''Battus polystictus'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

from the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Papilionidae Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies in the family Papilionidae, and include over 550 species. Though the majority are tropical, members of the family inhabit every continent except Antarctica. The family includes the larges ...

that is found in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. Male and female are less dimorphic than in related species as regards wing shape and pattern, but the male has a prominent pale yellow lengthwise stripe on the upperside of its abdomen. The larvae feed on ''

Aristolochia brasiliensis ''Aristolochia labiata'', the mottled Dutchman's pipe or rooster flower, is an ornamental plant which is native to Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both ...

'', ''

Aristolochia fimbriata ''Aristolochia fimbriata'' is a species of perennial plant in the family Aristolochiaceae The Aristolochiaceae () are a family, the birthwort family, of flowering plants with seven genera and about 400 known species belonging to the order Pi ...

'' and ''

Aristolochia triangularis ''Aristolochia'' () is a large plant genus with over 500 species that is the type genus of the family Aristolochiaceae. Its members are commonly known as birthwort, pipevine or Dutchman's pipe and are widespread and occur in the most diverse clima ...

''.

Subspecies

*''Battus polystictus polystictus'' (Brazil: Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina: Misiones, Corrientes to Buenos Aires) Möhn, 1999, ''Butterflies of the World'' 5: 7, plate 9, figures 1-4, plate 19, figures 1-2.Edwin Möhn, 2002 ''Schmetterlinge der Erde, Butterflies of the world'' Part V (5), Papilionidae II:Battus. Edited by Erich Bauer and Thomas Frankenbach Keltern : Goecke & Evers ; Canterbury : Hillside Books. *''Battus polystictus galenus'' (Fruhstorfer, 1907) (Brazil: Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro) Möhn, 1999, Butterflies of the World 5: 7, plate 9, figures 5-6.

References

*Lewis, H. L., 1974 ''Butterflies of the World'' Page 23, figure 4. polystictus Papilionidae of South America Lepidoptera of Brazil Butterflies described in 1874 Taxa named by Arthur Gardiner Butler {{Papilionidae-stub