''Papilio charopus'', the tailed green-banded swallowtail, 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 ...

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 ...

from the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Papilio ''Papilio'' is a genus in the swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae, as well as the only representative of the tribe Papilionini. The word ''papilio'' is Latin for butterfly. It includes the common yellow swallowtail (''Papilio machaon''), ...

'' that is found in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea ( es, Guinea Ecuatorial; french: Guinée équatoriale; pt, Guiné Equatorial), officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( es, link=no, República de Guinea Ecuatorial, french: link=no, République de Guinée équatoria ...

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

, and

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...

Subspecies

*''Papilio charopus charopus'' (Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea: Bioko) *''Papilio charopus juventus'' Le Cerf, 1924 (TL: Congo Republic emliki Valley Congo Republic (Ituri, Kivu), western Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi) yn. = ''P. c. montuosus'' (Joicey & Talbot, 1927; Encycl. Ent. (B3) 2 (1): 2; (TL: Congo Republic [N.W. Kivu, Upper Iowa Valley, near msisisi, 5000-6000ft, junior synonym]

Habitat

Highland forests (Congolian forests, Lower Guinean forests).

Status

Fairly common and not threatened.

Description

The ground colour is black. The markings are metallic blue. The blue band reaches the hind wing margin in area lb.Seitz- Apex of the forewing produced and the distal margin therefore distinctly excised at the end of veins 5 and 6; forewing beneath with four large yellowish submarginal spots in cellules 1 b—4; the blue median band of the upper surface gradually and very considerably widened posteriorly, so that the spots of cellules 2 and 8 of the hindwing are very long and cover much more than half their cellules; the submarginal spots of the hindwing beneath of the ground-colour and consequently only indicated by their silver rings. — Ashanti to the Cameroons. Aurivillius, .O.. 1908-1924. In: Seitz, A. ''Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde'' Band 13: Abt. 2, ''Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die afrikanischen Tagfalter'', 1925, 613 Seiten, 80 Tafeln (The Macrolepidoptera of the World 13).Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart.

Taxonomy

''Papilio charopus'' belongs to a

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, ...

called the ''nireus''

species group In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

with 15 members. The pattern is black with green or blue bands and spots and the butterflies, although called swallowtails lack tails with the exception of this species ''Papilio charopus'' and ''Papilio hornimani''. The clade members are: *'' Papilio aristophontes'' Oberthür, 1897 *''

Papilio nireus ''Papilio nireus'', the green-banded swallowtail, narrow-banded blue swallowtail, or African blue-banded swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa. Description The wingspan is in males and in fe ...

'' Linnaeus, 1758 *''Papilio charopus'' Westwood, 1843 *''

Papilio chitondensis ''Papilio chitondensis'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Angola. Taxonomy ''Papilio chitondensis'' belongs to a clade called the ''nireus'' species group with 15 members. The pattern is black ...

'' de Sousa & Fernandes, 1966 *'' Papilio chrapkowskii'' Suffert, 1904 *''

Papilio chrapkowskoides ''Papilio chrapkowskoides'', the broadly green-banded swallowtail, is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in the Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberi ...

'' Storace, 1952 *''

Papilio desmondi ''Papilio desmondi'', the Desmond's green-banded swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Africa. The larvae feed on '' Vepris eugeniifolia'', other ''Vepris'' species, ''Clausena'', ''Zanthoxylum'', ''Calodendrum' ...

'' van Someren, 1939 *''

Papilio hornimani ''Papilio hornimani'', the Hornimans green-banded swallowtail or Horniman's swallowtail, is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in the highland forests of Kenya and Tanzania. The larvae feed on ''Vepris' ...

'' Distant, 1879 *''

Papilio interjectana ''Papilio interjectana'', the Van Someren's green-banded swallowtail, is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Uganda and Kenya.Papilio manlius ''Papilio manlius'' is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is endemic to Mauritius. Description The discal band of the forewing in both sexes only composed of three spots (in cellules 3, 4 and in the cell); that of the hindwin ...

'' Fabricius, 1798 *''

Papilio microps ''Papilio microps'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Ethiopia and Somalia. Taxonomy ''Papilio microps'' belongs to an Afrotropical clade called the ''nireus'' species group with 15 members. Th ...

'' Storace, 1951 *''

Papilio sosia ''Papilio sosia'', the medium green-banded swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in the Afrotropical realm. The species was first described by Walter Rothschild in 1903. Description Forewing above in cellules 1 b ...

'' Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 *''

Papilio thuraui ''Papilio thuraui'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and the Republic of the Congo. Description Blue median band absent and a complete series of blue submarginal spots i ...

'' Karsch, 1900 *''

Papilio ufipa ''Papilio ufipa'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Tanzania. The habitat consists of riparian and montane forests at altitudes from 1000 to 2400 meters. Taxonomy ''Papilio ufipa'' belongs to a ...

'' Carcasson, 1961 *''

Papilio wilsoni ''Papilio wilsoni'' is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in Ethiopia. Taxonomy ''Papilio wilsoni'' belongs to a clade called the ''nireus'' species-group with 15 members. The pattern is black with green bands and spots and ...

'' Rothschild, 1926

References

*Carcasson, R.H. (1960). "The Swallowtail Butterflies of East Africa (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae)". ''Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society'
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Key to East Africa members of the species group, diagnostic and other notes and figures. (Permission to host granted by The East Africa Natural History Society charopus Butterflies described in 1843 {{Papilionidae-stub