''Papilio pelodurus'' 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

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

and

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

. The larvae feed on '' Cryptocarya liebertiana'' and ''

Ocotea usambarensis ''Ocotea usambarensis'' is a species of ''Ocotea'' (family Lauraceae), native to eastern Africa in Kenya, Tanga Region of Tanzania, and locally in Uganda, where it occurs at 1600–2600 m altitude in high rainfall montane cloud forest. Common ...

''.

Taxonomy

''Papilio pelodurus'' is a member of the ''hesperus'' species-group. The members of 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, ...

are *''

Papilio hesperus ''Papilio hesperus'', the black and yellow swallowtail or Hesperus swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Africa. The larvae feed on ''Beilschmiedia'' species, including '' Beilschmiedia ugandensis''. Taxonomy '' ...

'' Westwood, 1843 *''

Papilio euphranor ''Papilio euphranor'', the forest swallowtail or bush kite, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in southern Africa. The wingspan is 80–100 mm in males and 90–110 mm in females. It has two flight periods from J ...

'' Trimen, 1868 *''

Papilio horribilis ''Papilio horribilis'' is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in southern Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Ghana. The larvae possibly feed on ''Beilschmiedia manni''. Taxonomy ''Papilio horribilis'' is a member of ...

'' Butler, 1874 *''Papilio pelodurus'' Butler, 1896

Subspecies

*''Papilio pelodurus pelodurus'' (highland forest of Malawi) *''Papilio pelodurus vesper'' Le Cerf, 1924 Le Cerf, F. 1924 Catalogue annote des “types” et formes nouvelles des Papilios d’Afrique contenus dans la collection du “ Hill Museum”. ''Bulletin of the Hill Museum'', Wiley (eastern and southern Tanzania, north-eastern Zambia, northern Malawi)

References

pelodorus Butterflies described in 1896 Butterflies of Africa Taxa named by Arthur Gardiner Butler {{Papilionidae-stub