Papilio hesperus | |
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Mounted | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Papilionidae |
Genus: | Papilio |
Species: | P. hesperus |
Binomial name | |
Papilio hesperus | |
Synonyms | |
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Papilio hesperus, the black and yellow swallowtail or Hesperus swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Africa. It is monomorphic, meaning there is only one phenotype in the population of this species. [4] The dorsal and ventral sides of its wings are practically identical due to the wing's translucence. [5]
Papilio hesperus is a very large butterfly with a wingspan of 110 to 130 mm , with a very concave outer edge of the forewings and scalloped hindwings with a club-shaped tail . The wings are brown to black decorated with pale yellow spots, part of which forms a band with brown veins from half of the forewings to their inner edge and then from the costal edge to the inner edge of the hindwings. Two spots are on the hindwings near the tail. [6]
The larvae feed on Beilschmiedia species, including Beilschmiedia ugandensis .
Papilio hesperus is the nominal member of the hesperus species group. The members of the clade are:
Congolian forests and surrounding ecoregions.