Papilio protenor (Spangle)

Papilio protenor, also called Spangle is a butterfly from Australasia / Indomalaya ecozone (Australia). The first description was in 1775 by Cramer. The wingspan is about 10 – 13 cm. This butterfly is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE. The basic colour of Papilio protenor is brown or black.
Photos for easy identification
Here you can see some photos of Papilio protenor (Spangle) (male above / female below). Papilio protenor is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE from Australasia / Indomalaya (Australia).
Description
The fore wings are dark-brown. The veins are black.
The underside of Papilio protenor is very similar to the upside.
The hind wings of Papilio protenor are black. The edge is wavy. The bigger part of the wing is spotted by whitish-blue scales. At the inner edge there is a red eye-spot. At the front edge there is a yellow stripe.
The underside is black. Four red spots dominate the wing.
The body (abdomen) is brown. The thorax and the head are also brown.
Sex differences: The basic colour of the female is brown. At the upside of the hind wings there are red spots. The female has more red-spots at the underside than the male.
Distribution
Larval food
Rutaceae:
- Citrus sp.
- Zanthoxylum nitidum
- Zanthoxylum piperitum
General information
The first description of this butterfly was in 1775 by Cramer. There are four subspecies.
Here you can see the subspecies Papilio protenor demetrius (male left; female right).
Here you can see the subspecies Papilio protenor euprotenor (male left; female right).
Here you can see the subspecies Papilio protenor liukiudensis (male left; female right).
Macro photos
Protection provisions / Red List
- CITES: (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):
-no entry- (as at 22.05.2009) - EU regulation on trading with species of wild Fauna and Flora
-no entry- (as at 07.07.2009) - IUCN Red List of threatened species:
-no entry- (as at 2009) (see: www. redlist.org/)
Similar and closely-related species
Papilio alcmenor C. & R. Felder 1864 (Redbreast)
Scientific name
Papilio protenor Cramer 1775
Other names
Spangle
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: PROTENOR