Papilio constantinus

Papilio constantinus, the Constantine's swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Constantine's swallowtail
Mounted
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Papilio
Species:
P. constantinus
Binomial name
Papilio constantinus
Synonyms
  • Princeps constantinus
  • Papilio constantinus f. chrysothemis Stoneham, 1931
  • Papilio constantinus alticola Le Cerf, 1924
  • Papilio constantinus monticolus Le Cerf, 1924
  • Papilio constantinus f. mathieui Dufrane, 1946
  • Papilio constantinus mweruana f. wittei Berger, 1981

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.[4]

The larvae feed on Vepris Reflexi, Vepris lanceolata, Vepris undulata, Clausena species, Citrus species, Teclea trifoliatum, Teclea nobilis, and Teclea gerrardii.[2][4]

Taxonomy

Papilio constantinus is a member of the dardanus species group. The members of the clade are:

Subspecies

Listed alphabetically:[2]

  • Papilio constantinus constantinus Ward, 1871 (south-eastern Ethiopia, southern Somalia, coast of Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, southern and north-eastern Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, eastern Botswana, South Africa, Eswatini)
  • Papilio constantinus lecerfi Koçak, 1996[5] (Kenya: central highlands and the Mau Escarpment)
  • Papilio constantinus mweruanus Joicey & Talbot, 1927 [6] (Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Tanzania, Zambia)

Biogeographic realm

Afrotropical realm.

References
  1. Ward, C. 1871. Description of new species of African diurnal lepidoptera. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 8: 34-36; 58-60; 81-82; 118-122.
  2. Papilio, funet.fi
  3. "Afrotropical Butterflies: File C – Papilionidae - Tribe Papilionini". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
  4. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
  5. Koçak,A.Ö., 1996, "Carcasson's African Butterflies" adlı yayına tamamlayıcı notlar (Lepidoptera). Cent. ent. Stud., Misc. Pap. 27/28: 10-16.
  6. Joicey. J. J. & Talbot, G., 1927 New forms of Lepidoptera Rhopalocera Encycl. Ent. (B3) 2 (1) : 1-14
  • 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.


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