Papilio thoas

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Thoas swallowtail
DSC 4112 - Papilio thoas.JPG
Heraclides thoas.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Papilionidae
Genus:
Papilio
Species:
P. thoas
Binomial name
Papilio thoas
Linnaeus, 1771
Synonyms

Heraclides thoas

Papilio thoas, the king swallowtail or Thoas swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in the southernmost United States, Mexico, Central America and South America (as far south as Argentina and Uruguay). The species is easily confused with the giant swallowtail, which it closely resembles in both larval and adult stages. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of citrus plants (Rutaceae). They have also been reported as feeding on a member of the genus Piper . [1]

Description

A large species (12 to 14 cm. wingspan. The wings are narrow. The forewings are mostly brown. A yellow band runs from the tip, becoming narrower towards the back. There is also a row of yellow arcuate spots on the underside of the wing edge. The hind wings are predominantly brown, toothed and have a long caudal process. This carries a yellow core. There is a row of yellow arcuate spots at the edge of the hind wings. A broad yellow band runs through the first half of the wing. Inside sits a black eyespot with blue-white dusting. The yellow regions are more pronounced on the undersides of the wings. Blue-white arcuate spots adjoin the yellow arcuate spots on the upper side. The eyespot is only weakly pronounced. The body of the king swallowtail is yellow.- Seitz "- P. thoas. The spatulate tail has a yellow spot in the middle. The species occurs from Texas and the West Indian Islands southwards to Buenos Aires, but is wanting on the Lesser Antilles. It. is everywhere common and flies in the open country, in gardens and plantations. thoas is a very bold flier, which often mounts high in the air.. The larva lives on Piperaceae and Citrus. — melonius R. & J. is the subspecies from Jamaica: it has no cell-spot on the upper surface of the forewing. The reddish yellow spots on the under surface of the hindwing are very large. — oviedo Gundl. (= epithoas Oberth.) occurs on Cuba. The upper surface of the forewing, and especially the under surface, are more extended yellow and have also a deeper tint than in the other subspecies. — autocles R. & J., occurring from Texas to Nicaragua, has no cell-spot; the yellow areas are pale. — nealces R. & J. is distributed from Nicaragua to North-West Ecuador and eastward, to Trinidad and the Lower Orinoco. The forewing has always a cell-spot: the yellow tint is somewhat deeper than in autocles, but less deep than in the next subspecies; very common in Bogoti-collections. — thoas L. comes from the Guianas and the Lower Amazon. Deep yellow; forewing with cell-spot, the first spot near the apex of the wing usually small. — cinyras Men. is a large form, which inhabits the Middle and Lower Amazon and the eastern slopes of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia; the submarginal spots of the forewing are almost always absent. — brasiliensis R: & J. (7a), from Brazil, Paraguay and North Argentina, is often still larger than cinyras; the cell-spot of the forewing is absent or small, the first spot near the apex of the wing is mostly large and produced into a point. — thoantiades Burm. occurs in Argentina, especially in the province of Buenos Aires. It is a small form, usually with narrow, pale yellow band. [2] Papilio cresphontes formerly considered a subspecies of thoas is very similar.

Biology

Adult Thoas swallowtails fly year round in the tropics, feeding on nectar of a variety of flowers, including Lantana , Stachytarpheta , and Bougainvillea among other species.

Subspecies

Listed alphabetically. [3]

Related Research Articles

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

The giant swallowtail is the largest butterfly in North America. It is abundant through many parts of eastern North America; populations from western North America and down into Panama are now considered to belong to a different species, Papilio rumiko. Though it is often valued in gardens for its striking appearance, its larval stage can be a serious pest to citrus farms, which has earned its caterpillars the names orange dog or orange puppy. The giant swallowtail caterpillars possess remarkable camouflage from predators by closely resembling bird droppings. They use this, along with their osmeteria, to defend against predators such as wasps, flies, and vertebrates.

<i>Parides childrenae</i> Species of butterfly

Parides childrenae, the green-celled cattleheart, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in southern North America and northern South America.

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

Papilio palamedes, the Palamedes swallowtail or laurel swallowtail, is a North American butterfly in the family Papilionidae.

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

Papilio bachus is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in South America, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

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

Papilio scamander, the Scamander swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found from eastern and south-eastern Brazil south into Argentina.

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

Papilio desmondi, the Desmond's green-banded swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Africa.

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

Papilio torquatus, the torquatus swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly in the subfamily Papilioninae. It is found from northern Argentina to Mexico.

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

Papilio androgeus, the Androgeus swallowtail, queen page, or queen swallowtail, is a Neotropical butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found from Mexico to Argentina with a small population in southern Florida.

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

Papilio cacicus is a Neotropical butterfly of the family Papilionidae first described by Hippolyte Lucas in 1852. It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru.

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

Papilio isidorus is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). The species was first described by Henry Doubleday in 1846. It is found in Central and South America.

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

Papilio zagreus is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in South America, including Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and western Brazil.

<i>Mimoides phaon</i> Species of butterfly

Mimoides phaon, the red-sided swallowtail or variable swallowtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is native to the Americas.

<i>Parides sesostris</i> Species of butterfly

Parides sesostris, the emerald-patched cattleheart or southern cattleheart, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae.

<i>Parides iphidamas</i> Species of butterfly

Parides iphidamas, the Iphidamas cattleheart or Transandean cattleheart, is a species of Neotropical butterfly in the family Papilionidae.

<i>Parides aeneas</i> Species of butterfly

Parides aeneas is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in the Neotropical realm.

<i>Mimoides euryleon</i> Species of butterfly

Mimoides euryleon, the false cattleheart swallowtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae.

<i>Mimoides pausanias</i> Species of butterfly

Mimoides pausanias, the Pausanias swallowtail or bluish mimic-swallowtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae.

<i>Parides neophilus</i> Species of butterfly

Parides neophilus, the spear-winged cattleheart, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in the Neotropical realm.

<i>Eurytides calliste</i> Species of butterfly

Eurytides calliste is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in the Neotropical realm.

<i>Eurytides leucaspis</i> Species of butterfly

Eurytides leucaspis is a species of butterfly found in the Neotropical realm.

References

  1. ↑ http://lepidopteraresearchfoundation.org/journals/05/PDF05/05-220.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  2. ↑ Jordan, K., in Seitz, A. ( 1907) . The Macrolepidoptera of the World. 5: The Macrolepidoptera of the American faunistic region. Papilionidae 1-45PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  3. ↑ Papilio, funet.fi


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