''Papilio prexaspes'', the blue Helen, is a

swallowtail butterfly 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 large ...

found in Southeast Asia. The race found in the

Andaman Andaman may refer to: * Andaman Islands * Andaman Sea * ''Andaman'' (1998 film), a Kannada-language film * ''Andaman'' (2016 film), a Tamil-language film * ''Andaman'' (2021 film), a Hindi-language film See also * Andaman and Nicobar Islands ...

and

Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean. They are located in Southeast Asia, northwest of Aceh on Sumatra, and separated from Thailand to the east by the Andaman Sea. Located southeast of the Indian s ...

, ''Papilio prexaspes andamanicus'' (earlier placed under ''Papilio fuscus''), is also known as the Andaman Helen.

Description

The taxonomic description below is of race ''prexaspes'' and is taken from Charles Thomas Bingham's 1907 book (in the public domain): NovaraExpZoologischeTheilLepidopteraAtlasTaf15

NovaraExpZoologischeTheilLepidopteraAtlasTaf15

Closely resembles ''
Papilio chaon ''Papilio nephelus'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae. Subspecies include ''P. n. chaon'', the yellow Helen, and ''P. n. sunatus'', the black and white Helen. Description ''Papilio nephelus'' has a w ...
'', from which it differs as follows: smaller; fore wing more produced, its termen concave. Male has the ground colour of the upperside of the wings a more brownish sooty-black. Hind wing with the upper discal white patch extended into interspace 4, most usually very slightly so, often represented only by a very small spot of white scaling, a white spot also above the tornal angle. Underside, fore wing: the internervular brownish-yellow streaks limited to the apical area of the wing. Hind wing: the upper discal patch extended to the dorsum in a series of three pure white not ochraceous-tinted spots, a more or less incomplete postdiscal series of lunules formed of diffuse blue scales, and the subterminal series of ochraceous lunules of a darker colour and smaller than in ''chaon''; the rest as in ''chaon''. The upperside of the wing in females has the ground-colour paler than in ''chaon''. Fore wing with an ill-defined broad pale discal band perceptibly widened and becoming whitish opposite apex of cell. Hind wing: the extension into interspace 4 of the upper discal white patch more pronounced than in the male, the small white spot above the tornal angle followed in some specimens by a blue ill-defined lunule and an ochraceous spot. Underside, fore wing: the transverse discal hand white and much more prominent than on the upperside. Hind wing: the postdiscal series of blue lunules generally complete and well-marked: the rest as in the male.

Taxonomy

''Papilio prexaspes'' is a member of the ''fuscus'' species group. The members of this

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

are: * ''

Papilio albinus ''Papilio albinus'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in west Western New Guinea and Papua New Guinea. The species was first described by Alfred Russel Wallace in 1865. Subspecies *''Papilio albinus ...

'' Wallace, 1865 * ''

Papilio diophantus ''Papilio diophantus'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Sumatra. Description Upperside. Dark brown. Anterior wing broader and not so curved on the costal margin as in ''Papilio helenus'' , which ...

'' Grose-Smith, 1883 * ''

Papilio fuscus ''Papilio fuscus'', the Canopus swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae, that is found on Timor, northern Australia, and New Guinea. The wingspan is about 80 mm. The larvae feed on Rutaceae species. Subspecies *''P. f. fus ...

'' Goeze, 1779 * ''

Papilio hipponous ''Papilio hipponous'' is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in the Philippines. The larvae feed on ''Citrus'' species. Subspecies *''Papilio hipponous bazilanus'' Fruhstorfer, 1899 (Philippines (Basilan, Mindanao)) *''Papilio h ...

'' C. & R. Felder, 1862 * ''

Papilio jordani ''Papilio jordani'', the Jordan's swallowtail, is a vulnerable species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is endemic to northern Sulawesi in Indonesia. Taxonomy ''Papilio jordani'' is a member of the ''fuscus'' species group. The membe ...

'' Fruhstorfer, 1906 * ''

Papilio pitmani ''Papilio pitmani'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Burma, Thailand and Vietnam. Subspecies *''Papilio pitmani pitmani'' *''Papilio duboisi'' Vitalis de Salvaza, 1921 (central Vietnam) Taxonom ...

'' Elwes & de Nicéville,

887 __NOTOC__ Year 887 (Roman numerals, DCCCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * November 17 – East Frankish magnates revolt against the ...

/small> * ''Papilio prexaspes'' C. & R. Felder, 1865 * ''

Papilio sakontala ''Papilio sakontala'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in India. Taxonomy The taxonomic rank of ''Papilio sakontala'' is uncertain. It is a member of the ''fuscus'' species-group. The members of th ...

'' Hewitson, 1864

References

External links

* http://yutaka.it-n.jp/pap/10410010.html * https://web.archive.org/web/20091028145941/http://geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/2382/papilionidae/bluhelen.htm {{Taxonbar, from=Q7132956 prexaspes Butterflies of Indochina Butterflies of Asia Butterflies of Malaysia Butterflies of Singapore Lepidoptera of Thailand Insects of Myanmar Insects of Vietnam Butterflies described in 1779

Description

Taxonomy

See also

References

Other reading

External links