Protographium leosthenes, the four-barred swordtail, is a medium-sized butterfly of the familyPapilionidae found in Australia. It is similar to the five-barred (or chain) swordtail (Graphium aristeus) found in both Australia and India.[1]
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)
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. ISBN978-3-931374-87-7 All species and subspecies are included, also most of the forms. Several females are shown the first time in colour.
