Battus polydamas
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| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
Battus polydamas , sometimes also called Polydamas swallowtail or golden-edged swift , is a butterfly from the family of knight butterflies (Papilionidae) of the subfamily of swallowtails (Papilioninae). This species occurs regionally in many subspecies .
features
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is 90 to 120 millimeters. On the upper side of both the fore wing and the hind wing, this species has yellow or golden shimmering bands that run near the edge of the wing. In English usage it is therefore referred to as the Golden Rim . The moths are therefore unmistakable. The hind wings have a serrated outer edge and are dark to almost black in the basic color, often with a greenish tinge. The dark undersides of the hind wings have a series of red spots that are arranged in a curve or crescent shape. Male and female specimens are very similar and difficult to distinguish. All butterflies of this type lack tail-shaped appendages on the hind wings. The body is black with isolated orange-red dots or spots and a band of the same color along the side of the abdomen .
egg
The eggs are yellow-brown to green-orange and are laid in small groups of 10 to 14 on the food plants of the caterpillars.
Caterpillar
The caterpillars vary in color very strongly and are yellowish, brownish, reddish, but mostly blackish. The body is provided with black stripes and small fleshy orange-colored bumps.
Doll
The doll is brown in color, is sometimes slightly greenish marbled and also has a strongly curved shape, a very wide central part, a pointed hump behind the head and two small horns on the head.
Distribution and occurrence
The species colonizes the southern states of the USA as well as parts of Central and South America and the Caribbean .
habitat
Battus polydamas prefers wooded areas, but is also found in city gardens and parks and likes to stay in tree tops.
Behavior and way of life
In its northern range, the species forms three generations per year, in the south it can be found all year round. The moths are fast and powerful fliers. Visit for nectar recording the blossoms of lantana ( Lantana ), hibiscus ( Hibiscus ) and flame trees ( Delonix regia ). The moths sometimes sit on the ground and take in liquid and minerals in damp places on the earth. Young caterpillars live gregariously, but do not form crazy nests, older ones live individually. The caterpillar feeds mostly on the leaves of Osterluzeigewächsen (Aristolochiaceae) what they like and moths and because of their toxic components doll makes unpalatable to predators. The last generation pupae overwinter in the north.
Subspecies
- Battus polydamas polydamas (Linné, 1758) - (Tropical South America)
- † Battus polydamas antiquus ( Rothschild & Jordan , 1906) - Antigua .
- Battus polydamas atahualpa Racheli & Pischedda, 1987 - Peru
- Battus polydamas cebriones ( Dalman , 1823)
- Battus polydamas christopheranus (Hall, 1936) - St. Kitts
- Battus polydamas cubensis (Dufrane, 1946) - Cuba .
- Battus polydamas dominicus (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) - Dominican Republic
- Battus polydamas grenadensis (Hall, 1930) - Grenada
- Battus polydamas jamaicensis (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) - Jamaica
- Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) - Bahamas
- Battus polydamas lucianus (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) - St. Lucia
- Battus polydamas neodamas ( Lucas , 1852) - Guadeloupe
- Battus polydamas peruanus (Fox, 1954) - Peru
- Battus polydamas polycrates ( Hopffer , 1865) - Haiti , Dominican Republic and probably Puerto Rico .
- Battus polydamas psittacus ( Molina , 1782) - Argentina
- Battus polydamas renani Lamas, 1998 - Peru
- Battus polydamas streckerianus (Honrath, 1884) - Peru
- Battus polydamas thyamus (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) - Puerto Rico , Virgin Islands , Saint Thomas
- Battus polydamas vincentius (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) - St. Vincent with a bluish-white spotted band
- Battus polydamas xenodamas ( Hübner , 1825) - Martinique is similar to B. p. vicentius , is generally grayer on the underside of the hind wings
- Battus polydamas weyrauchi Lamas, 1998 - Peru
Danger
The species is quite common in areas, widespread and therefore not endangered. It appears as one of the most common knight butterflies in its range. As a cultural follower , it seems to spread along with the spread of humans.
swell
Individual evidence
- ^ Subspecies from Butterflies of America , accessed September 3, 2013
- ^ Butterflies and Moth of North America , accessed September 3, 2013
- ↑ a b c d e f James A. Scott: The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1986, ISBN 0-8047-2013-4 , p. 186
- ↑ Distribution , English, accessed on September 3, 2013
- ↑ a b c d e f g Bernard D'Abrera: Butterflies of the Neotropical Region. Part 1 Papilionidae & Pieridae. Lansdowne Edition, Melbourne, 1981, ISBN 0-7018-1033-5 , pp. 4-6
- ^ Bernard D'Abrera: Butterflies of South America. Hill House, 1984, ISBN 0959363920
literature
- James A. Scott: The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1986, ISBN 0-8047-2013-4 , p. 186
- Elizabeth Balmer: Butterflies: Recognizing and Identifying. Parragon Books Ltd., 2007, ISBN 9781407512037 , p. 33
Web links
- Polydamus Swallowtail (English, PDF, 1.3 MB). Wanted poster at Reiman Gardens University of Iowa, online at reimangardens.iastate.edu, accessed September 3, 2013.
- The Florida Butterfly Database , accessed September 3, 2013.