''Papilio aristophontes'' is a species of

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 ...

in the family

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 ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Comoros The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. It ...

. It is listed as a red list species due to its rarity and the threats to its survival. The eggs are laid on the plant ''

Toddalia asiatica ''Zanthoxylum asiaticum'' is a species of plant in the family Rutaceae. Under its synonym ''Toddalia asiatica'', it was the only species in the monotypic genus ''Toddalia'', now included in ''Zanthoxylum''. It is known by the English name orange c ...

'', but the caterpillars have been reared on other members of the

Rutaceae The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in BoDD – Botanical Derm ...

in captivity.

Description

Male: The upper forewing of the male is black with an iridescent blue bands and five blue spots. The under hindwing is black with an iridescent blue band and a row of blue submarginal spots. The hindwing has a scalloped margin and no tail. The lower forewing is entirely blackish-brown and the lower hindwing is red-brown with black veins. The lower hindwing has a narrow cream submarginal band with silver reflections. Female: The female is olive-green and brown. The upper forewing and under hindwing are brown with a dull olive green median band and a submarginal band consisting of yellowish-olive lunules. These are continuous over both wings. The lower forewing and the lower hindwing are red-brown with a silvery submarginal band which is continuous over both wings. There is a fawn brown median band on the hindwing with pinkish-grey scales on the outside, and a white abdominal spot.

Taxonomy

''Papilio aristophontes'' belongs to an Afrotropical

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 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 ''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 ''Papilio charopus'', the tailed green-banded swallowtail, is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus ''Papilio'' that is found in Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. Subspecies *' ...

'' 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 In some works ''aristophontes'' is ranked as a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of ''Papilio nireus''. D'Abrera, following Carcasson, recently reinstated it to full species rank.

References

Sources

External links

Swallowtails.net
Images. Lepidoptera of the Comoros aristophontes Endemic fauna of the Comoros Butterflies described in 1897 Taxa named by Charles Oberthür Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{papilionidae-stub