Papilio ascalaphus (Ascalaphus Swallowtail, Ascalaphus Schwalbenschwanz)

Papilio ascalaphus, also called Ascalaphus Swallowtail is a butterfly from Australasia / Indomalaya ecozone (Australia). The first description was in 1836 by Boisduval. The wingspan is about 14.0 – 16.0 cm. The Ascalaphus Swallowtail is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE. The butterfly is dark-brown to black with blue or white spots. Hind wings have tails. Male and female are not similar (sexual dismorphism).

Photos for easy classification and identification

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

These are nice photos of Papilio ascalaphus (Ascalaphus Swallowtail) (male). Papilio ascalaphus is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE from Australasia / Indomalaya ecozone (Australia).

Description

The fore wings are black. Next to the margin there is a whitish band with black veins or horizontal stripes.
The underside is nearly a copy of upside, but whitish band is broader than upside.
The hind wings are black and have broad tails. The margin is ridged. At the margin is a very broad blue area which is divided by black veins or stripes.
The underside is black. Next to the margin there is a chain of big orange spots. In the middle of wing there is a blue area which is divided by black veins or stripes.
The body is black.

Sex differences: Female has a very broad white area on forewing. This area is divided by black veins or stripes. There is no blue on hind wings. In the middle of hind wing there is a white area, which is divided by black veins or stripes. Next to the margin there is a chain of orange spots. The underside is nearly a copy from upside.

Distribution

The Ascalaphus Swallowtail (Papilio ascalaphus) is a butterfly of the Australasia / Indomalaya ecozone (Australia). The distribution is include Celebes, Borneo, Java, Sumatra and the Philippines.

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

Larval food

Rutaceae:

Citrus

General information

The first description of this butterfly was in 1836 by Boisduval. There is only one subspecies.

Papilio ascalaphus ascalon [Staudinger]

Papilio ascalaphus is one of the biggest member of the family PAPILIONIDAE in this ecozone. Females appear in three forms (polymorphism).

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

Here you can see the female of Papilio ascalaphus.

Protection provisions / Red List

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

-no entry- (as at 14.06.2006)
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 2004) (see: www. redlist.org/)