| Banded swallowtail | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Papilionidae |
| Genus: | Papilio |
| Species: | P. demolion |
| Binomial name | |
| Papilio demolion Cramer, [1776] | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Papilio demolion, the banded swallowtail, is a species of swallowtail butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae.
Subspecies include: [1]
This species is present in Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. [2] These butterflies mainly inhabit nature reserves, wastelands, mangrove areas and offshore islands. [1] [3]
Papilio demolion has a wingspan of 75–95 mm (3.0–3.7 in). [3] [4]
Male upperside is brownish black. Forewings and hindwings are crossed by a broad prominent oblique pale greenish or yellowish-white band that commences just before the middle of the dorsal margin of the hindwing, crosses over on to the forewing and is continued as a series of spots that diminish in size in the upper interspaces to the apex of that wing. On the hindwing this is followed by a subterminal series of similarly coloured lunules. Underside is fuliginous black, the transverse band that crosses the wings as on the upperside.
Forewing: cell with a series of four slender longitudinal pale lines from base; the veins also picked out with pale lines; on the veins that run to the terminal margin these lines are conspicuous only at the apices; there are besides short similar lines between the veins that extend to the terminal margin.
Hindwing: the interspaces beyond the transverse medial greenish-white band marked with broad jet-black streaks up to the subterminal line of greenish-white lunules; these streaks medially interrupted by a transverse line of blue scales and succeeded in interspaces 1 and 7 by preapical ochraceous-yellow spots; terminal margin beyond the line of lunules black. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen fuliginous black; beneath, the palpi and abdomen greenish white, the thorax dark grey. [5]
Adults can be found from January to October. Females lay their eggs in a long string. [4] Eggs hatch in about 3–4 days. [3]
Larvae are "similar to that of P. erithonius (i. e. Papilio demoleus ). Anterior segments are scutellated, furnished with two tentacular processes on the 2nd segment and two short fleshy processes on the 9th and anal segments" (Moore).[ clarification needed ] Caterpillars are gregarious in all five instars. [3]
The main larval foodplants are Citrus species, Luvunga crassifolia , Luvunga scandens , Melicope lunu-ankenda and Acronychia pedunculata (Rutaceae). [3] [4] Pupa are "curved abruptly backwards; head bifid; thorax with a lengthened curved acute thoracic process" (Moore).[ clarification needed ] After about twelve days of development the butterfly emerges. [3]
Graphium antiphates, the five-bar swordtail, is a species of papilionid butterfly found in south and southeast Asia. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1775.
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Nacaduba hermus, the pale four-line blue, is a species of lycaenid butterfly found in Indomalayan realm. The species was first described by Baron Cajetan von Felder in 1860.
Cethosia nietneri, the Tamil lacewing, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in Sri Lanka and south India. The species name is after John Nietner who obtained specimens of the butterfly from Ceylon from which it was described.
Vindula erota, the common cruiser, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in forested areas of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The Indian fritillary is a species of butterfly of the nymphalid or brush-footed family. It is usually found from south and southeast Asia to Australia.
Catochrysops strabo, the forget-me-not, is a small butterfly found in Asia that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793. It is found in Sri Lanka, India, from Sikkim to Indochina and in Sundaland, Sulawesi and the Philippines.
Auzakia is a monotypic butterfly genus in the family Nymphalidae. It contains the single species, Auzakia danava, the commodore, which is found from Tibet to Sumatra.
