Papilio dravidarum

Malabar Raven
Malabar Raven at Shendurney WLS, Kerala, India
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Papilio
Species:	P. dravidarum
Binomial name
Papilio dravidarum Wood-Mason, 1880
Synonyms
Princeps dravidarum

The Malabar Raven ( Papilio dravidarum) is a species of Swallowtail butterfly found in the Western Ghats of India.

Range

Endemic to the Western Ghats in South India. It occurs in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Goa.

Status

Uncommon but not known to be threatened. Commonest in Wynaad and Coorg in the past. Rarer towards the extremities of its range.

Description

Specimen from Kerala

The Malabar Raven is a blackish brown tailless swallowtail, about 80 to 100 mm in size. Both the sexes are similar and are mimics of the unpalatable Common Crow Euploea core. The upper forewing has a small white spot at the end of the cell, a complete series of equal sized marginal white spots in regular row and a terminal series of spots decreasing in size towards the apex. The upper hind wing has a discal series of arrowshaped white spots. It also has a submarginal series of elongated white crescent shaped markings. There is a white fringe between the veins. The outer halves of wings have a dusting of yellowish brown scales.

Habitat

This butterfly frequents heavy jungles of the Western Ghats between 1000 to 3000 feet. It has been recorded in January and from March to October.

Habits

The Malabar Raven resembles the model Common Crow in habits and flight, but is faster than the other mimic, the Common Mime. It prefers shady patches. The males drink at wet patches especially in the hot dry pre-monsoon days. This butterfly does not visit flowers.^{[citation needed]}

Lifecycle

There are two to three broods a year. Recorded in Coorg as having broods from September to October, November to December, and, from April to May. Recorded in Karnataka in July and in September. Males appear to outnumber the females.

Foodplants

• Glycosmis pentaphylla of the family Rutaceae. Others that have been noted include Clausena heptaphylla.^[1]

References

1. ^ Kunte, K. 2006. Additions to known larval host plants of Indian butterflies. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 103(1):119-120

Other sources

• Collins, N.M. & Morris, M.G. (1985) Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World. IUCN. ISBN 2-88032-603-6
• Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India
• Gaonkar, Harish (1996) Butterflies of the Western Ghats, India (including Sri Lanka) - A Biodiversity Assessment of a threatened mountain system. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.
• Gay,Thomas; Kehimkar,Isaac & Punetha,J.C.(1992) Common Butterflies of India. WWF-India and Oxford University Press, Mumbai, India.
• Kunte,Krushnamegh (2005) Butterflies of Peninsular India. Universities Press.
• Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.

See also

• Papilionidae
• List of butterflies of India (Papilionidae)