Papilio aristophontes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Papilio aristophontes
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification

Papilio aristophontes is a beautiful and rare butterfly. It belongs to the Papilionidae family, also known as swallowtail butterflies. This special butterfly lives only in the Comoros Islands.

It is considered an endangered species. This means it is very rare and faces threats to its survival. The eggs of this butterfly are usually laid on a plant called Toddalia asiatica. However, scientists have managed to raise the caterpillars on other similar plants in labs.

What Does the Papilio aristophontes Look Like?

These butterflies have amazing colors! Let's look at how the males and females are different.

Male Butterfly's Appearance

The male Papilio aristophontes has mostly black wings. Its upper front wings show shiny blue bands and five blue spots. The underside of its back wings is also black. It has a shimmering blue band and a row of blue spots near the edge. The back wings have a wavy edge but no tails. The underside of the front wings is completely dark brown. The underside of the back wings is reddish-brown with black lines, like veins. It also has a thin, creamy band near the edge that looks silvery.

Female Butterfly's Appearance

The female Papilio aristophontes is olive-green and brown. Her upper front wings and the underside of her back wings are brown. They have a dull olive-green band in the middle. There is also a band of yellowish-olive crescent shapes near the edge. These patterns continue across both wings. The underside of both her front and back wings is reddish-brown. They have a silvery band near the edge that also runs across both wings. Her back wings have a light brown band in the middle. This band has pinkish-grey scales on the outside. She also has a white spot near her body.

Where Does This Butterfly Fit In?

Papilio aristophontes is part of a special group of butterflies. This group is found in Africa. It is called the nireus species-group. There are 15 members in this group.

The Nireus Species Group

Butterflies in the nireus group usually have black wings. They also have green or blue bands and spots. Even though they are called swallowtails, most of them do not have tails. Only two, Papilio charopus and Papilio hornimani, have tails.

Here are the butterflies that belong to this group:

• Papilio aristophontes Oberthür, 1897
• Papilio nireus Linnaeus, 1758
• Papilio charopus Westwood, 1843
• Papilio chitondensis de Sousa & Fernandes, 1966
• Papilio chrapkowskii Suffert, 1904
• Papilio chrapkowskoides Storace, 1952
• Papilio desmondi van Someren, 1939
• Papilio hornimani Distant, 1879
• Papilio interjectana Vane-Wright, 1995
• Papilio manlius Fabricius, 1798
• Papilio microps Storace, 1951
• Papilio sosia Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
• Papilio thuraui Karsch, 1900
• Papilio ufipa Carcasson, 1961
• Papilio wilsoni Rothschild, 1926

Some scientists used to think aristophontes was a subspecies of Papilio nireus. But more recently, it has been confirmed as its own full species.