Papilio astyalus (Broad-banded Swallowtail)

Papilio astyalus, also called Broad-banded Swallowtail is a butterfly from Neotropic ecozone (South America). The first description was in 1819 by Godart. The wingspan is about 8.0 – 10.0 cm. This butterfly is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE. Papilio astyalus is dark-brown. It have broad yellow bands.



Photos for easy identification

Photo © by Thomas Neubauer
Photo © by Thomas Neubauer
Photo © by Thomas Neubauer
Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

Here you can see some photos of Papilio astyalus (Broad-banded Swallowtail). Papilio astyalus is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE from Neotropic ecozone (South America).


Description

The fore wings are dark-brown. A broad yellow band dominates the wing. At the outer edge there is a chain of yellow spots.
The underside is very similar to the upside.

The hind wings are dark-brown and they have tails. The edge is wavy. Next to the body there is a big yellow area. At the edge there is a chain of yellow spots. At the inner edge there is a red and blue eye.
The underside is similar to the upside. In the middle of the wing there are a chain of red spots and a chain of blue spots.

The body (abdomen) is yellow and it has a black strip. The thorax and the head are black. The underside of the thorax is yellow.

Sex differences: The female has no yellow bands on the wings. But the upside of hind wings is a copy of under side.


Distribution

Papilio astyalus is a butterfly from the Neotropic ecozone (South Amerika). You can observe this butterfly from Mexico until Argentina.


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

Larval food

Rutaceae:

Magnoliaceae:

General information

The first description of this butterfly was in 1823 by Hübner. There are no subspecies.

Papilio lycophron is very similar to the King´s Swallowtail (Papilio thoas). The main differentiators are the bigger size of the King´s Swallowtail, the chain of red spots on the underside of Papilio lycophron and the red in the eye of hind wings of Papilio lycophron.


Macro photographs

Photo © by Thomas Neubauer; 26.08.2006, Macro photograph of Papilio astyalus (upside)
Photo © by Thomas Neubauer; 26.08.2006, Macro photograph of Papilio astyalus (upside)
Photo © by Thomas Neubauer; 26.08.2006, Macro photograph of Papilio lycophron (upside)
Photo © by Thomas Neubauer; 26.08.2006, Macro photograph of Papilio astyalus (underside)
Photo © by Thomas Neubauer; 26.08.2006, Macro photograph of Papilio astyalus (underside)
Photo © by Thomas Neubauer; 26.08.2006, Macro photograph of Papilio astyalus (underside)

Here you can see some macro photographs of  Papilio astyalus.


Protection provisions / Red List

Similar and closely-related species

Papilio thoas Linnaeus 1771 (King´s Swallowtail, Königs Schwalbenschwanz)  


Scientific name

Papilio astyalus Godart 1819


Other names

Broad-banded Swallotail, Astyalus Swallowtail


Classification / Taxonomy / Family tree

To family tree (Genus: PAPILIO)...   


Ecozone

NEOTROPIC (South America)

 

To the top

Back to family Papilionidae from NEOTROPIC (SOUTH AMERICA)

 

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