Emperor swallowtail
P. o. transvaalensis van Son, 1939
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Papilio
Species:
P. ophidicephalus
Binomial name
Papilio ophidicephalus
Synonyms
  • Papilio ophidicephalus chirinda var. barnesi van Son, 1939

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.[3]

The larvae feed on Clausena inqequalis, Calodendrum capense, Citrus species, Clausena anisata, Zanthoxylum capense and other Zanthoxylum species.[2]

Taxonomy

Papilio ophidicephalus is a member of the menestheus species group. The members of the clade are:

Subspecies

Listed alphabetically:[2]

References

  1. ^ Oberthür, C. 1878 Etudes d'Entomologie 3: 13 Full text .
  2. ^ a b c Papilio at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  3. ^ Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ van Son, 1966; Ann. Transv. Mus. 25 (4): 81
  6. ^ Gifford, D. (1961). Notes on two Nyasaland Papilios (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). Entomologist 94: 287-289.
  7. ^ Su alcune Papilionidae africane, con descrizione di nuove forma Mem. Soc. ent. ital. 33: 120-137
  8. ^ Suffert, F. 1904 Dt. Ent. Z. Iris 17 (1): 103; Full text

External links

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