Papilio pilumnus (Three-tailed Tiger Swallowtail, Dreischwänziger Tigerschwalbenschwanz, Machaon de tigre trois filée)

Papilio pilumnus, also called Three-Tailed Tiger Swallowtail or Dreischwänziger Schwalbenschwanz is a beautiful butterfly from Neotropic ecozone (South America). The first description was in 1836 by Boisduval. With a wingspan of 8.0 – 10.0 cm the Three-Tailed Tiger Swallowtail is a small member of the family PAPILIONIDAE. The butterfly is yellow with broad and black tiger stripes. Hind wing has three tails.

Photos for easy identification

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

These are nice photos of Papilio pilumnus (Three-tailed Tiger Swallowtail, Dreischwänziger Tigerschwalbenschwanz, Machaon de tigre trois filée). Papilio pilumnus is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE from Neotropic ecozone (South America).

Description

The forewings are yellow. The margin is black and include a chain of yellow spots. There are three black and broad stripes on wing. Nearby the body there is a black area.
The underside is a copy of upside.

The hind wings are yellow and have three tails. The margin is ridged and black. At the margin there is a chain of big yellow spots. There is a broad black area on wing. In this area there are two red, black and blue eyes. There are also two blue spots. In the middle of wing tere are one long and broad black stip and one short and small black strip.
The underside is a copy of upside, but there is more blue and red on wing.

The body is black with yellow stripes.

Sex differences: None.

Distribution

The Three-Tailed Swallowtail (Papilio pilumnus) is a butterfly of the Neotropic ecozone (South America) and the Nearctic ecozone (North America). The distribution extend from Panama and Mexico to the South of USA (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas).

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

Larval food

Lauraceae

General information

The first description of this butterfly was in 1836 by Boisduval. There are no subspecies.

The distribution of Three-tailed Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio pilumnus) overlap with the distribution of the Two-Tailed Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata).

The following differentiators are very useful to differ these similar species.

The Two-Tailed Tiger Swallowtail has one eye on hind wings and four small tiger stripes on Forewings.
The Three-tailed Tiger Swallowtail has two eyes on hind wings and three broad tiger stripes on Forewings.

Protection provisions / Red List

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

-no entry- (as at 23.06.2005)
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/)