Papilio phorbanta

Papilio phorbanta, also known as the small Réunion swallowtail (or papillon la pâture in French), is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is thought to be endemic to Réunion but may also be present on the Seychelles, but it might be extinct there.[3]

Papillon la pature
female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Papilionidae
Genus:
Papilio
Species:
P. phorbanta
Binomial name
Papilio phorbanta
Synonyms
  • Papilio disparilis Boisduval, 1833
  • Papilio disparilis var. nana Oberthür, 1879

The inside of the male's wings is black with large blue spots, while the female is brown with white spots on the edge.

Larva feed on Toddalia asiatica but are sometimes also found on Citrus leaves. They can be found at altitudes between 300 and 1200 m though adults also fly between sea level and 1400 m. Parasites: on eggs: Trichogrammatidae or Sceleonidae, on larva: Carcelia evoluans.[4]

Papilio phorbanta is protected by ministerial ordinance that prohibits capture, sale and transport since 1993.

Subspecies
  • Papilio phorbanta phorbanta (Reunion)
  • Papilio phorbanta nana Oberthür, 1879 (Seychelles)

References
  1. M. Gimenez Dixon (1996). "Papilio phorbanta". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 1996: e.T16004A5351493. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T16004A5351493.en. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  2. Papilio phorbanta, Site of Markku Savela
  3. "Afrotropical Butterflies: File C – Papilionidae - Tribe Papilionini". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
  4. Les Papillons de la Réunion ISBN BIOTOPE: 978-2-914817-07-3 - page 124-126


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