''Papilio cyproeofila'', the common white-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 ...
of
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
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
,
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
,
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
,
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
,
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
,
Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
and
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 ...
.
The larvae feed on ''
Piper
Piper may refer to:
People
* Piper (given name)
* Piper (surname)
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics
* Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe
* Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe
Television
* Piper Chapman, lea ...
'' species.
Subspecies
*''Papilio cyproeofila cyproeofila'' (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, western Nigeria)
*''Papilio cyproeofila praecyola''
Suffert, 1904 (eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic)
Taxonomy
It is a member of the ''zenobia''
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 ...
. In the ''zenobia'' group the basic upperside wing pattern is black with white or yellowish bands and spots. The underside is brown and
basally there is a red area marked with black stripes and spots. In the
discal area there is a yellowish band with black stripes and veins. Females resemble ''
Amauris
''Amauris'' is a genus of nymphalid butterflies in the Danainae subfamily. ''Amauris niavius niavius'', ''Amauris echeria jacksoni'', and ''Amauris dominicanus'' are mimicked by ''Papilio dardanus'' females. Other mimics of ''Amauris'' are fou ...
'' butterflies. Both sexes lack tails.
The
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, ...
members are:
*''Papilio cyproeofila''
Butler, 1868
*''
Papilio fernandus
''Papilio fernandus'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Equatorial Guinea.
Taxonomy
It is a member of the ''zenobia'' species group. In the ''zenobia'' group the basic upperside wing pattern is bla ...
''
Fruhstorfer, 1903
*''
Papilio filaprae
''Papilio filaprae'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. The species was first described by ...
''
Suffert, 1904
*''
Papilio gallienus
''Papilio gallienus'', the narrow-banded swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the central part of the Republic of the Congo.
Taxonomy
''Papilio gallie ...
''
Distant, 1879
*''
Papilio mechowi
''Papilio mechowi'' is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae found in Africa.
Subspecies
*''Papilio mechowi mechowi'' (Cameroon, Congo, Central African Republic, southern Sudan, Uganda, Republic of the Congo, Angola)
*''Papilio mechowi whitnall ...
''
Dewitz, 1881
*''
Papilio mechowianus
''Papilio mechowianus'' is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Angola and the Republic of the Congo.
Taxonomy
It is a member of the ''zenobia'' species group. In the ''zenobia'' group the basic uppers ...
''
Dewitz, 1885
*''
Papilio nobicea
''Papilio nobicea'', the Volta swallowtail, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in Ghana and Togo. The habitat consists of forests in mountainous terrain.
Taxonomy
It is a member of the ''zenobia'' species group. In the ''ze ...
''
Suffert, 1904
*''
Papilio zenobia
''Papilio zenobia'', the Zenobia swallowtail or Volta swallowtail, is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the ...
''
Fabricius, 1775
Description
It is very similar to ''
Papilio gallienus
''Papilio gallienus'', the narrow-banded swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the central part of the Republic of the Congo.
Taxonomy
''Papilio gallie ...
'' but has cream-white rather than cream-yellow bands and these are not curved on the inner edge
[Larsen, Torben B., 2005 ''Butterflies of West Africa''. Apollo Books Stenstrup, Denmark .]
References
External links
swallowtails.netImages
Global Butterfly Information SystemImages (as subgenus ''Druryia'')
cyproeofila
Butterflies described in 1868
Butterflies of Africa
Taxa named by Arthur Gardiner Butler
{{Papilionidae-stub