Papilio

Papilio is a genus in the swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae, as well as the only representative of the tribe Papilionini. The word papilio is Latin for butterfly.

It includes the common yellow swallowtail (Papilio machaon), which is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere and the type species of the genus, as well as a number of other well-known North American species such as the western tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus). Familiar species elsewhere in the world include the Mormons (Papilio polytes, Papilio polymnestor, Papilio memnon, and Papilio deiphobus) in Asia, the orchard and Ulysses swallowtails in Australia (Papilio aegeus, Papilio ulysses, respectively) and the citrus swallowtail of Africa (Papilio demodocus).

Older classifications of the swallowtails tended to use many rather small genera. More recent classifications have been more conservative, and as a result a number of former genera are now absorbed within Papilio, such as Achillides, Eleppone, Druryia, Heraclides (giant swallowtails), Menelaides, Princeps, Pterourus (tiger swallowtails), and Sinoprinceps. The genus as recognized by modern systems has about 200 members. The genus Chilasa is regarded as a subgenus of Papilio by some workers, as are the baggy-tailed swallowtails (Agehana), although the latter taxon is usually considered a subgenus of Chilasa.

Many of the larvae resemble bird droppings during a development stage. Adults are edible to birds and some species are mimics.

Ecology

In their larval form, members of Papilio typically feed upon plants of Rutaceae including common ornamental and agriculturally important species such as Citrus species, Murraya species, Choisya species and Calodendrum species. Caterpillars sequester terpenoids from their diet to produce a foul smelling oil used in defence.

Species

Listed alphabetically within groups. subgenus: Papilio Linnaeus, 1758

species group: machaon

Papilio alexanor Esper, 1800 – southern swallowtail Papilio brevicauda Saunders, 1869 – short-tailed swallowtail Papilio hospiton Géné, 1839 – Corsican swallowtail Papilio indra Reakirt, 1866 – Indra swallowtail, short-tailed black swallowtail, or cliff swallowtail Papilio joanae J. Heitzman, 1973 – Ozark swallowtail Papilio machaon Linnaeus, 1758 – Old World swallowtail, common yellow swallowtail, or artemisia swallowtail Papilio polyxenes Fabricius, 1775 – black swallowtail, eastern black swallowtail, American swallowtail, or parsnip swallowtail Papilio saharae Oberthür, 1879 – Sahara swallowtail Papilio zelicaon Lucas, 1852 – anise swallowtail or western swallowtail

subgenus: Princeps Hübner, [1807]

species group: antimachus Papilio antimachus Drury, 1782 – Antimachus swallowtail or giant African swallowtail

species group: zalmoxis Papilio zalmoxis Hewitson, 1864 – giant blue swallowtail

species group: nireus

Papilio aristophontes Oberthür, 1897 Papilio charopus Westwood, 1843 – tailed green-banded swallowtail Papilio chrapkowskii Suffert, 1904 – broad green-banded swallowtail or Chrapkowski's green-banded swallowtail Papilio chrapkowskoides Storace, 1952 – broadly green-banded swallowtail Papilio desmondi van Someren, 1939 – Desmond's green-banded swallowtail Papilio hornimani Distant, 1879 – Horniman's green-banded swallowtail or Horniman's swallowtail Papilio interjectana Vane-Wright, 1995 – Van Someren's green-banded swallowtail Papilio nireus Linnaeus, 1758 – green-banded swallowtail, narrow-banded green swallowtail, or African blue-banded swallowtail Papilio sosia Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 – medium green-banded swallowtail Papilio thuraui Karsch, 1900 Papilio ufipa Carcasson, 1961 Papilio wilsoni Rothschild, 1926

species group: cynorta Papilio arnoldiana Vane-Wright, 1995 Papilio cynorta Fabricius, 1793 – mimetic swallowtail Papilio plagiatus Aurivillius, 1898 – mountain mimetic swallowtail

species group: dardanus

Papilio constantinus Ward, 1871 – Constantine's swallowtail Papilio dardanus Brown, 1776 – mocker swallowtail, flying handkerchief, or African swallowtail Papilio delalandei Godart, [1824] Papilio phorcas Cramer, [1775] – apple-green swallowtail or green banded swallowtail Papilio rex Oberthür, 1886 – regal swallowtail

species group: zenobia Papilio cyproeofila Butler, 1868 – common white-banded swallowtail Papilio fernandus Fruhstorfer, 1903 Papilio filaprae Suffert, 1904 Papilio gallienus Distant, 1879 – narrow-banded swallowtail Papilio mechowi Dewitz, 1881 Papilio mechowianus Dewitz, 1885 Papilio nobicea Suffert, 1904 – Volta swallowtail Papilio zenobia Fabricius, 1775 – Zenobia swallowtail

species group: demodocus

Papilio demodocus Esper, 1799 – citrus swallowtail, citrus butterfly, orange dog, or Christmas butterfly Papilio demoleus Linnaeus, 1758 – (common) lime swallowtail or lime butterfly Papilio erithonioides Grose-Smith, 1891 Papilio grosesmithi Rothschild, 1926 Papilio morondavana Grose-Smith, 1891 – Madagascan emperor

species group: echerioides Papilio echerioides Trimen, 1868 – white-banded swallowtail Papilio fuelleborni Karsch, 1900 Papilio jacksoni Sharpe, 1891 – Jackson's swallowtail Papilio sjoestedti Aurivillius, 1908 – Kilimanjaro swallowtail

species group: oribazus

Papilio epiphorbas Boisduval, 1833 Papilio nobilis Rogenhofer, 1891 – noble swallowtail Papilio oribazus Boisduval, 1836

species group: hesperus Papilio euphranor Trimen, 1868 – forest swallowtail or bush kite Papilio hesperus Westwood, 1843 – emperor swallowtail Papilio horribilis Butler, 1874 Papilio pelodurus Butler, 1896

species group: menestheus

Papilio lormieri Distant, 1874 – central emperor swallowtail Papilio menestheus Drury, 1773 – western emperor swallowtail Papilio ophidicephalus Oberthür, 1878 – emperor swallowtail

species group: incertae sedis

Papilio andronicus Ward, 1871 Papilio chitondensis Bivar de Sousa & Fernandes, 1966 Papilio leucotaenia Rothschild, 1908 – cream-banded swallowtail Papilio luzviae Schröder & Treadaway, 1991 Papilio mackinnoni Sharpe, 1891 – MacKinnon's swallowtail Papilio mangoura Hewitson, 1875 – Mangoura swallowtail Papilio manlius Fabricius, 1798 Papilio microps Storace, 1951 Papilio nobicea Suffert, 1904 Papilio phorbanta Linnaeus, 1771 – small Réunion swallowtail

species group: noblei Papilio antonio Hewitson, [1875] Papilio noblei de Nicéville, [1889]

species group: demolion Papilio demolion Cramer, [1776] – banded swallowtail Papilio euchenor Guérin-Méneville, 1829 Papilio gigon C. Felder & R. Felder, 1864 Papilio liomedon Moore, [1875] – Malabar banded swallowtail

species group: anactus Papilio anactus MacLeay, [1826] – dingy swallowtail Papilio natewa Tennent et al., [2018] – Natewa swallowtail

species group: aegeus Papilio aegeus Donovan, 1805 – orchard swallowtail Papilio bridgei Mathew, 1886 Papilio erskinei Mathew, 1886 Papilio gambrisius Cramer, [1777] Papilio inopinatus Butler, 1883 Papilio ptolychus Godman & Salvin, 1888 Papilio tydeus C. Felder & R. Felder, 1860 Papilio weymeri Niepelt, 1914 Papilio woodfordi Godman & Salvin, 1888 – Woodford's swallowtail

species group: godeffroyi Papilio amynthor Boisduval, 1859 – Norfolk swallowtail Papilio godeffroyi Semper, 1866 – Godeffroy's swallowtail Papilio schmeltzi Herrich-Schäffer, 1869

species group: polytes

Papilio ambrax Boisduval, 1832 – Ambrax butterfly Papilio phestus Guérin-Méneville, 1830 Papilio polytes Linnaeus, 1758 – common Mormon

species group: castor Papilio castor Westwood, 1842 – common raven Papilio dravidarum Wood-Mason, 1880 – Malabar raven Papilio mahadeva Moore, [1879] – Burmese raven

species group: fuscus Papilio albinus Wallace, 1865 Papilio diophantus Grose-Smith, 1883 Papilio fuscus Goeze, 1779 – Canopus butterfly Papilio hipponous C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862 Papilio jordani Fruhstorfer, 1906 – Jordan's swallowtail Papilio pitmani Elwes & de Nicéville, [1887] Papilio prexaspes C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865 – Andaman Helen Papilio sakontala Hewitson, 1864

species group: helenus Papilio helenus Linnaeus, 1758 – red Helen Papilio iswara White, 1842 – great Helen Papilio iswaroides Fruhstorfer, 1898 Papilio nephelus Boisduval, 1836 – yellow Helen Papilio nubilus Staudinger, 1895 Papilio sataspes C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865

species group: memnon

Papilio acheron Grose-Smith, 1887 – Acheron swallowtail Papilio ascalaphus Boisduval, 1836 – Ascalaphus swallowtail Papilio deiphobus Linnaeus, 1758 Papilio forbesi Grose-Smith, 1883 Papilio lampsacus Boisduval, 1836 Papilio lowii H. Druce, 1873 – Asian swallowtail or great yellow Mormon Papilio mayo Atkinson, 1873 – Andaman Mormon Papilio memnon Linnaeus, 1758 – great Mormon Papilio oenomaus Godart, 1819 Papilio polymnestor Cramer, [1775] – blue Mormon Papilio rumanzovia Eschscholtz, 1821 – scarlet Mormon or red Mormon

species group: protenor Papilio alcmenor C. Felder & R. Felder, [1864] – redbreast Papilio macilentus Janson, 1877 Papilio protenor – spangle Papilio taiwanus Rothschild, 1898 – Formosan swallowtail

species group: bootes Papilio bootes Westwood, 1842 – tailed redbreast Papilio elwesi Leech, 1889 Papilio maraho Shiraki & Sonan, 1934

subgenus: Chilasa Moore, [1881]

species group: agestor Papilio agestor Gray, 1831 – tawny mime Papilio epycides Hewitson, [1864] – lesser mime Papilio slateri Hewitson, 1853 – blue-striped mime

species group: clytia Papilio clytia Linnaeus, 1758 – common mime Papilio paradoxa (Zincken, 1831) – great mime

species group: veiovis Papilio veiovis Hewitson, [1865]

species group: laglaizei Papilio laglaizei Depuiset, 1877 Papilio moerneri Aurivillius, 1919 Papilio toboroi Ribbe, 1907

species group: unnamed Papilio carolinensis Jumalon, 1967 Papilio osmana Jumalon, 1967

subgenus: Achillides Hübner, [1819]

species group: paris Papilio arcturus Westwood, 1842 – blue peacock Papilio bianor Cramer, [1777] – Chinese peacock Papilio blumei Boisduval, 1836 – green peacock Papilio chikae Igarashi, 1965 – Luzon peacock swallowtail Papilio dialis Leech, 1893 – southern Chinese peacock Papilio doddsi Janet, 1896 Papilio elephenor Doubleday, 1845 – yellow-crested spangle Papilio hoppo Matsumura, 1908 Papilio karna C. Felder & R. Felder, 1864 Papilio krishna Moore, 1857 – Krishna peacock Papilio longimacula Z.G. Wang & Y. Niu, 2002 Papilio maackii Ménétriés, 1859 – alpine black swallowtail Papilio paris Linnaeus, 1758 – Paris peacock Papilio polyctor Boisduval, 1836 – common peacock

species group: palinurus Papilio blumei Boisduval, 1836 – peacock or green swallowtail Papilio buddha Westwood, 1872 – Malabar banded peacock Papilio crino Fabricius, 1793 – common banded peacock Papilio palinurus Fabricius, 1787 – emerald swallowtail

species group: unnamed Papilio lorquinianus C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865 Papilio neumoegeni Honrath, 1890 Papilio peranthus Fabricius, 1787 Papilio pericles Wallace, 1865

species group: ulysses Papilio montrouzieri Boisduval, 1859 Papilio syfanius Oberthür, 1886 Papilio ulysses Linnaeus, 1758 – Ulysses, mountain blue, blue emperor, or blue mountain swallowtail

subgenus: Heraclides Hübner, [1819]

species group: anchisiades

Papilio anchisiades Esper, 1788 – ruby-spotted swallowtail or red-spotted swallowtail Papilio chiansiades Westwood, 1872 Papilio epenetus Hewitson, 1861 Papilio erostratus Westwood, 1847 – Erostratus swallowtail Papilio hyppason Cramer, 1775 Papilio isidorus Doubleday, 1846 Papilio oxynius (Geyer, [1827]) Papilio pelaus Fabricius, 1775 Papilio rogeri Boisduval, 1836

species group: thoas

Papilio andraemon (Hübner, [1823]) – Bahaman swallowtail Papilio androgeus Cramer, [1775] – Androgeus swallowtail, queen page, or queen swallowtail Papilio aristodemus Esper, 1794 – Schaus' swallowtail or island swallowtail Papilio aristor Godart, 1819 – scarce Haitian swallowtail Papilio astyalus Godart, 1819 – broad-banded swallowtail or Astyalus swallowtail Papilio caiguanabus Poey, [1852] – Poey's black swallowtail Papilio cresphontes Cramer, [1777] – eastern giant swallowtail Papilio homothoas Rothschild & Jordan, 1906 Papilio machaonides Esper, 1796 Papilio melonius Rothschild & Jordan, 1906 Papilio ornythion Boisduval, 1836 – Ornythion swallowtail Papilio paeon Boisduval, 1836 Papilio rumiko (Shiraiwa & Grishin, 2014) Papilio thersites Fabricius, 1775 – Thersites swallowtail or false Androgeus swallowtail Papilio thoas Linnaeus, 1771 – Thoas swallowtail or king swallowtail

species group: torquatus Papilio garleppi Staudinger, 1892 – Garlepp's swallowtail Papilio hectorides Esper, 1794 Papilio himeros Hopffer, 1865 – Himeros swallowtail Papilio lamarchei Staudinger, 1892 Papilio torquatus Cramer, 1777 – Torquatus swallowtail

species group: unnamed Papilio okinawensis Fruhstorfer, 1898

subgenus: Pterourus Scopoli, 1777

species group: troilus

Papilio palamedes Drury, [1773] – Palamedes swallowtail or laurel swallowtail Papilio troilus Linnaeus, 1758 – spicebush swallowtail

species group: glaucus

Papilio alexiares Höpffer, 1866 – Mexican tiger swallowtail Papilio appalachiensis (Pavulaan & Wright, 2002) – Appalachian tiger swallowtail Papilio bjorkae Pavulaan, 2024 – New England tiger swallowtail Papilio canadensis Rothschild & Jordan, 1906 – Canadian tiger swallowtail Papilio esperanza Beutelspacher, 1975 – Esperanza swallowtail Papilio eurymedon Lucas, 1852 – pale swallowtail or pallid tiger swallowtail Papilio glaucus Linnaeus, 1758 – eastern tiger swallowtail Papilio multicaudata Kirby, 1884 – two-tailed swallowtail Papilio pilumnus Boisduval, 1836 – three-tailed tiger swallowtail Papilio rutulus Lucas, 1852 – western tiger swallowtail Papilio solstitius DeRoller, Wang, Dupuis & Schmidt, 2025 – midsummer tiger swallowtail

species group: zagreus Papilio bachus C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865 Papilio neyi Niepelt, 1909 Papilio zagreus Doubleday, 1847

species group: scamander Papilio birchallii Hewitson, 1863 Papilio hellanichus Hewitson, 1868 Papilio scamander Boisduval, 1836 Papilio xanthopleura Godman & Salvin, 1868

species group: homerus Papilio cacicus Lucas, 1852 Papilio euterpinus Salvin & Godman, 1868 Papilio garamas (Geyer, [1829]) Papilio homerus Fabricius, 1793 – Homerus swallowtail Papilio judicael Oberthür, 1888 (tentatively placed here, may be hybrid) Papilio menatius (Hübner, [1819]) Papilio warscewiczii Hopffer, 1865

subgenus: Sinoprinceps Hancock, 1983

Papilio benguetanus Joicey & Talbot, 1923

species group: xuthus Hancock, 1983 Papilio xuthus Linnaeus, 1767 – Asian, Xuthus, or Chinese yellow swallowtail

Former species

Many species originally described in the genus Papilio have now been reclassified. For a list of selected former species see List of former species in the genus Papilio.

External links

• . Insecta.pro.
• 2010-09-09 at theWayback Machine