Papilio phorcas (Green Banded Swallowtail)
Papilio phorcas, also called Green Banded Swallowtail is a butterfly from Afrotropic ecozone (Africa). The first description was in 1775 by Cramer. The wingspan is about 8 – 9 cm. Papilio phorcas is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE. The butterfly is black with broad, green bands and areas. Hind wings have tails.
Photos for easy identification
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These are nice photos of Papilio phorcas congoanus (Green Banded Swallowtail). Papilio phorcas is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE from Afrotropic ecozone (Africa).
Description
The fore wings are black. In the middle of the wing there is a broad, green band.
The underside is a copy from upside. But, the basic colour is brown. The band is light-green.
The hind wings are black and they have tails. The edge is wavy. At the outer edge there is a chain of little, green spots. Next to the body there is a big, green area.
The underside is similar to the upside. But, the basic colour is brown. The area next to the body is light-green.
The body (abdomen) is black. The thorax and the head are black. The underside of all parts is yellow.
Sex differences: None.
Distribution
Papilio phorcas is a butterfly from the Afrotropic (Africa) ecozone. You can observe this butterfly from Liberia until Somalia, Zambia and Mozambique.
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Larval food
Rutaceae:
- Calodendrum
- Citrus
- Clausena
- Teclea nobilis
- Teclea simplicifolia
- Teclea villosa
- Toddalia
- Zanthoxylum
General information
The first description of this butterfly was in 1775 by Cramer. There are some subspecies.
- Papilio phorcas ansorgei [Rothschild, 1898]
- Papilio phorcas congoanus [Rothschild, 1898]
- Papilio phorcas nyikanus [Rothschild & Jordan]
- Papilio phorcas ruscoei [Krüger, 1927]
- Papilio phorcas sudanicola [Storace]
- Papilio phorcas tenuifasciatus [Keilland, 1990]
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Here you can see the subspecies Papilio phorcas ansorgei.
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Here you can see the subspecies Papilio phorcas congoanus.
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Here you can see the subspecies Papilio phorcas nyikanus.
Protection provisions / Red List
- CITES: (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):
-no entry- - EU regulation on trading with species of wild Fauna and Flora
-no entry- - IUCN Red List of threatened species:
-no entry-
Similar and closely-related species
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Scientific name
Papilio phorcas Cramer 1775
Other names
Green Banded Swallowtail
Classification / Taxonomy / Family tree
- Kingdom: ANIMALIA
- Phylum: ARTHROPODA
- Class: INSECTA
- Order: LEPIDOPTERA
- Suborder: DITRYSIA
- Superfamily: PAPILIONOIDEA
- Family: PAPILIONIDAE
- Subfamily: PAPILIONINAE
- Tribe: PAPILIONINI
- Genus: PAPILIO
- Specific name: PHORCAS
