Papilio thuraui is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus Papilio that is found in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and the Republic of the Congo.Papilio at Funet
Description Blue median band absent and a complete series of blue submarginal spots in both wings. Both wings above black-brown without median band, but with blue submarginal spots and the forewing also in the middle between the apex of the cell and the distal margin with three small blue spots in cellules 3, 4 and 6; forewing beneath with four large yellowish submarginal spots in cellules 1 b—4. — German East Africa: Ubena.Aurivillius, [P.O.]C. 1908-1924. In: Seitz, A. Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde Band 13: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die afrikanischen Tagfalter, 1925, 613 Seiten, 80 Tafeln (The Macrolepidoptera of the World 13).Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart. External images
Original description
Subspecies P. t. thuraui (southern Tanzania, northern Malawi) P. t. cyclopis Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 .Rothschild, W. & Jordan, K, 1903 Some new African Papilios Novit. Zool. 10 (3) : 488-490 Full text. (Malawi, Zambia) P. t. occidua Storace, 1951 Storace, L. (1951-1952). Recherches sur le groupe africain de Papilio nireus L. Lambillionea 51:44-52; 54-57; 73-76. (Republic of the Congo, Malawi, north-eastern Zambia) P. t. heathi (Hancock, 1984) Hancock, D.L. (1984). The Princeps nireus group of swallowtails (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) systematics, phylogeny and biogeography. Arnoldia Zimbabwe 9(12): 181-215. (Malawi) P. t. ngorongoro (Hancock, 1984) (northern Tanzania) P. t. viphya (Hancock, 1984) (Malawi)
Biology
The larvae feed on Toddalia asiatica.
Taxonomy Papilio thuraui belongs to a clade called the nireus species group with 15 members. The pattern is black with green or blue bands and spots. The butterflies, although called swallowtails, lack tails with the exception of Papilio charopus and Papilio hornimani. The clade members are:
Papilio aristophontes Oberthür, 1897 Papilio nireus Linnaeus, 1758 Papilio charopus Westwood, 1843 Papilio chitondensis de Sousa & Fernandes, 1966 Papilio chrapkowskii Suffert, 1904 Papilio chrapkowskoides Storace, 1952 Papilio desmondi van Someren, 1939 Papilio hornimani Distant, 1879 Papilio interjectana Vane-Wright, 1995 Papilio manlius Fabricius, 1798 Papilio microps Storace, 1951 Papilio sosia Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 Papilio thuraui Karsch, 1900 Papilio ufipa Carcasson, 1961 Papilio wilsoni Rothschild, 1926
Biogeographic realm This species is located in the Afrotropical realm.
See also Albertine Rift montane forests Congolian forests
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)
External links Images Butterfly corner Images from Naturhistorisches Museum Wien External images R C Dening collection Globis images