Papilio ophidicephalus, the emperor swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The wingspan is 90–110 mm in males and 100–120 mm in females. It has two broods, one from August to December and the second from January to April.
The larvae feed on Clausena inqequalis, Calodendrum capense, Citrus species, Clausena anisata, Zanthoxylum capense and other Zanthoxylum species.
Taxonomy Papilio ophidicephalus is a member of the menestheus species group. The members of the clade are: Papilio menestheus Drury, 1773 Papilio lormieri Distant, 1874 Papilio ophidicephalus Oberthür, 1878
Subspecies Listed alphabetically: P. o. ayresi van Son, 1939 van Son, 1939 Notes on the menestheus group of Papilio L., and the South African races of Papilio obidicephalus Oberthür Ann. Transv. Mus. 20 : 53-64 (South Africa, Eswatini) P. o. chirinda van Son, 1939 (west-central Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe) P. o. cottrelli van Son, 1966 van Son, 1966; Ann. Transv. Mus. 25 (4): 81(south-central Zambia) P. o. entabeni van Son, 1939 (South Africa: Limpopo Province) P. o. mkuwadzi Gifford, 1961 Gifford, D. (1961). Notes on two Nyasaland Papilios (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). Entomologist 94: 287-289. (south-western Tanzania, northern Malawi, north-eastern Zambia) P. o. niassicola Storace, 1955 Su alcune Papilionidae africane, con descrizione di nuove forma Mem. Soc. ent. ital. 33: 120-137 (southern and central Malawi) P. o. ophidicephalus Oberthür, 1878 (eastern Kenya, Tanzania, north-eastern Zambia, south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo) P. o. phalusco Suffert, 1904 Suffert, F. 1904 Dtsch. Entomol. Z. Iris 17 (1): 103; Full text (South Africa) P. o. transvaalensis van Son, 1939 (South Africa: Limpopo Province) P. o. zuluensis van Son, 1939 (South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal to the north-east)
Gallery
References
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)
Storace, L.,1955 Su alcune Papilionidae Africane, con descrizioni di nuove forme (Lepidoptera, Diurna). Memorie della Societa Entomologica Italiana 33:120-137.
External links
Butterfly Corner Images from Naturhistorisches Museum Wien