Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Serville
Swordtail
Eurytides serville
GODART, 1824
Family - PAPILIONIDAE
subfamily -
PAPILIONINAE
Tribe - LEPTOCIRCINI
Eurytides
serville,
male, Catarata Bayoz, Le Merced, Peru
Introduction
The
genus
Eurytides
is comprised of 7 neotropical species. They are closely allied to
Protesilaus
and
Protographium,
the three genera being known collectively as Swordtails, due to the long narrow
projections on their hindwings.
This
species is found in Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
Habitats
Eurytides serville
is found in association with primary rainforest at
altitudes from sea level to about 800m, in the foothills of the eastern Andes,
and the lowlands of the upper Amazonian region.
Lifecycle
I have no information regarding this particular species, but the following
descriptions apply generally to the genus
Eurytides
:
The
eggs are typically white, globular, and laid singly on the young leaves of Guatteria, Annona
or Sapranthus
( Annonaceae ). Females tend to repeatedly visit a chosen plant, upon which they
may lay several eggs during the course of a few hours.
The
larvae are wedge-shaped, tapering towards the tail end, and with the thoracic
segments enlarged. They are generally greenish, marbled or spotted with darker
markings, and are not adorned with spines or tubercles. They normally rest with
the head and tail slightly raised.
As
with all other Papilionids the larvae are equipped with an eversible osmaterium
- a pair of fleshy forks on the first segment, from which airborne chemical
compounds are disseminated. Various theories have been postulated as to the
purpose of these pungent odours, which appear to have no effect on avian
predators or dipteran parasitoids. It has been suggested that they may serve to
warn off ants that might otherwise molest them.
The
pupae are usually brownish, with a prominent thoracic keel, and resemble small
pieces of dirty wood. They are always fixed vertically by the cremaster and a
silken girdle to twigs.
Adult behaviour
This species is normally encountered as solitary males, which
descend from the canopy to imbibe mineralised moisture from the
edge of puddles or ditches. When feeding the butterflies are
usually quite oblivious of human intruders - the specimen in the
photograph above received about 20 mins of close attention from a
group of 4 photographers, but showed no signs of the nervousness
that is commonly found with other Swordtail species.
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