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Butterflies of the Andes
 
Common Swordtail
Protographium agesilaus GUÉRIN-MÉNEVILLE & PERCHERON, 1835
Family - PAPILIONIDAE
subfamily - PAPILIONINAE
Tribe - LEPTOCIRCINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Protographium agesilaus, Madre de Dios, Peru
 
Introduction
 
Butterflies in the genus Protographium are characterised by having translucent whitish or yellowish wings, marked with bands or stripes of black or dark brown. The forewings are decidedly triangular in shape, and the hindwings adorned with a single long sword-like tail. The bodies are relatively short, and the antennal tips strongly recurved.
 
Protographium agesilaus can easily be confused with other Swordtail species, but can be identified by examining the dark bars which cross the discal cell of the forewing. This species has the outer 3 bars all approximately the same length, and reaching almost to the lower edge of the cell. In similar species these bars are of uneven length - the middle of the 3 bars being much shorter or absent.
 
P. agesilaus occurs from Mexico to Bolivia.
 
Protographium agesilaus, Madre de Dios, Peru
 
Habitats
 
This species occurs in lowland rainforests and pre-montane cloudforests at elevations from about 100-1800m.
 
Lifecycle
 
Very little is recorded.
 
The eggs are reportedly laid singly on leaves at the top of trees ( Annonaceae ).
 
The caterpillar, if similar to related species, is probably green, marbled with brownish or pink, and with the thoracic segments enlarged. The chrysalis, again if similar to related species, is likely to have a prominent projection from the thorax, and will be attached vertically to a twig or branch by means of the cremaster and a silken girdle.
 
Protographium agesilaus, Madre de Dios, Peru
 
Adult behaviour

 

Swordtails such as Protographium agesilaus are migratory in behaviour, following river courses as they travel.

 

Males can often be seen gathered on sandbanks, filter-feeding on dissolved minerals by continually pumping water though their bodies. This species invariably congregates in small groups of up to about 15 other Swordtails, either entirely of it's own species, or more frequently with other Leptocercines such as Eurytides dolicaon and Protesilaus protesilaus. These groups are usually well separated from groups of Pierids or Nymphalids feeding on the same sandbank. The entire group usually face into the breeze.

 

 
 
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
 
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