Graphium philonoe

Graphium philonoe
Upperside
Underside
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Graphium
Species:	G. philonoe
Binomial name
Graphium philonoe (Ward, 1873)[1][2]
Synonyms
Papilio philonoë Ward, 1873 Graphium (Arisbe) philonoe Papilio philonoë f. dulcinea Stoneham, 1931 Papilio philonoe whalleyi Talbot, 1929

Graphium philonoe, the eastern white-lady swordtail, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.[3] Its habitat consists of coastal and riparian forests.

Description

For terms, see External morphology of Lepidoptera

Differs from [related species] in 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. [4]

Biology

Males may infrequently mud-puddle. Both sexes are attracted to flowers, including Maerua species.

The larvae feed on Uvaria leptocladon, Uvaria chamae and Annona species.

Subspecies

• Graphium philonoe philonoe (Democratic Republic of the Congo, coast of Kenya, eastern Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique)
• Graphium philonoe whalleyi (Talbot, 1929)[5] (southern Sudan, south-western Ethiopia, northern Uganda, north-western Kenya)

Taxonomy

It is a member of the tynderaeus -clade (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

1. Ward, C. 1873. Descriptions of new species of African lepidoptera.Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 10: 151-152.
2. Graphium, Site of Markku Savela
3. Afrotropical Butterflies: File C – Papilionidae - Tribe Leptocercini
4. Aurivillius, [P.O.]C. 1908-1924. In: Seitz, A. Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde Band 13: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die afrikanischen Tagfalter, 1925, 613 Seiten, 80 Tafeln (The Macrolepidoptera of the World 13).Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
5. Talbot, , G. 1929a. New forms of African Lepidoptera. Bulletin of the Hill Museum, Witley 3:72-77.

• Carcasson, R.H 1960 The Swallowtail Butterflies 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