Papilio constantinus
Appearance
Constantine's swallowtail | |
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Mounted | |
Scientific classification | |
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Species: | P. constantinus
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Binomial name | |
Papilio constantinus | |
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Papilio constantinus, the Constantine's swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The wingspan is 70–90 mm in males and 80–95 mm in females. The ground colour is black with pale yellow or white markings including a large yellow spot in the cell. Its flight period is during the warmer months peaking from November to February.[3]
The larvae feed on Vepris reflexa, Vepris lanceolata, Vepris undulata, Clausena species, Citrus species, Teclea trifoliatum, Teclea nobilis, and Teclea gerrardii.[1][3]
Taxonomy
Papilio constantinus is a member of the dardanus species group. The members of the clade are:
- Papilio dardanus Brown, 1776
- Papilio constantinus Ward, 1871
- Papilio delalandei Godart, [1824]
- Papilio phorcas Cramer, [1775]
- Papilio rex Oberthür, 1886
Subspecies
Listed alphabetically:[1]
- P. c. constantinus Ward, 1871 (south-eastern Ethiopia, southern Somalia, coast of Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, southern and north-eastern Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, eastern Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland)
- P. c. lecerfi Koçak, 1996 (Kenya: central highlands and the Mau Escarpment)
- P. c. mweruanus Joicey & Talbot, 1927 (Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Tanzania, Zambia)
Biogeographic realm
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Papilio constantinus.
Wikispecies has information related to Papilio constantinus.
- ^ a b c Papilio, funet.fi
- ^ "Afrotropical Butterflies: File C – Papilionidae - Tribe Papilionini". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
- ^ a b Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
- Carcasson, R.H. 1960 "The Swallowtail Butterflies of East Africa (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae)". Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society pdf Key to East Africa members of the species group, diagnostic and other notes and figures. (Permission to host granted by The East Africa Natural History Society)
- Collins, N. Mark; Morris, Michael G. (1985). Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book. Gland & Cambridge: IUCN. ISBN 978-2-88032-603-6 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
External links
- Butterflycorner Images from Naturhistorisches Museum Wien