butterfly in the family
Papilionidae. It is found in
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
,
Ethiopia,
Uganda,
Kenya, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Tanzania,
Malawi and
Mozambique.
[Afrotropical Butterflies: File C – Papilionidae - Tribe Leptocercini]
/ref> Its habitat consists of coastal and riparian forests.
Description
''For terms, see External morphology of Lepidoptera''
Differs from elated speciesin that the discal spots of cellules 1 a and 1 b of the forewing cover the base of these cellules; the submarginal spots of cellules 4—8 of the fore¬wing are single, rounded and rather large, those of the hindwing on the contrary represented in each cellule by two streaks; the basal spots of cellules 2, 3 and 6 of the hindwing are sharply defined distally, transversely cut off or rounded; the cell of the forewing before the middle with three white dots in a transverse line, then a large transverse spot divided into three parts by the dark folds and finally at the apex two white dots; the discal spots of cellules 2—4 of the forewing are usually rounded and more or less separated. — German and British East Africa.
Biology
Males may infrequently mud-puddle. Both sexes are attracted to flowers, including ''Maerua
''Maerua'' is a genus of plants in the family Capparaceae, with its centre of diversity in Africa, though some species extend their range as far north as the Levant, and as far east as the Indian subcontinent and mainland Southeast Asia. Among i ...
'' species.
The larvae feed on '' Uvaria leptocladon'', ''Uvaria chamae
''Uvaria chamae'', commonly known as finger root or bush banana is a climbing large shrub or small tree native to tropical West and Central Africa where it grows in wet and dry forests and coastal scrublands. The common name refers to the fruit ...
'' and ''Annona
''Annona'' (from Taíno ''annon'') is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw/sugar apple family, Annonaceae. It is the second largest genus in the family after ''Guatteria'', containing approximately 166 '' species.
Subspecies
*''Graphium philonoe philonoe'' (Democratic Republic of the Congo, coast of Kenya, eastern Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique)
*''Graphium philonoe whalleyi'' (Talbot, 1929)[Talbot, , G. 1929a. New forms of African Lepidoptera. '' Bulletin of the Hill Museum'', Witley 3:72-77.] (southern Sudan, south-western Ethiopia, northern Uganda, north-western Kenya)
Taxonomy
It is a member of the tynderaeus -clade
A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
('' Graphium tynderaeus'', ''Graphium philonoe'', '' Graphium latreillianus'').In some works it is seen as the sole member of species group ''philonoe''.
Images External images
from Royal Museum of Central Africa.
References
*Carcasson, R.H 1960 The Swallowtail Butterflies
Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful Butterfly, butterflies in the family Papilionidae, and include over 550 species. Though the majority are tropical, members of the family inhabit every continent except Antarctica. The family includes ...
of East Africa (Lepidoptera,Papilionidae)''. Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society'
pdf
Key to East Africa members of the species group, diagnostic and other notes and figures. (Permission to host granted by The East Africa Natural History Society
philonoe
Butterflies described in 1873
Butterflies of Africa
Taxa named by Christopher Ward (entomologist)
{{Papilionidae-stub