Papilio anchisiades

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Ruby-spotted swallowtail
Ruby-spotted swallowtail, ventral (1).jpg
Ruby-spotted swallowtail, dorsal.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Papilio
Species:
P. anchisiades
Binomial name
Papilio anchisiades
Esper, 1788 [1]
Subspecies

6, see text

Synonyms
  • Papilio anchisesStoll, 1780, not Linnaeus, 1758
  • Papilio hipponousHübner, [1819]
  • Papilio archelausGodart, 1819
  • Papilio theramenesC. & R. Felder, 1861
  • Heraclides matusikiJohnson & Rozycki, 1986
  • Papilio isidorusBates, 1861 (preocc. Doubleday, 1846)
  • Papilio pompeiusKirby, 1871 (preocc. Fabricius, 1781)
  • Heraclides isidorus
  • Priamides anchisiades
  • Heraclides anchisiades
  • Papilio idaeusFabricius, 1793
  • Papilio pandionBates, 1861
  • Papilio pandionC. & R. Felder, 1865
  • Papilio pandoniusStaudinger, 1894
  • Papilio evanderGodart, 1819 (preocc. Stoll, 1780)

Papilio anchisiades, the ruby-black mahaon Anhisiades or ruby-spotted swallowtail [1] [2] or red-spotted swallowtail, [3] is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found from southern Texas south to Argentina. Rare strays can be found up to Kansas, southeastern Arizona, and western Texas.

Contents

Description (Seitz)

The wingspan is 70–100 mm.P. anchisiades. A widely distributed variable species. Hindwing posteriorly somewhat prolonged, less triangular; the tail is wanting or is only somewhat longer than the other marginal teeth, yet in the female sometimes as long and pointed as in the following species. The red spots of both the rows of the hindwing on the underside partly contiguous, or at least two pairs placed quite close together. Larva often resting together in hundreds on the stems of citrus. A very common insect, which is fond drinking at moist places on the banks of rivers; not a forest species. — idaeus F. (=pandion Feldr., pandonius Stgr.). Forewing usually with a distinct white spot at the end of the cell above and beneath or only beneath. Central America, from Mexico to Panama. — anchisiades Esp. (= anchises L. partim, theramenes Fldr,, pompeius Kirby) (10d). Very variable. Forewing with two white spots posteriorly of 1. median vein, either on both sides or only beneath, on the underside also a spot before the 1. median, rarely present above, and sometimes one before the 3. radial. In other specimens the white spots are wanting above: the forewing is dark from the base to the apex of the cell and then paler, and has a row of white spots beneath. From Colombia to Para and Bolivia. — capys Hbn. (= evander Godt.) (10c). Forewing without white spots on the upperside; the disc paler, the dark proximal area rounded; on the underside a row of white spots, one of which is placed in the cell. East Bolivia, North Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. [4] [5]


The larvae feed on various species of the family Rutaceae, including Citrus , Casimiroa , and Zanthoxylum species. The adults feed on flower nectar.

Subspecies

Listed alphabetically. [3]

Taxonomy

Papilio anchisiades is the nominotypical member of the anchisiades species group

Etymology

The specific epithet is in the Classical tradition and refers to the GraecoRoman Anchisiades

References

  1. 1 2 Ruby-spotted Swallowtail [ usurped ], Learn about Butterflies
  2. 1 2 Heraclides anchisiades idaeus (Fabricius, 1793), Butterflies of America
  3. 1 2 Papilio anchisiades, funet.fi
  4. Jordan, K., in Seitz, A. ( 1907) . The Macrolepidoptera of the World. 5: The Macrolepidoptera of the American faunistic region. Papilionidae 1-45
  5. Jordan, K., in Seitz, A. ( 1907) . The Macrolepidoptera of the World. 5: The Macrolepidoptera of the American faunistic region. Papilionidae 1-45

Other reading