Graphium ridleyanus

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Acraea swordtail
Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien (1889) (18014136839), 4.jpg
Female, upper and underwing
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Graphium
Species:
G. ridleyanus
Binomial name
Graphium ridleyanus
(White, 1843) [1] [2]
Synonyms
  • Papilio ridleyanusWhite, 1843
  • Graphium (Arisbe) ridleyanus
  • Papilio ridleyanus ab. infuscatusSchultze, 1913
  • Papilio ridleyanus var. fumatusNiepelt, 1915
  • Papilio ridleyanus var. fumosusHolland, 1920
  • Papilio ridleyanus f. rosaLe Cerf, 1924
  • Papilio ridleyanus njamiRöber, 1928
  • Papilio ridleyanus ab. semivitreusSchultze, 1930
  • Papilio (Cosmodesmus) ridleyanus ab. hecquetiDufrane, 1946

Graphium ridleyanus, the acraea swordtail, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic, the DRC, Chad, southern Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, western Tanzania and Zambia. [3] Its habitat consists of the forest/savanna transition zone.

Contents

Description

Hindwing rounded, without tail. Frons broadly yellow at each side, only narrowly black in the middle. Palpi unicolorous yellow. Wings above black and red, marked similarly to the species of the nymphalid genus Acraea . Forewing black, semitransparent in places, with a half-band of 5 red spotsin cellules 1 a—4 and two deep black transverse spots, margined with yellow at each side, in the cell; hindwing above red with black marginal band and base and a few black spots. From Lokoja on the Niger to Angola, Equatoria and Bukoba on the Victoria Nyanza. [4] External images from Royal Museum of Central Africa.

Biology

Adults mimic large brush-footed butterflies of the genus Acraea , such as Acraea egina and Acraea perenna . Males are known to mud-puddle.

The larvae feed on Popowia congoensis .

Taxonomy

Graphium eridleyanus belongs to a clade with six members. All have similar genitalia The clade members are:

Realm

Afrotropical realm

Etymology

The name honours "Mr. Ridley, a gentleman in the W African Coast Service whose love for our favourite science was displayed by a collection he made near the fort of Accra and sent to this country. He gave great promise of excelling in entomology, and fell a victim to the climate of W. Africa" according to Adam White, member of the entomological societies of London and Paris, assistant in the Zoology Department, British Museum, from: "Description of some apparently new Insects from the Congo, sent to England by Mr. Curror, Surgeon R. N., and the late Mr. John Cranch" (1843) Annals and Magazine of Natural History 12:262-268.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Graphium</i> (butterfly) Genus of mostly tropical swallowtail butterflies

Graphium is a genus of mostly tropical swallowtail butterflies commonly known as swordtails, kite swallowtails, or ladies. Native to Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania, the genus is represented by over 100 species. Their colouration is as variable as the habitats they frequent; from rainforest to savannah. Some possess tails which may be long and swordlike, while others lack any hindwing extensions. Graphium species are often sighted at mud puddles.

<i>Papilio nireus</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio nireus, the green-banded swallowtail, narrow-banded blue swallowtail, or African blue-banded swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

<i>Graphium angolanus</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium angolanus, the Angola white lady, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

<i>Graphium morania</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium morania, the white lady or small white-lady swordtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in southern Africa.

<i>Graphium antheus</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium antheus, the large or larger striped swordtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails), found in tropical and sub-Saharan Africa.

<i>Graphium illyris</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium illyris, the cream-banded swordtail, is a forest butterfly of the swallowtail family (Papilionidae). It is native to the Afrotropical realm.

<i>Papilio chrapkowskoides</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio chrapkowskoides, the broadly green-banded swallowtail, is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus Papilio that is found in the Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Angola.

<i>Graphium policenoides</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium policenoides is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its habitat consists of wet forests in good condition. It is very similar to Graphium policenes and Graphium liponesco

<i>Graphium kirbyi</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium kirbyi, the Kirby's swordtail, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found along the coast of Kenya and from the coast of Tanzania, inland to Morogoro. The habitat consists of coastal forests.

<i>Graphium junodi</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium junodi, the Junod's swordtail, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique and along the eastern border of Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of warm forests.

<i>Graphium polistratus</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium polistratus, the dancing swordtail, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the coast of Kenya, Tanzania, northern Malawi and Mozambique. Its habitat consists of warm and coastal forests.

<i>Graphium endochus</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium endochus is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in northern and eastern Madagascar and Mozambique. The habitat consists of forests.

<i>Graphium taboranus</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium taboranus is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, and northern Zambia. The habitat consists of woodland.

Graphium schaffgotschi, the Schaffgotsch's swordtail, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in Namibia, Angola, the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and north-western Zambia. Its habitat consists of savanna.

<i>Graphium tynderaeus</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium tynderaeus, the electric green swordtail, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and western Tanzania.

<i>Graphium latreillianus</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium latreillianus, the coppery swordtail, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sao Tome and Principe, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Uganda and Tanzania.

<i>Graphium philonoe</i> Species of butterfly

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. Its habitat consists of coastal and riparian forests.

<i>Graphium fulleri</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium fulleri is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad.

Graphium ucalegonides is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, northern Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad.

<i>Acraea perenna</i> Species of butterfly

Acraea perenna, the falcate acraea, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae which is native to the African tropics and subtropics.

References

  1. ↑ White, A. 1843. Descriptions of some apparently new insects from the Congo, sent to England by Mr. Curror, Surgeon R.N., and the late Mr. John Cranch. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 12 (1): 262-268.
  2. ↑ Graphium ridleyanus, 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.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .


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