Graphium antiphates

Taxobox | image_width = 240px
name = Five-bar Swordtail

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image_caption = Mudpuddling Five-bar Swordtails
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
familia = Papilionidae
subfamilia = Papilioninae
genus = "Graphium"
species = "G. antiphates"
binomial = "Graphium antiphates"
binomial_authority = ( Cramer, 1775)

Five-bar Swordtail "Graphium antiphates" is a species of papilionid butterfly found in South Asia.

Description

:"See glossary for terms used"Upperside of males and females white. Fore wing: cell crossed by five short black bands, of which the basal extends to the dorsum, the sub-basal into interspace 1, the medial and pre-apical up to the median vein, and the apical or fifth along the discocellulars; this last extends broadly on both sides of the veinlets and terminates at the lower apex of the cell; beyond these are broad postdiscal and terminal black transverse bands from costa to tornal angle; the two bands coalesce below vein 4 and terminate in a point at the tornus; the white portions of the cell anteriorly overlaid with pale green; short macular hyaline green bands between the black cellular apical band and the discal band and anteriorly between the latter and the terminal band. Hind wing: basal three-fourths uniform white, with black markings on the underside that show through by transparency; terminal fourth dark grey traversed by a curved irregular subterminal series of black lunules that ends in a black tornal spot and a terminal black band that follows the indentations of the wing; the emargination below the black tornal spot edged with ochraceous; the tail blackish-grey, edged and tipped with white.

Underside; fore wing similar with similar markings, but the green shading over the white portions in the basal half of the cell more decided; the discal and terminal transverse black bands separate, not joined posteriorly, the former edged posteriorly on both sides by dark grey due to the black on the upperside that shows through by transparency. Hind wing: basal half green, outer half white; a large black tornal spot; a black line along the dorsum that curves above the tornal spot outwards to vein 2; a straight subbasal black band from costa across cell that terminates on vein 2, where it joins the dorsal black line; a broader black band from costa across apex of cell extended into base of interspace 3; an irregular discal series of black markings curved inwards posteriorly towards the tornal spot; a subterminal series of very small slender black lunules in pairs, the ground-colour on the inner side of these darkened to rich ochreous-yellow; lastly, a series of short terminal black bars in the interspaces so arranged as to follow indentations of the termen; tail dusky black edged with white. Antenna black; head and thorax anteriorly with a broad black medial band, rest of thorax bluish; abdomen white, marked beneath on each side by a black stripe.

Race "alcibiades", Fabr. is the most widely spread race of "antiphates", from which it differs as follows:—Upperside of males and females, all the black markings shorter and narrower. Fore wing: the discal and terminal bands separate, the former rarely extended below vein 3, the latter in no specimen reaches the dorsal margin. Hind wing: the broad grey area on the terminal margin reduced to a small patch of grey at the apices of interspaces 2 to 4; the subterminal black markings rarely present anteriorly, generally confined to the limits of the grey patch. Underside: the extent of the black markings similarly reduced, otherwise as in the typical form.

The width and length of the transverse black markings on the upperside of the fore wing, also the extent of the grey terminal area and the presence or absence of the black subterminal markings on the upperside of the hind wing, are all very variable.Form "nebulosus", Butler, is a melanistic variety recorded from Sikkim.

Var. "continentalis", Eimer, has the caudal area of the hind wing on the upperside suffused with black.

Var. "itamputi", Butler, has the postdiscal and terminal black bands on the upperside of the forewing united posteriorly, but neither band extends up to the tornus.

Var. "ceylanicus", Eimer,has the basal two bands on the upper-side of the fore wing extended beyond the median vein, the preapical cellular band not triangular and extended to the median vein.Bingham, C. T. (1907) Fauna of British India. Butterflies. Volume 2.]

Life history

Larva: "The most unusual feature of the larva is that in its early stages it is pure white marked only with thin transverse lines of black or dark green. At the last but one moult it becomes yellow with thicker lines, and after the last moult attains the colour shown in the figure, showing a distinct resemblance to the larva of "Pathysa nomius"." (Davidson & Aitken quoted in Bingham) The figure represents a white caterpillar about 1.5 inch long, shaded with dusky green along the dorsum, the divisions of the segments marked with green and a prominent green lateral line. The head in the figure is apparently tucked in below, but the 2nd, 3rd and 4th segments have a patch of dark green above.

Pupa: "Supported by an uncommonly long band, and from its green colour would seem to be normally found on the plant "Unona lawii" and not under stones." (Davidson and Aitken)

References