Battus

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Superfamilia: Papilionoidea

Familia: Papilionidae
Subfamilia: Papilioninae
Tribus: Troidini
Subtribus: Battina
Genus: Battus
Species Group philenor

Species: B. devilliersii - B. philenor - B. zetides

Species Group polydamas

Species: B. belus – B. chalceus – B. crassus – B. eracon – B. laodamas – B. lycidas – B. madyes – B. polydamas – B. polystictus
Name

Battus Scopoli, 1777

Type species: Papilio polydamas Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms

Laertias Hübner, 1819, Verz. bek. Schmett. (6): 84 TS: Papilio philenor Linnaeus, 1771
Ithoballus Hübner, 1819, Verz. bek. Schmett. (6): 88 TS: Papilio polydamas, Linnaeus, 1758
Battuosa Möhn, 1999

References

Scopoli, 1777, Introd. Hist. nat.: 433
Lamas, Gerardo, 2004, Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera; Checklist: Part 4A; Hesperioidea-Papilionoidea.
Möhn, E. 2001. Beiträge zur kenntnis neotropischer Papilionidae (Lepidoptera). Teil 1. Notes on Papilionidae 1: 3–10. Reference page.

Battus is a New World genus of butterflies that are usually found around pipevine (genus Aristolochia) plants. The caterpillars feed off the poisonous pipevines, making the insects poisonous themselves; they taste very bad to ward off predators.[1] Since birds avoid these butterflies, other swallowtail species mimic their coloration. The common North American species are Battus polydamas and Battus philenor.

Etymology

In Greek mythology, Battus is a shepherd who witnessed Hermes stealing Apollo's cattle. Because he broke his promise not to reveal this theft, Hermes turned him to stone.
Species

Listed alphabetically within groups:[2][3]

subgenus: Battuosa Möhn, 1999

species group: belus Möhn, 1999

Battus belus (Cramer, 1777) – Belus swallowtail
Battus crassus (Cramer, 1777) – Crassus swallowtail
Battus eracon (Godman & Salvin, 1897) – west-Mexican swallowtail, Colima swallowtail
Battus ingenuus (Dyar, 1907) – Dyar's swallowtail, confused swallowtail
Battus laodamas (C. & R. Felder, 1859) – green-patch swallowtail, yellow-spotted swallowtail
Battus lycidas (Cramer, [1777]) – Cramer's swallowtail, yellow-trailed swallowtail
Battus polystictus (Butler, 1874)

species group: madyes Möhn, 1999

Battus madyes (Doubleday, 1846) – Madyes swallowtail

subgenus: Battus Möhn, 1999

species group: philenor

Battus devilliersii (Godart, 1823)
Battus philenor (Linnaeus, 1771) – pipevine swallowtail
Battus zetides (Munroe, 1971) – Zetides swallowtail

species group: polydamus Möhn, 1999

Battus polydamas (Linnaeus, 1758) – Polydamas swallowtail, gold rim swallowtail, or tailless swallowtail

References

Pinheiro, Carlos E.G. (1996) Palatability and escaping ability in Neotropical butterflies: tests with wild kingbirds (Tyrannus melancholicus, Tyrannidae). Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 59(4): 351–365. HTML abstract
Battus, funet.fi

Glassberg, J. (2007) A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of Mexico and Central America, Sunstreak Books, pp.8-9.

Edwin Möhn, 2002 Schmetterlinge der Erde, Butterflies of the World Part V (5), Papilionidae II: Battus. Edited by Erich Bauer and Thomas Frankenbach Keltern: Goecke & Evers; Canterbury: Hillside Books. ISBN 978-3-931374-70-9 Illustrates and identifies 14 species and 49 subspecies.