Papilio androgeus

Androgeus swallowtail
Male, underside
Male, topside
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Division: Rhopalocera
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Tribe: Papilionini
Genus: Papilio
Species: P. androgeus
Binomial name
Papilio androgeus
Cramer, [1775]
Synonyms
  • Calaides androgeus
  • Heraclides androgeus
  • Papilio laodocus Fabricius, 1793
  • Papilio epidaurus Godman & Salvin, [1890]
  • Papilio altheae Fabricius, 1938 (preocc., repl. name)
  • Papilio hibisci Fabricius, 1938 (repl. name)
  • Papilio androgeos
  • Papilio piranthus Cramer, 1779
  • Papilio polycaon Cramer, 1779

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

Description

The sexes are different and the female occurs in many districts in two forms. Tail narrow, pointed. Hindwing above with narrow bluish submarginal crescents, beneath with a regular row of reddish yellow crescents between cell and outer margin.

Female-f. androgeus Cr. has on the forewing two large yellow patches, sometimes also a small spot; in the female-f. piranthus these spots are wanting or are merely indicated, the metallic scaling of the hindwing is not dense and extends into the cell.[1]

The wingspan is 134–140 mm.

Biology

Adults are on wing from April to October in multiple generations per year.

The larvae feed on the leaves of Zanthoxylum elephantiasis, Citrus reticulata, and Citrus sinensis. Adults feed on nectar of various flowers.

Subspecies

Ecozone

Neotropical ecozone.

Threats

Generally common and not so far threatened. Tolerant of open areas and secondary growth. Found in Palo Verde National Park

References

  1. Jordan, K. , in Seitz, A. ( 1907) . The Macrolepidoptera of the World. 5: The Macrolepidoptera of the American faunistic region. Papilionidae 1-45
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