Papilio constantinus

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: Papilionini
Genus: Papilio
Subgenus: Princeps
Species: Papilio constantinus
Name
Papilio constantinus Ward, 1871

Papilio constantinus, the Constantine's swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The wingspan is 70–90 mm in males and 80–95 mm in females. The ground colour is black with pale yellow or white markings including a large yellow spot in the cell. Its flight period is during the warmer months peaking from November to February.[4]

The larvae feed on Vepris Reflexi, Vepris lanceolata, Vepris undulata, Clausena species, Citrus species, Teclea trifoliatum, Teclea nobilis, and Teclea gerrardii.[2][4]

Taxonomy

Papilio constantinus is a member of the dardanus species group. The members of the clade are:

Papilio dardanus Brown, 1776
Papilio constantinus Ward, 1871
Papilio delalandei Godart, [1824]
Papilio phorcas Cramer, [1775]
Papilio rex Oberthür, 1886

Subspecies
Papilio constantinus on flower.jpg

Listed alphabetically:[2]

Papilio constantinus constantinus Ward, 1871 (south-eastern Ethiopia, southern Somalia, coast of Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, southern and north-eastern Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, eastern Botswana, South Africa, Eswatini)
Papilio constantinus lecerfi Koçak, 1996[5] (Kenya: central highlands and the Mau Escarpment)
Papilio constantinus mweruanus Joicey & Talbot, 1927 [6] (Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Tanzania, Zambia)

Biogeographic realm

Afrotropical realm.
References

Ward, C. 1871. Description of new species of African diurnal lepidoptera. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 8: 34-36; 58-60; 81-82; 118-122.
Papilio, funet.fi
"Afrotropical Butterflies: File C – Papilionidae - Tribe Papilionini". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
Koçak,A.Ö., 1996, "Carcasson's African Butterflies" adlı yayına tamamlayıcı notlar (Lepidoptera). Cent. ent. Stud., Misc. Pap. 27/28: 10-16.

Joicey. J. J. & Talbot, G., 1927 New forms of Lepidoptera Rhopalocera Encycl. Ent. (B3) 2 (1) : 1-14

Carcasson, R.H. 1960 "The Swallowtail Butterflies of East Africa (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae)". Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society pdf Key to East Africa members of the species group, diagnostic and other notes and figures. (Permission to host granted by The East Africa Natural History Society)
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.