Graphium eurypylus

Taxobox
name = Great Jay


image_width = 240px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
familia = Papilionidae
genus = "Graphium"
subgenus = "Graphium"
species = "G. eurypylus"
binomial = "Graphium eurypylus"
binomial_authority = Linnaeus, 1758
synonyms = "Zetides euryplus"The Great Jay ("Graphium eurypylus"), also known as the Pale Green Triangle, is a species of tropical butterfly found in North-East India and Southeast Asia. [Collins, N.M., Morris, M.G. (1985) "Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World". IUCN. ISBN 2-88032-603-6]

Description

Race "jason" (South India and Sri Lanka) — Males and females. Upperside black. Fore wing : three slender, oblique, short pale green streaks in basal half of cell and two irregular small similarly-coloured spots near its apex; a discal band composed of pale green spots that gradually diminish in size anteriorly, the spot in interspace 5 the smallest, the two in the interspaces above it slightly larger; a spot at base of interspace 7 and a sinuous complete subterminal series of spots similarly coloured. Hind wing: a transverse band that extends as far as interspace 2 posteriorly and is a continuation of the discal band on the fore wing; the upper portion of this band white, the lower pale green; this is followed by a sinuous subterminal series of small pale greon spots as on the fore wing. Underside: brownish-fulvous black; markings similar, larger, their edges diffuse and all of a silvery white, slightly tinted with pale green. Hind wing in addition has a white basal streak that extends halfway down the dorsal margin; another shorter white subbasal streak from costa to the subcostal vein coalescent with the white of the discal band iu the cell, the streak of ground-colour that lies between this subbasal and the discal band jet-black, interrupted where it crosses vein 8 by a crimson spot; finally, quadrate black spots near apex of cell and at bases of interspaces 1, 2 and 3, all outwardly margined with crimson. Antenna, head, thorax and abdomen black; beneath: the palpi, thorax and abdomen touched with white, the abdomen with dingy white lateral lines. Male has an abdominal fold within grey, with a fringe of white hairs.Bingham, C. T. (1907) Fauna of British India. Butterflies. Volume 2.]

Race "axion", Felder (Malayan region and Himalayas) Can be distinguished from race "jaso"n as follows:—The markings that compose the discal band very much broader; all the spots and markings of pale green and white conspicuously larger, especially in the spring broods. Underside of hind wing: crimson spots more conspicuous, a line of crimson along the posterior portion of the dorsal margin; in most specimens the short subbasal narrow band of white that runs from the costa to the subcostal vein does not coalesce with the white of the discal band where it crosses the cell.

Life history

Larva

"Very like that of "P. agamemnon", but the second pair of spines is entirely wanting and the third pair, which in "agamemnon" is rather long, curved and sharp, is reduced in this species to mere knobs encircled with a black ring. The colour is generally black or smoky until the last moult and then dull green, inclining to rusty brown on the sides, but some of our specimens remained quite black to the end." (Davidson and Aitken quoted in Bingham, 1907)

Pupa

"The distinguishing mark of the pupa is again in the frontal horn, which is straight as in "agamemnon", but directed forward instead of being almost erect. Its colour is normally green, but varies with that of the object to which it is attached." (Davidson and Aitken quoted in Bingham, 1907)

References

ee also

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

External links

* [http://yutaka.it-n.jp/pap/10590020.html race "cheronus" Thailand]