Papilio helenus (Red Helen, Rote Helene)

Papilio helenus, also called Red Helen is a butterfly from Australasia / Indomalaya ecozone (Australia). The first description was in 1758 by Linnaeus. The wingspan is about 10 – 12 cm. This butterfly is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE. Papilio helenus is black. A yellow area dominates the hind 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 Papilio helenus (female). Papilio helenus is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE from Australasia / Indomalaya (Australia).

Description

The fore wings are black.
The underside of Papilio helenus is nearly a copy of upside. The basic colour is dark-brown. At the front edge there are four yellow stripes. At the outer edge there are many, yellow stripes.

The hind wings of Papilio helenus are black and they have tails. The edge is wavy. The wing is dominated by a broad, white or yellowish area. At the inner edge thereare two eye-spot. At the outer edge there is a chain of small red spots.
The underside is a copy from upside, but the red spots are bigger than the same spots on the upside of the wing..

The body is black, but the underside is dark-brown.

Sex differences: ---

Distribution

Papilio helenus (Red Helen) is a butterfly from the Australasia / Indomalaya (Australia) ecozone. You can observe this butterfly in the geographic triangle India, Indonesia and the South of China.

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

Larval food

Rutaceae:

Citrus junos
Citrus medica
Citrus natsudaidai
Citrus tachibana
Citrus unshiu
Euodia gabrifolia
Euodia meliaefolia
Fortunella japonica
Phellodendron amurense
Poncirus trifoliata
Toddalia asiatica
Zanthoxylum ailanthoides
Zanthoxylum avicennae
Zanthoxylum cuspidata
Zanthoxylum nitidum
Zanthoxylum rhetsa

General information

The first description of this butterfly was in 1758 by Linnaeus. There are eleven subspecies.

Papilio helenus ashaverus [Staudinger]
Papilio helenus biseriatus [Rothschild]
Papilio helenus boloboca [Page & Treadaway, 1996]
Papilio helenus enganius [Doherty]
Papilio helenus fortunius [Fruhstorfer]
Papilio helenus hystaspes [C. & R. Felder, 1862]
Papilio helenus jindanus [Rothschild]
Papilio helenus mangarinus [Rothschild]
Papilio helenus mooreanus [Rothschild]
Papilio helenus palawanicus [Staudinger, 1888]
Papilio helenus tambora [Rothschild]

This butterfly flies in woody areas and also often in gardens.

Macro photos

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer macro photograph of Papilio helenus (upside)

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer macro photograph of Papilio helenus (upside)

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer macro photograph of Papilio helenus (underside)

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer macro photograph of Papilio helenus (underside)

Here you can see some macro photos of Papilio helenus.

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)