Papilio torquatus
Encyclopedia
The Torquatus Swallowtail (Papilio torquatus) is a butterfly
of the Papilionidae family. It is found from northern Argentina
to Mexico
.
The wingspan
is 75–80 mm. Adults strongly resemble Papilio garleppi
.
The larvae feed on the leaves of Citrus
species. Full-grown larvae are mottled in dull tones of brown, greenish-yellow and whitish. It resembles a bird dropping.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Papilionidae family. It is found from northern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 75–80 mm. Adults strongly resemble Papilio garleppi
Papilio garleppi
Papilio garleppi is a species of butterfly in the Papilionidae family. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname.-Source:* Gimenez Dixon, M. 1996. . Downloaded on 31 July 2007....
.
The larvae feed on the leaves of Citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
species. Full-grown larvae are mottled in dull tones of brown, greenish-yellow and whitish. It resembles a bird dropping.
Subspecies
- Papilio torquatus torquatus (Venezuela, Guianas to Brazil (Amazonas), Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia)
- Papilio torquatus mazai Beutelspacher, 1977 (Mexico, El Salvador)
- Papilio torquatus tolmides Godman & Salvin, 1890 (Panama, Costa Rica)
- Papilio torquatus tolus Godman & Salvin, 1890 (Mexico, Guatemala)
- Papilio torquatus leptalea Rothschild & Jordan, 1906 (western Ecuador)
- Papilio torquatus polybius Swainson, 1823 (Brazil (Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso), Paraguay, Argentina)
- Papilio torquatus jeani (Brown & Lamas, 1994) (Colombia, western Venezuela)