Pharmacophagus antenor, the Madagascar giant swallowtail, is a butterfly from the family Papilionidae. As the common name implies, it is large (12– to 14-cm wingspan) and endemic to Madagascar. It is the only species in the genus Pharmacophagus.

Pharmacophagus
Near Toliara, Madagascar
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Tribe: Troidini
Genus: Pharmacophagus
Haase, 1891
Species:
P. antenor
Binomial name
Pharmacophagus antenor
(Drury, 1775)
Synonyms
  • Papilio antenor Drury, [1773]
  • Papilio antenor var. gehleni Le Moult, 1912
  • Papilio antenor var. albomaculata Le Moult, 1912
  • Papilio antenor f. niger Diehl, 1962

The larvae feed on Aristolochia acuminata and Quisqualis grandidieri.

Further reading

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  • Hancock, E.G., Broadsmith-Brown, G., Douglas, A.S. & Vane-Wright, R.I. 2008. William Hunter's Museum and discovery of the Madagascan pipevine swallowtail butterfly, Pharmacophagus antenor (Drury, 1773). Antenna, Chiswell Green32(1): 10–17.
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