Parides ascanius, the Fluminense swallowtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is endemic to Brazil where it is confined to the municipalities of Atafona (São João da Barra) and Itaguaí.

Fluminense swallowtail
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Parides
Species:
P. ascanius
Binomial name
Parides ascanius
(Cramer, 1775) [2]

Description

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Parides ascanius has a spatulate tail. The two sexes are similar. The male has on the hindwing a hindmarginal fold, covered with white wool. A broad white band traverses both wings; on the hindwing it is more or less red. The larva is light brown, and bears pointed tubercles on all the segments. A full description is provided by Rothschild, W. and Jordan, K. (1906)[3]

Biology

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Parides ascanius larvae are found from October to April, feeding only on Aristolochia macroura in its preferred wetland habitats. Adults fly all year. The favourite flower of the nectar feeding adults is Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) [4]

Taxonomy

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Parides ascanius is a member of the ascanius species group[5][6]

The members are

Etymology

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It is named in the classical tradition. In Roman mythology Ascanius is a legendary king. The common name, "Fluminense", is the demonym for residents of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Sources

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  • Gimenez Dixon, M. (1996). "Parides ascanius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T16239A5584675. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T16239A5584675.en. Retrieved 21 December 2017.

References

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  1. ^ Grice, H.; Freitas, A.V.L.; Rosa, A.; Marini-Filho, O.; Mega, N.; Dias, F.M.S.; Mielke, O.; Casagrande, M. (2019). "Parides ascanius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T16239A145165808. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T16239A145165808.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. ^ Cramer, P. De uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen Asia, Africa en America. I. Deel. Beschriving van Plaat I-XCVI. Papillons exotiques des trois parties du monde l'Asie, l'Afrique et l'Amérique. Tome premier. Description des planches I-XCVI., Cramer, P. ([1775]) De uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen Asia, Africa en America. I. Deel. Beschriving van Plaat I-XCVI. Papillons exotiques des trois parties du monde l'Asie, l'Afrique et l'Amérique. Tome premier.
  3. ^ Rothschild, W. and Jordan, K. (1906). A revision of the American Papilios. Novitates Zoologicae 13: 411-752. (Facsimile edition ed. P.H. Arnaud, 1967) and online
  4. ^ Jordan, K., in Seitz, A. ( 1907) . The Macrolepidoptera of the World. 5: The Macrolepidoptera of the American faunistic region. Papilionidae 1-45.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ Möhn, Edwin (2006). Schmetterlinge der Erde, Butterflies of the World Part XXVI (26), Papilionidae XIII. Parides. Edited by Erich Bauer and Thomas Frankenbach Keltern: Goecke & Evers; Canterbury: Hillside Books. ISBN 978-3-937783-27-7 (Supplement 13 in English - by Racheli)
  6. ^ Racheli, Tommaso an Olmisani. Luca 1998. A cladistic analysis of the genus Parides Hubner, [1819], based on androconial structures (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). Neue Ent. Nachr. (Marktleuthen),41:119-131.pdf

Further reading

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Otero, L.S.; Brown, K.S. Jr. (1986). Biology and ecology of Parides ascanius (Cramer, 1775) (Lep., Papilionidae), a primitive butterfly threatened with extinction Atala 10. Dez, pp. [2-16, 11 figs., 3 tabs.]