Bhutanitis

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: Nymphalidae
Subfamilia Limenitidinae
Tribus: Parthenini
Genus: Bhagadatta
Species: B. austenia
References

Miyata, T. & T. Yoshida 1995: A new subspecies of Bhagadatta austenia from Vietnam (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Futao 20: 1–3.
Wahlberg, N., Maresova, J., Murillo-Ramos, L., Collins, S. & Wu, L-W. 2020. The phylogenetic positions of Bhagadatta Moore, 1898, Kumothales Overlaet, 1940 and Harmilla Aurivillius, 1892 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Limenitidinae) based on molecular data. Nota Lepidopterologica 43: 167—171. DOI: 10.3897/nl.43.50307 Reference page.

Bhutanitis is a genus of swallowtail butterflies that contains four species.

Distribution

The genus reaches its peak diversity in south-western China, particularly Yunnan and Sichuan (Chou, 2000), and adjacent Bhutan. Bhutanitis lidderdali is the most widespread species, occurring in China, Bhutan, India and Myanmmar (Chou, 2000); it is however locally extinct in Thailand due to habitat destruction. Larval host plants known to date are all Aristolochiaceae.

All Bhutanitis species are listed on CITES Appendix II, which restricts their international trade. Historically, they have been highly desired by butterfly collectors; three species in particular (B. mansfieldi, B. ludlowi and B. thaidina) were known from very few specimens until comparatively recently. However, large numbers of specimens of B. thaidina and B. mansfieldi pulchristriata have recently been available at very low prices, mainly from China, which indicates collector demand may be becoming satisfied.
Taxonomy

Two other taxa named as species of Bhutanitis (B. nigrilima Chou, 1992, B. yulongensis Chou, 1992) have since been synonymised with B. thaidina (Hauser et al. 2005). Another taxon, originally named as B. mansfieldi pulchristriata Saigusa and Lee, 1982, was also regarded as a separate species by Chou (1994) and Chou (2000), but has otherwise been regarded as a subspecies (Hauser et al., 2005).
Species

Bhutanitis lidderdalii, Bhutan glory
Bhutanitis thaidina, Chinese three tailed swallowtail
Bhutanitis mansfieldi, Mansfield's three-tailed swallowtail
Bhutanitis ludlowi, Ludlow's Bhutan swallowtail

References

Collins, N. Mark; Morris, Michael G. (1985). Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book. Gland & Cambridge: IUCN. ISBN 978-2-88032-603-6 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Sorimachi, Y. 1994 Geographical and individual variations of Bhutanitis thaidina Apollo, 3: 77-87.(in Japanese).
Hauser, CL., de Jong, R., Lamas, G., Robbins, R.K., Smith, C., and Vane-Wright, R.I. (2005). Papilionidae – revised GloBIS/GART species checklist (2nd draft). Available online at: [1] Archived 2010-09-09 at the Wayback Machine. Verified online 5 March 2010.