Butterflies of
Africa
Narrow-banded Green
Swallowtail
Papilio nireus
LINNAEUS, 1758
Family - PAPILIONIDAE
subfamily -
PAPILIONINAE
Tribe - PAPILIONINI
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Papilio nireus,
Wli Falls, Ghana / Togo border |
Introduction
In Africa there
are about 90 known species of Papilionidae, of which
60 are placed in Papilio - a huge genus comprising
of 210 species worldwide.
There are several untailed,
green-banded species, including chrapkowskoides
which has very broad metallic green bands on it's dark brown upperside; and
sosia which is similar but has more bluish bands.
Papilio nireus, as it's vernacular name implies,
has very narrow bands, and these can vary in colour from turquoise to metallic
lime green in colour. All three species have similar undersides.
Papilio
nireus is found in forested regions throughout most of sub-Saharan
Africa, but is absent from Madagascar and the Comores.
Habitats
This is a forest species, most commonly seen along logging roads or in secondary
forest, but it also penetrates savannah habitats where it flies along riparian
edges. It has migratory tendencies, so can also be found in botanical gardens,
arboreta, parks and even occasionally in city gardens.
Lifecycle
The
larval foodplants include Fagara,
Calodendron, Clausena,
Citrus and Teclea (
Rutaceae ).
Adult behaviour
Males commonly settle at damp patches
on logging roads, often in groups of 4 or 5, to imbibe mineralised
moisture. Both sexes visit Tridax,
Eupatorium and various other flowers for nectar.
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