Pathysa macareus

Taxobox
name = Lesser Zebra

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image_width = 240px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
familia = Papilionidae
genus = "Graphium"
subgenus = "Pathysa"
species = "P. macareus"
binomial = "Pathysa macareus"
binomial_authority = Godart, 1819

Lesser Zebra "Pathysa macareus" is a relatively common and not threatened species of swallowtail butterfly found in Southeast Asia. [Collins, N.M., Morris, M.G. (1985) "Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World". IUCN. ISBN 2-88032-603-6] It is also found in parts of India including Assam and Sikkim.

Description

Race "indicus", Rothschild. Male. Upperside: ground-colour and markings very similar to those of - "P. xenocles", but the former is of a more brownish-fuliginous tint and the latter are all very much narrower; also there are distinctly two well-divided streaks in interspace 1 of the fore wing; on the hind wing there is never any tornal yellow spot, while the bluish-white streak in the coll is very often divided. Underside : similar to the upperside both in ground-colour and markings, only the latter are much broader than on the upperside. It differs from the underside of "P. xenocles" by the absence in most specimens of the yellow tornal spot on the hind wing; also the terminal brown margin on the same wing is proportionately much broader and much darker. Antennas, head, thorax and abdomen coloured as in "P. xenocles".Bingham, C. T. (1907) Fauna of British India. Butterflies. Volume 2.]

Female dimorphic or trimorphic. First form similar to male, with similar but proportionately broader markings (typical "polynices"). Second form similar to male with similar markings, but on the fore wing the inner portion of the cell-streaks and the upper of the two spots at apex of cell, also the upper and lower of the four spots beyond the cell, obsolete or very faintly indicated; on the hind wing the streaks are very much narrower and there is a very small ochraceous-yellow tornal spot. Third form ("indicus" female , Rothschild): " Fore wings devoid of all markings except the submarginal ones; the hind wings provided with all the markings of the male, though these markings are shorter and less well-defined than in that sex." {Rothschild quoted in Bingham, 1907)

References

ee also

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