Eurytides asius

Eurytides asius is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in the Neotropical realm in southeastern Brazil (Bahia, Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul), and Paraguay.

Eurytides asius
Illustration by Dru Drury
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Eurytides
Species:	E. asius
Binomial name
Eurytides asius (Fabricius, 1781)
Synonyms
Papilio asius Fabricius, 1781 Papilio astyagas Drury, 1782 Papilio manlius Perty, [1833] Papilio asius f. albofasciatus Zikán, 1937 Protographium asius (Fabricius, 1781)

Etymology

The specific name is named in the classical tradition for Asius son of Hyrtacus who was the leader of the Trojan allies, the Equites Trojani of Carl Linnaeus.

Description

Upperside: Antennae, thorax, and abdomen black. Wings raven black, having a pale yellow bar rising at the anterior edges near the tips of the superior wings, and crossing these and the inferior ones, meeting even with the abdomen, becoming wider gradually. Posterior wings furnished with two tails, and along the external edges having four small yellow crescents, and another at the abdominal corners; above which are two long square red spots, and another yellow crescent on the abdominal edges. Underside: Palpi, legs, and breast black. Abdomen black, with a white longitudinal stripe on each side. Wings marked nearly as on the upperside; the posterior having several red spots and streaks more than on the upper side, and placed next the body from the shoulders to the abdominal corners. Wingspan 3 inches (76 mm).

Biology

Forest habitat - Parque Estadual do Turvo

The larva feeds on Annona cacans.

References

• Collins, N. Mark; Morris, Michael G. (1985). Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book. Gland & Cambridge: IUCN. ISBN 978-2-88032-603-6 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
• Lewis, H. L., 1974 Butterflies of the World ISBN 0-245-52097-X Page 23, figure 11.

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.

External links

• Butterflies of America