Pathysa epaminondas

Taxobox
name = Andaman Swordtail


status = VU | status_system = IUCN2.3
status_ref = [Gimenez Dixon, M. 1996. Graphium epaminondas. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. . Downloaded on 25 June 2007.]
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
familia = Papilionidae
genus = "Graphium"
subgenus = "Pathysa"
species = "P. epaminondas"
binomial = "Pathysa epaminondas"
binomial_authority = Oberthür, 1879

Andaman Swordtail "Graphium (Pathysa) epaminondas" is a beautiful butterfly found in India that belongs to the Swallowtail family. It was earlier considered a subspecies of Fivebar Swordtail "Pathysa antiphates" but has now been identified as a separate species.

Range

The Andaman Islands of India.

Description

Differs froin the typical from "Pathysa antiphates" chiefly in the greater width of the black markings on the upperside, especially of the basal and subbasal bands that cross the fore wing, both of which also extend to the dorsum. On the hindwing the black markings of the underside on the basal and discal areas are not only seen by transparency from below, but are actually represented, though only partially, by black scaling; the width of the dark grey terminal portion is also greater, and it has a tendency to turn to dusky black anteriorly, so that the sub-terminal series of black lunules are obscured anteriorly and are difficult to make out. Underside: markings similar to tbose of the typical form, but broader; fore wing with the discal transverse band that reaches from costa to vein 1; hind wing: the black bands that cross the cell broader and proportionately closer together.Bingham, C. T. (1907) Fauna of British India. Butterflies. Volume 2.]

Has a 94-100 mm expanse.

tatus

Though endemic to the Andaman Islands, its distribution and status are insufficiently known. It has been seen in good numbers in the Mount Harriet National Park and other locations on S. Andamans. [Veenakumari, K. and Prashanth Mohanraj 1997. Rediscovery of "Lethe europa tamuna" with notes on other threatened butterflies from the Andamans and Nicobar Islands. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. 51(3):273-275 [http://research.yale.edu/peabody/jls/pdfs/1990s/1997/1997-51(3)273-Veenakumari.pdf PDF] ]

References

General reading

* 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

ee also

*Papilionidae
*List of butterflies of India
*List of butterflies of India (Papilionidae)