Papilio cynorta explained

Papilio cynorta, the mimetic swallowtail or common white banded papilio, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, southern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Adult females mimic Bematistes epaea, the common bematistes butterfly.

The larvae feed on Clausena, Vepris, Calodendrum, Citrus and Fagara species.

Taxonomy

Papilio cynorta is the nominal member of the cynorta species group. The members of the clade are:

• Papilio arnoldiana Vane-Wright, 1995
• Papilio cynorta Fabricius, 1793
• Papilio plagiatus Aurivillius, 1898

References

• Carcasson, R. H. (December 1960). "The Swallowtail Butterflies of East Africa (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae)". Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society. (which contains a key to East Africa members of the species group, diagnostic and other notes and figures)

External links

• Owen, D. F. (1974). "Exploring Mimetic Diversity in West African Forest Butterflies". Oikos. 25 (2): 227-236.
• Book: Collins . N. Mark . Morris . Michael G. . Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book . 1985 . . Gland & Cambridge . 103 . 978-2-88032-603-6 . Biodiversity Heritage Library.