''Pachliopta polydorus'', the red-bodied swallowtail, is a

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 ...

found in north-eastern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

.http://en.butterflycorner.net/Pachliopta-polydorus.531.0.html Butterfly Corner

Description

The forewings are black, with white internervular shading. The hindwings have scalloped edges, are black and have no tails. The hindwing has a line of dark-red postdiscal spots. In the middle of wing there is a big white discal patch. The underside of both wings are the same as the above side, but the underside has brighter red spots. The body is black with a red

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

. The sexes are alike. Average wingspan size is 72 mm for males and 76 mm for females.

Life history

The larva is mottled brown with the rows of red and yellow fleshy tubercles typical of

Troidini Troidini is a tribe of swallowtail butterflies that consists of some 135 species in 12 genera. Members of this tribe are superlatively large among butterflies (in terms of both wingspan and surface area) and are often strikingly coloured. Genera ...

. The larval food plants are in the genus ''

Aristolochia ''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 ...

'' - '' Aristolochia chalmersii'', ''

Aristolochia indica ''Aristolochia indica'' (native language: Garudakkodi / Eswaramooli) is a creeper plant found in Southern India and also Sri Lanka. It Is known as 'sapsada' in Sri Lanka and is critical to the survival of the southern birdwing and common birdwin ...

'', ''

Aristolochia tagala ''Aristolochia tagala'' is commonly known as Indian birthwort and locally as Dutchman's pipe. Distribution It is widely distributed: the distribution is from the Himalaya to Sri Lanka through South East Asia (includes Myanmar, Indonesia, Indoc ...

'', ''

Aristolochia thozetii ''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 ...

'', ''

Aristolochia australopithecurus ''Pararistolochia australopithecurus'', synonym ''Pararistolochia australopithecurus'', is an Australian plant in the Aristolochiaceae or birthwort family, native to Queensland. It is a rainforest vine and the host plant for the Cairns birdwing ...

'', ''

Aristolochia deltantha ''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 ...

'', ''

Aristolochia linearifolia ''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 ...

'', ''

Aristolochia peninsulensis ''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 ...

''. The pupa is white with brown marks. The dorsum is concave, and there is a row of flanges along each side. The pupal length is 3 cm.

Distribution

Indonesia (Moluccas (not Morotai, but including Seram and Ambon), Tanimbar, Irian Jaya, Kai, Aru, Waigeu and Skouten Islands), Papua New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago (including New Britain), Bougainville, Solomons (including San Cristobal and Ulawa Island), Trobriand Islands, D'Entrecasteaux Islands, Louisiade Archipelago and Australia (northern Queensland).

Status

It is generally common and not threatened as a species, though some subspecies may be threatened.

Subspecies

The following subspecies are recognised: (up to thirty-one subspecies are described) *''P. p. aignanus '' othschild/small> *''P. p. asinius'' ruhstorfer/small> *''P. p. dampierensis''

agen The communes of France, commune of Agen (, ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne Departments of France, department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. ...

/small> *''P. p. godartianus''

ucas The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS ) is a UK-based organisation whose main role is to operate the application process for British universities. It operates as an independent charity, funded by fees charged to applicants an ...

/small> *''P. p. humboldti '' othschild/small> *''P. p. kajelanus'' ruhstorfer/small> *''P. p. lascarus'' ruhstorfer/small> *''P. p. leodamas'' allace/small> *''P. p. manus'' albot/small> *''P. p. meforanus'' othschild/small> *''P. p. naissus'' ruhstorfer/small> *''P. p. novobritannicus'' othschild/small> *''P. p. orinomus'' othschild/small> *''P. p. polydaemon'' athew/small> *''P. p. queenslandicus'' othschild, 1895/small> *''P. p. septentrionalis'' othschild/small> *''P. p. tenimberensis'' othschild/small> *''P. p. thessalia'' winhoe/small> *''P. p. utuanensis'' ibbe/small> *''P. p. varus'' ruhstorfer/small>

Gallery

Red-bodied Swallowtail f7 9628.jpg, Red-bodied swallowtail, Cairns, Australia.

References

* *Heidelberger, D., and J. B. Heppner. 1999. ''Pachliopta polydorus'' biology in Queensland, Australia (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). ''Tropical Lepidoptera'' 10(1): 18
pdf (pars)

External links

The Global Butterfly Information System
Taxonomic history. Images of subspecies. {{Taxonbar, from=Q4817676 Butterflies of Australia Butterflies described in 1763 Pachliopta Butterflies of Oceania Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus