Butterflies of
the Indian
subcontinent
Tailed Jay
Graphium agamemnon
LINNAEUS, 1758
Family - PAPILIONIDAE
subfamily -
PAPILIONINAE
Tribe - LEPTOCIRCINI
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Graphium agamemnon,
male |
Introduction
The genus Graphium is widespread in
the Old World, with 35 species in the Afrotropical region, 14 in
the Oriental region, 6 in the Holarctic ( south & west China )
and 20 in the Australian region.
Most of the
Oriental and Australasian species are characterised by the
presence of a pattern of
translucent green, turquoise or yellowish "windows" in their
wings. There are a few however such as
aristeus from New Guinea and the Oriental species
euphrates which are predominantly
white, marked with vertical black stripes. Arguably the most
beautiful and unusual of all is weiskei
from Papua, a tailed species patterned with vivid pink and green
on a dark brown ground colour.
Several Graphium species such as
the African policenes have very
long sword-like tails. Some of the Oriental species e.g.
codrus,
cloanthus and certain races of agamemnon
have short tails, but in others including
sarpedon, doson and
eurypylus the tails are greatly
reduced or absent.
Graphium agamemnon is one of the
most widespread species in the genus, being found from India and
Sri Lanka to Hong Kong, and through the archipelago to Papua New
Guinea, Queensland and the Solomon Islands.
Habitats
This species is found in open habitats including forest
clearings, riverbanks and beach hinterlands, at elevations
between sea level and about 500 metres.
Lifecycle
The smooth,
spherical, pale green eggs are laid singly on the upperside of
young leaves of sapling trees in the
family Annonaceae. Species used include
Ancana, Annona,
Cyathostemma,
Desmos, Fitzalania,
Friesodeilsia,
Goniothalamus,
Haplostichanthus,
Melodorum,
Mitrephora, Oncodostigma,
Pseuduvaria,
Rauwenhoffia, Rollinia,
Saccopetalum, Uvaria and
Xylopia. Larvae have also been found on
Michelia ( Magnoliaceae ) and
Cinnamomum ( Lauraceae ).
When young the
caterpillar is ochreous-brown, with a white saddle on the rear
segments. The anal segment and each of the thoracic segments is
adorned with a pair of short multi-branches spines. Throughout
its life the caterpillar habitually rests on the upperside of a
leaf, along the midrib, and feeds by nibbling large chunks from
the tip of the leaf, but leaving the midrib intact.
The mature
caterpillar is plump, mid green in colour, with small suffused
blotches of darker green. The spines by this stage are much
reduced, becoming nothing more than a set of tiny black spikes.
The chrysalis
is pale green or light brown, with a brown-tipped thoracic horn.
It is attached by the cremaster and a silken girdle to the
underside of a leaf.
Adult behaviour
Graphium species are generally more
robust than their relatives in Papilio,
and have a stronger and more purposeful flight.
Both sexes
commonly nectar at flowering bushes, particularly favouring
Lantana.
Prior to mating both sexes can
often be seen circling around the tops of flowering trees, using
these as assembly points where courtship takes place.
After mating,
males visit damp sand and gravel to obtain essential minerals to
replace those lost during sperm transfer. G.
agamemnon
however does not visit sandbanks
or river beaches in such numbers as its relative
sarpedon - a typical aggregation
might for example consist of 50 sarpedon, 20
doson and just 1 or 2
agamemnon.
In common with
the other aforementioned Graphium
species, agamemnon males adopt the
"filter-feeding" technique - using their proboscises to
continually suck up water from which they extract sodium and other
minerals. They constantly pump the water through their bodies,
expelling the surplus from the anus, using it to dissolve further
minerals from the ground, which they re-imbibe.
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