Papilio thuraui

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.^[2]

The larvae feed on Toddalia asiatica.

Subspecies

• P. t. thuraui (southern Tanzania, northern Malawi)
• P. t. cyclopis Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (Malawi, Zambia)
• P. t. occidua Storace, 1951 (Republic of the Congo, Malawi, north-eastern Zambia)
• P. t. heathi (Hancock, 1984) (Malawi)
• P. t. ngorongoro (Hancock, 1984) (northern Tanzania)
• P. t. viphya (Hancock, 1984) (Malawi)

Taxonomy

Papilio thuraui belongs to a clade called the nireus species group with 13 members. The pattern is black with green bands and spots. The butterflies, although called swallowtails, lack tails with the exception of Papilio charopus. The clade members are:

• Papilio aristophontes Oberthür, 1897
• Papilio nireus Linnaeus, 1758
• Papilio charopus Westwood, 1843
• Papilio chrapkowskii Suffert, 1904
• Papilio chrapkowskoides Storace, 1952
• Papilio desmondi van Someren, 1939
• Papilio hornimani Distant, 1879
• Papilio interjectana Vane-Wright, 1995
• Papilio sosia Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
• Papilio thuraui Karsch, 1900
• Papilio ufipa Carcasson, 1961
• Papilio wilsoni Rothschild, 1926

Ecozone

This species is located in the Afrotropic ecozone.

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)
• 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. 

External links

• Global Butterfly Information System Images
• Butterfly corner Images from Naturhistorisches Museum Wien