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:

Glycosmis parviflora
Glycosmis pentaphylla
Murraya crenulata
Murraya paniculata
Toddalia asiatica

Magnoliaceae:

Michelia compressa

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

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)