Papilio thuraui

Blue median band absent and a complete series of blue submarginal spots in both wings. Both wings above black-brown without median band, but with blue submarginal

spots and the forewing also in the middle between the apex of the cell and the distal margin with three small blue spots in cellules 3, 4 and 6; forewing beneath with four large yellowish submarginal spots in cellules 1 b—4. — German East Africa: Ubena.Aurivillius, [P.O.]C. 1908-1924. In: Seitz, A. Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde Band 13: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die afrikanischen Tagfalter, 1925, 613 Seiten, 80 Tafeln

(The Macrolepidoptera of the World 13).Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart.{{PD-notice}} [https://www.gbif.org/species/1937962 External images]

File:Papilio thuraui Karsch, 1900 Ent. Nachr. 1 (4).jpg |Entomologische Nachrichten

File:Papilio thuraui Karsch, 1900 Ent. Nachr. 1 (2).jpg |

File:Papilio thuraui Karsch, 1900 Ent. Nachr. 1 (3).jpg |

• P. t. thuraui (southern Tanzania, northern Malawi)
• P. t. cyclopis Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 .Rothschild, W. & Jordan, K, 1903 Some new African Papilios Novit. Zool. 10 (3) : 488-490 [https://archive.org/details/novitateszoologi10novi/page/488/mode/1up?view=theater Full text]. (Malawi, Zambia)
• P. t. occidua Storace, 1951 Storace, L. (1951-1952). Recherches sur le groupe africain de Papilio nireus L. Lambillionea 51:44-52; 54-57; 73-76. (Republic of the Congo, Malawi, north-eastern Zambia)
• P. t. heathi (Hancock, 1984) Hancock, D.L. (1984). The Princeps nireus group of swallowtails (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) systematics, phylogeny and biogeography. Arnoldia Zimbabwe 9(12): 181-215. (Malawi)
• P. t. ngorongoro (Hancock, 1984) (northern Tanzania)
• P. t. viphya (Hancock, 1984) (Malawi)

The larvae feed on Toddalia asiatica.

Papilio thuraui belongs to a clade called the nireus species group with 15 members. The pattern is black with green or blue bands and spots. The butterflies, although called swallowtails, lack tails with the exception of Papilio charopus and Papilio hornimani. The clade members are:

• 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

This species is located in the Afrotropical realm.

• Albertine Rift montane forests
• Congolian forests

{{Reflist}}

• Carcasson, R.H. (1960). The Swallowtail Butterflies of East Africa (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae). Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society [https://archive.org/details/cbarchive_101755_theswallowtailbutterfliesofeas1960 pdf] Key to East Africa members of the species group, diagnostic and other notes and figures. (Permission to host granted by The East Africa Natural History Society)
• {{cite book |last1=Collins |first1=N. Mark |last2=Morris |first2=Michael G. |title=Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/98674#page/7/mode/1up |year=1985 |publisher=IUCN |location=Gland & Cambridge |isbn=978-2-88032-603-6 |via=Biodiversity Heritage Library}}

• [https://archive.today/20130206130028/http://globis.insects-online.de/species&v=216 Global Butterfly Information System] Images
• [http://en.butterflycorner.net/Papilio-thuraui.1418.0.html Butterfly corner] Images from Naturhistorisches Museum Wien
• [http://rcdening.co.uk/rcdening_collectn/butter_flies/papilio2.htm External images R C Dening collection]
• [http://www.globis-images.insects-online.de/?q=node/2&tree_h=Papilionidae.Papilioninae..Papilio.Druryia.thuraui&sub=yes&tree_status=plus&tree_seq=31&c=216 Globis images]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q7132971}}

thuraui

Category:Butterflies described in 1900

Category:Butterflies of Africa

Category:Taxa named by Ferdinand Karsch

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