''Papilio chrapkowskoides'', the broadly 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 ...

of swallowtail butterfly from the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

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 the Republic of the Congo,

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

, Rwanda, Burundi,

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 ...

, Guinea,

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 , Sierr ...

, Liberia, Ivory Coast,

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 ...

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...

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 ...

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...

, the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, and

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

Description

The blue or greenish median band of the upper surface is broad, 10—14 mm. broad at the hindmargin of the forewing, 10—17 mm. in the middle of the hindwing and distinctly widened posteriorly; the spot in cellule 2 of the hindwing always completely covers the base of the cellule and the spot in 1 c is very long and always reaches the cell. The green-blue spot in the cell of the forewing above reaches basad at least to the middle of cellule 2; forewing beneath without large yellowish submarginal spots, at the most with a few small spots near to the margin. Sierra Leone to the Congo region and Equatoria.

Biology

The larvae feed on ''

Calodendrum capense ''Calodendrum capense'', the Cape chestnut, is an African tree which was first studied at The Cape in South Africa and cultivated widely for its prolific flower display. The tree obtained the common name of "Cape chestnut" because explorer Willi ...

'', ''

Vepris ''Vepris'' is a genus of plant in family Rutaceae. It comprises around 90 species, mainly from tropical Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands and at a lesser extent Arabia and India. Species , Plants of the World Online (PoWO) accepted ...

'', and ''

Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

'' species.

Subspecies

*''Papilio chrapkowskoides chrapkowskoides'' (eastern Congo Republic, south-western Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, western Tanzania) *''Papilio chrapkowskoides nurettini'' Koçak, 1983 (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Angola, Central African Republic, Congo Republic, western Uganda) *''Papilio chrapkowskoides nerminae'' Koçak, 1983 (São Tomé and Principe) ''Papilio chrapkowskoides nerminae'' is treated as a full species by some authors.

Taxonomy

''Papilio chrapkowskoides'' is a member of the ''

, of which '' Papilio appalachiensis'' and ''

Papilio xuthus ''Papilio xuthus'', the Asian swallowtail, Chinese yellow swallowtail or Xuthus swallowtail, is a yellow-colored, medium to large sized swallowtail butterfly found in northeast Asia, northern Myanmar, southern China, Taiwan, the Korean Penins ...

'' are also members. ''Papilio chrapkowskoides'' belongs to a clade 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 ''Papilio charopus'' and ''Papilio hornimani''. The clade members are: *'' Papilio aristophontes'' Oberthür, 1897 *'' Papilio nireus'' 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'' Storace, 1952 *'' Papilio desmondi'' 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

Description

Reflecting the confused separation between ''Papilio bromius'' and ''P. chrapkowskii''. Very similar to ''P. chrapkowskii'', but pale mottling and submarginal spots below not so well developed. Cilia of

forewing Insect wings are adult outgrowths of the insect exoskeleton that enable insects to fly. They are found on the second and third thoracic segments (the mesothorax and metathorax), and the two pairs are often referred to as the forewings and hindwi ...

black, not white, as in ''P. chrapkowskii''. A somewhat unstable race with frequent transitions to the two previous races: ''P. bromius'' and ''P. chrapkowskii''.Carcasson, R.H. (1960). The Swallowtail Butterflies of East Africa (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae). ''Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society'
pdf
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)

References

chrapkowskoides Butterflies described in 1952 {{Papilionidae-stub