Chilasa agestor (Tawny Mime)

Chilasa agestor, also called Tawny Mime is a butterfly from Australasia / Indomalaya ecozone (Australia). The first description was in 1831 by Gray. The wingspan is about 10 – 11 cm. This butterfly is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE. The basic colour of Chilasa agestor is dark-brown or black. It has many white stripes and spots on the wings.

Photos for easy identification

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

Here you can see some photos of Chilasa agestor (Tawny Mime) (male above / female below). Chilasa agestor is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE from Australasia / Indomalaya (Australia).

Description

The fore wings are black. In the middle of the wing there are some white stripes. At the outer edge there are two chains of white spots.
The underside of Chilasa agestor is very similar to the upside. The wingtip is dark-brown.

The hind wings of Chilasa agestor are dark-brown. The edge is a little bit wavy. Next to the body there are some white stripes. At the edge there are some white spots.
The underside is very similar to the upside. The basic colour is dark-brown.

The body (abdomen) is black. Thorax and head are also black. All parts have white spots.

Sex differences: None.

Distribution

Chilasa agestor is a butterfly from the Australasia / Indomalaya (Australia) ecozone. You can observe this butterfly from the North of India until Vietnam.

: This world map shows the ecozones in which this butterfly is distributed.

Larval food

Lauraceae:

Cinnamomum camphora
Cinnamomum micranthum
Persea japonica
Persea odoratissima
Persea thunbergii
Persea zuihoensis
Phoebe grandis

General information

The first description of this butterfly was in 1831 by Gray. There are five subspecies.

Chilasa agestor govindra [Moore, 1864]
Chilasa agestor matsumurae [Fruhstorfer]
Chilasa agestor restricta [Leech, 1893]
Chilasa agestor shirozui [Igarashi, 1979]
Chilasa agestor teruyonae [Shinkai, 1996]

This species mimes other uneatable butterflies. Therefore Chilasa agestor is also portected against preditors.

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

Here you can see the subspecies Chilasa agestor govindra (male left/ female right).

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

Here you can see the subspecies Chilasa agestor matsumura (male).

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

Here you can see the subspecies Chilasa agestor restricta (male left/ female right).

Protection provisions / Red List

CITES: (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):

-No entry- (as at 12.02.2008)
EU regulation on trading with species of wild Fauna and Flora

-No entry- (as at 19.08.2005)
IUCN Red List of threatened species:

-No entry- (as at 2008)