Papilio homerus
| Homerus Swallowtail Butterfly | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Papilionidae |
| Genus: | Papilio |
| Species: | P. homerus |
| Binomial name | |
| Papilio homerus Fabricius, 1793 |
|
The Homerus swallowtail or Jamaican giant swallowtail, Papilio homerus, is the largest swallowtail butterfly in the Western Hemisphere and the largest species in the genus Papilio[2] with an average wingspan of about 15 centimetres (5.9 in)[3] (the African giant swallowtail has a larger wingspan, but this is mainly due to its elongated forewings). The Homerus swallowtail belongs to the swallowtail family (tribus: Papilionini) and is often placed in the subgenus Pterourus, considered a full genus by some authors.
It is found only in forests in Jamaica and is under significant pressure from habitat loss and potentially also from collecting.[4] It has also been shown that death rates due to parasitic wasps of the genus Chrysonotomyia are higher in disturbed habitats.[5] The Homerus swallowtail was relatively common in the 1930s[6] and its range used to be contiguous,[5] but it has now retracted to a main population in the Blue and John Crow Mountains in eastern Jamaica, and a tiny population, estimated at less than 50 adults, in Cockpit Country in the west of the island.[2] It is listed as endangered by the IUCN[1] and is included on Appendix I of CITES,[7] thereby making international trade illegal. In addition to better protection of the remaining populations and their habitat, it has been suggested that a captive breeding program may help save the species.[2] The caterpillars feed exclusively on Hernandia jamaicensis and H. catalpifolia; both of which also are endemic to Jamaica.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Gimenez Dixon, M. (1996). Papilio homerus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 30 July 2010.
- ^ a b c Lehnert, M. S. (2008). The population biology and ecology of the Homerus swallowtail, Papilio (Pterourus) homerus, in the Cockpit Country, Jamaica. Journal of Insect Conservation 12(2): 179-188
- ^ The National Environment and Planning Agency. Jamaica's Protected Species. Downloaded on 30 July 2010.
- ^ ScienceDaily (2007). Largest Butterfly In Western Hemisphere Needs Help To Avoid Extinction. Downloaded on 30 July 2010.
- ^ a b c Garraway, E., A. J. A. Bailey, B. E. Freeman, J. R. Parnell and T. C. Emmel (2008). Population studies and conservation of Jamaica’s endangered swallowtail butterfly Papilio ( Pterourus ) homerus. Journal of Insect Conservation 12 (3-4): 383-397
- ^ Florida Museum of Natural History. Research Projects - Conservation. Downloaded on 30 July 2010.
- ^ CITES (2011). Appendices I, II and III. Version 27 April 2011.
