Protographium leosthenes

Protographium leosthenes, the four-barred swordtail, is a medium-sized butterfly of the family Papilionidae found in Australia. It is similar to the five-barred (or chain) swordtail (Graphium aristeus) found in both Australia and India.[1]

Protographium leosthenes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Protographium Munroe, 1961
Species:	P. leosthenes
Binomial name
Protographium leosthenes Doubleday, 1846
Range of four-barred swordtail   P. l. leosthenes;   P. l. geimbia
Synonyms
Papilio leosthenes Doubleday, 1846 Neographium

Appearance

Adults are brown and white, with four brown parallel bars running down the leading edge of the forewing. The hindwings have a pointed tail. Their wingspan is approximately 49 mm for males and 53 mm for females.[2][3] The four-barred swordtail can be distinguished from the five-barred swordtail by the number of bars, and pale orange and blue spots on the upperside of the hindwing. In addition, the four-barred swordtail has pale orange markings on the underside of its hindwing, rather than red markings.[3]

Biology

The eggs are cream coloured and laid singly on young leaves of the larval plant.[4] The larvae feed on Melodorum leichhardtii, Melodorum rupestre, Polyalthia nitidissima and occasionally Desmos wardianus.[3][4] Early instars are pale green, with black spots and a black thorax and tail. The caterpillar later becomes green with brown or yellow spots, and reaches a length of up to 3.5 centimetres.[4] The pupa is about 2 centimetres in length, and green with pink markings.[4] There is usually one generation per year, with adult emergence varying with the season.[3]

The preferred habitat is monsoon forest and subtropical rainforest, where the larval plants are found.[3] Adults fly near the ground (within about 2 metres) with their wings spread.[3] The males frequently hilltop.

Subspecies

• P. l. leosthenes (south-eastern coast of New South Wales and the Murray-Darling basin, northern Gulf and north-eastern coast of Queensland)
• P. l. geimbia (Tindale, 1927) (northern coast of the Northern Territory)

References

1. "2. Protographium leosthenes (Doubleday)". Australian Insect Common Names. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO, Australia). 19 September 2004. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
2. "Four-barred Swordtail (Protographium leosthenes)". Oz Animals. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
3. Braby, Michael (2004). The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing. pp. 114. ISBN 9780643090279.
4. "Protographium leosthenes". Australian Caterpillars and their Butterflies and Moths. 2015. Archived from the original on 17 May 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.

• Lepidoptera and some other life forms, Protographium

Further reading

• Edwin Möhn, 2002 Schmetterlinge der Erde, Butterflies of the World Part XIIII (14), Papilionidae VIII: Baronia, Euryades, Protographium, Neographium, Eurytides. Edited by Erich Bauer and Thomas Frankenbach Keltern: Goecke & Evers; Canterbury: Hillside Books. ISBN 978-3-931374-87-7 All species and subspecies are included, also most of the forms. Several females are shown the first time in colour.