Butterflies of the
Indian subcontinent
Five-bar Swordtail
Graphium
antiphates
CRAMER, 1775
Family - PAPILIONIDAE
subfamily -
PAPILIONINAE
Tribe - LEPTOCIRCINI
|
 |
|
Graphium
antiphates,
male |
Introduction
This beautiful species was for many years placed in a genus of
its own, Pathysa, but taxonomists
have since decided that it should be transferred back to its
original genus Graphium.
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
antiphates and
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
antiphates and the African policenes have very
long sword-like tails, while in others such as
sarpedon and
eurypylus the tails are greatly
reduced or absent.
Graphium
antiphates is a
widespread and common species, found from India to south
China; and south through peninsular Malaysia to Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Bali.
Habitats
This species is found in primary rainforest at elevations
between sea level and about 400 metres.
Lifecycle
The caterpillar reportedly feeds on Annona,
Desmos
and Uvaria, all members of the
Annonaceae.
Adult behaviour
Males of this
fast flying species often migrate along river courses, where
they commonly aggregate with other
Graphium species to imbibe mineralised moisture. While
feeding the normally quiver the wings rapidly.
In common with
many other
species they filter-feed, using their proboscises to suck up water from which they extract sodium and other
minerals. They constantly pump water through their bodies,
expelling the surplus from the anus, using it to dissolve further
minerals from the ground, which they re-imbibe.
|
