Papilio

Papilio is a genus in the swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae, as well as the only representative of the tribe Papilionini. The word papilio is Latin for butterfly.

It includes the common yellow swallowtail (Papilio machaon), which is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere and the type species of the genus, as well as a number of other well-known North American species such as the western tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus). Familiar species elsewhere in the world include the Mormons (Papilio polytes, Papilio polymnestor, Papilio memnon, and Papilio deiphobus) in Asia, the orchard and Ulysses swallowtails in Australia (Papilio aegeus, Papilio ulysses, respectively) and the citrus swallowtail of Africa (Papilio demodocus).

Older classifications of the swallowtails tended to use many rather small genera. More recent classifications have been more conservative, and as a result a number of former genera are now absorbed within Papilio, such as Achillides, Eleppone, Druryia, Heraclides (giant swallowtails), Menelaides, Princeps, Pterourus (tiger swallowtails), and Sinoprinceps. The genus as recognized by modern systems has about 200 members. The genus Chilasa is regarded as a subgenus of Papilio by some workers, as are the baggy-tailed swallowtails (Agehana), although the latter taxon is usually considered a subgenus of Chilasa.

Many of the larvae resemble bird droppings during a development stage. Adults are edible to birds and some species are mimics.

Ecology

In their larval form, members of Papilio typically feed upon plants of Rutaceae including common ornamental and agriculturally important species such as Citrus species, Murraya species, Choisya species and Calodendrum species. Caterpillars sequester terpenoids from their diet to produce a foul smelling oil used in defence.

Species

Listed alphabetically within groups.<br /> subgenus: Papilio <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>

species group: machaon

:* Papilio alexanor <small>Esper, 1800</small> – southern swallowtail

:* Papilio brevicauda <small>Saunders, 1869</small> – short-tailed swallowtail

:* Papilio hospiton <small>Géné, 1839</small> – Corsican swallowtail

:* Papilio indra <small>Reakirt, 1866</small> – Indra swallowtail, short-tailed black swallowtail, or cliff swallowtail

:* Papilio joanae <small>J. Heitzman, 1973</small> – Ozark swallowtail

:* Papilio machaon <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> – Old World swallowtail, common yellow swallowtail, or artemisia swallowtail

:* Papilio polyxenes <small>Fabricius, 1775</small> – black swallowtail, eastern black swallowtail, American swallowtail, or parsnip swallowtail

:* Papilio saharae <small>Oberthür, 1879</small> – Sahara swallowtail

:* Papilio zelicaon <small>Lucas, 1852</small> – anise swallowtail or western swallowtail

subgenus: Princeps <small>Hübner, [1807]</small>

species group: antimachus

:* Papilio antimachus <small>Drury, 1782</small> – Antimachus swallowtail or giant African swallowtail

species group: zalmoxis

:* Papilio zalmoxis <small>Hewitson, 1864</small> – giant blue swallowtail

species group: nireus

:* Papilio aristophontes <small>Oberthür, 1897</small>

:* Papilio charopus <small>Westwood, 1843</small> – tailed green-banded swallowtail

:* Papilio chrapkowskii <small>Suffert, 1904</small> – broad green-banded swallowtail or Chrapkowski's green-banded swallowtail

:* Papilio chrapkowskoides <small>Storace, 1952</small> – broadly green-banded swallowtail

:* Papilio desmondi <small>van Someren, 1939</small> – Desmond's green-banded swallowtail

:* Papilio hornimani <small>Distant, 1879</small> – Horniman's green-banded swallowtail or Horniman's swallowtail

:* Papilio interjectana <small>Vane-Wright, 1995</small> – Van Someren's green-banded swallowtail

:* Papilio nireus <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> – green-banded swallowtail, narrow-banded green swallowtail, or African blue-banded swallowtail

:* Papilio sosia <small>Rothschild & Jordan, 1903</small> – medium green-banded swallowtail

:* Papilio thuraui <small>Karsch, 1900</small>

:* Papilio ufipa <small>Carcasson, 1961</small>

:* Papilio wilsoni <small>Rothschild, 1926</small>

species group: cynorta

:* Papilio arnoldiana <small>Vane-Wright, 1995</small>

:* Papilio cynorta <small>Fabricius, 1793</small> – mimetic swallowtail

:* Papilio plagiatus <small>Aurivillius, 1898</small> – mountain mimetic swallowtail

species group: dardanus

:* Papilio constantinus <small>Ward, 1871</small> – Constantine's swallowtail

:* Papilio dardanus <small>Brown, 1776</small> – mocker swallowtail, flying handkerchief, or African swallowtail

:* Papilio delalandei <small>Godart, [1824]</small>

:* Papilio phorcas <small>Cramer, [1775]</small> – apple-green swallowtail or green banded swallowtail

:* Papilio rex <small>Oberthür, 1886</small> – regal swallowtail

species group: zenobia

:* Papilio cyproeofila <small>Butler, 1868</small> – common white-banded swallowtail

:* Papilio fernandus <small>Fruhstorfer, 1903</small>

:* Papilio filaprae <small>Suffert, 1904</small>

:* Papilio gallienus <small>Distant, 1879</small> – narrow-banded swallowtail

:* Papilio mechowi <small>Dewitz, 1881</small>

:* Papilio mechowianus <small>Dewitz, 1885</small>

:* Papilio nobicea <small>Suffert, 1904</small> – Volta swallowtail

:* Papilio zenobia <small>Fabricius, 1775</small> – Zenobia swallowtail

species group: demodocus

:* Papilio demodocus <small>Esper, 1799</small> – citrus swallowtail, citrus butterfly, orange dog, or Christmas butterfly

:* Papilio demoleus <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> – (common) lime swallowtail or lime butterfly

:* Papilio erithonioides <small>Grose-Smith, 1891</small>

:* Papilio grosesmithi <small>Rothschild, 1926</small>

:* Papilio morondavana <small>Grose-Smith, 1891</small> – Madagascan emperor

species group: echerioides

:* Papilio echerioides <small>Trimen, 1868</small> – white-banded swallowtail

:* Papilio fuelleborni <small>Karsch, 1900</small>

:* Papilio jacksoni <small>Sharpe, 1891</small> – Jackson's swallowtail

:* Papilio sjoestedti <small>Aurivillius, 1908</small> – Kilimanjaro swallowtail

species group: oribazus

:* Papilio epiphorbas <small>Boisduval, 1833</small>

:* Papilio nobilis <small>Rogenhofer, 1891</small> – noble swallowtail

:* Papilio oribazus <small>Boisduval, 1836</small>

species group: hesperus

:* Papilio euphranor <small>Trimen, 1868</small> – forest swallowtail or bush kite

:* Papilio hesperus <small>Westwood, 1843</small> – emperor swallowtail

:* Papilio horribilis <small>Butler, 1874</small>

:* Papilio pelodurus <small>Butler, 1896</small>

species group: menestheus

:* Papilio lormieri <small>Distant, 1874</small> – central emperor swallowtail

:* Papilio menestheus <small>Drury, 1773</small> – western emperor swallowtail

:* Papilio ophidicephalus <small>Oberthür, 1878</small> – emperor swallowtail

species group: incertae sedis

:* Papilio andronicus <small>Ward, 1871</small>

:* Papilio chitondensis <small>Bivar de Sousa & Fernandes, 1966</small>

:* Papilio leucotaenia <small>Rothschild, 1908</small> – cream-banded swallowtail

:* Papilio luzviae <small>Schröder & Treadaway, 1991</small>

:* Papilio mackinnoni <small>Sharpe, 1891</small> – MacKinnon's swallowtail

:* Papilio mangoura <small>Hewitson, 1875</small> – Mangoura swallowtail

:* Papilio manlius <small>Fabricius, 1798</small>

:* Papilio microps <small>Storace, 1951</small>

:* Papilio nobicea <small>Suffert, 1904</small>

:* Papilio phorbanta <small>Linnaeus, 1771</small> – small Réunion swallowtail

species group: noblei

:* Papilio antonio <small>Hewitson, [1875]</small>

:* Papilio noblei <small>de Nicéville, [1889]</small>

species group: demolion

:* Papilio demolion <small>Cramer, [1776]</small> – banded swallowtail

:* Papilio euchenor <small>Guérin-Méneville, 1829</small>

:* Papilio gigon <small>C. Felder & R. Felder, 1864</small>

:* Papilio liomedon <small>Moore, [1875]</small> – Malabar banded swallowtail

species group: anactus

:*Papilio anactus <small>MacLeay, [1826]</small> – dingy swallowtail

:*Papilio natewa – Natewa swallowtail

species group: aegeus

:* Papilio aegeus <small>Donovan, 1805</small> – orchard swallowtail

:* Papilio bridgei <small>Mathew, 1886</small>

:* Papilio erskinei <small>Mathew, 1886</small>

:* Papilio gambrisius <small>Cramer, [1777]</small>

:* Papilio inopinatus <small>Butler, 1883</small>

:* Papilio ptolychus <small>Godman & Salvin, 1888</small>

:* Papilio tydeus <small>C. Felder & R. Felder, 1860</small>

:* Papilio weymeri <small>Niepelt, 1914</small>

:* Papilio woodfordi <small>Godman & Salvin, 1888</small> – Woodford's swallowtail

species group: godeffroyi

:* Papilio amynthor <small>Boisduval, 1859</small> – Norfolk swallowtail

:* Papilio godeffroyi <small>Semper, 1866</small> – Godeffroy's swallowtail

:* Papilio schmeltzi <small>Herrich-Schäffer, 1869</small>

species group: polytes

:* Papilio ambrax <small>Boisduval, 1832</small> – Ambrax butterfly

:* Papilio phestus <small>Guérin-Méneville, 1830</small>

:* Papilio polytes <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> – common Mormon

species group: castor

:* Papilio castor <small>Westwood, 1842</small> – common raven

:* Papilio dravidarum <small>Wood-Mason, 1880</small> – Malabar raven

:* Papilio mahadeva <small>Moore, [1879]</small> – Burmese raven

species group: fuscus

:* Papilio albinus <small>Wallace, 1865</small>

:* Papilio diophantus <small>Grose-Smith, 1883</small>

:* Papilio fuscus <small>Goeze, 1779</small> – Canopus butterfly

:* Papilio hipponous <small>C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862</small>

:* Papilio jordani <small>Fruhstorfer, 1906</small> – Jordan's swallowtail

:* Papilio pitmani <small>Elwes & de Nicéville, [1887]</small>

:* Papilio prexaspes <small>C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865</small> – Andaman Helen

:* Papilio sakontala <small>Hewitson, 1864</small>

species group: helenus

:* Papilio helenus <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> – red Helen

:* Papilio iswara <small>White, 1842</small> – great Helen

:* Papilio iswaroides <small>Fruhstorfer, 1898</small>

:* Papilio nephelus <small>Boisduval, 1836</small> – yellow Helen

:* Papilio nubilus <small>Staudinger, 1895</small>

:* Papilio sataspes <small>C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865</small>

species group: memnon

:* Papilio acheron <small>Grose-Smith, 1887</small> – Acheron swallowtail

:* Papilio ascalaphus <small>Boisduval, 1836</small> – Ascalaphus swallowtail

:* Papilio deiphobus <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>

:* Papilio forbesi <small>Grose-Smith, 1883</small>

:* Papilio lampsacus <small>Boisduval, 1836</small>

:* Papilio lowii <small>H. Druce, 1873</small> – Asian swallowtail or great yellow Mormon

:* Papilio mayo <small>Atkinson, 1873</small> – Andaman Mormon

:* Papilio memnon <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> – great Mormon

:* Papilio oenomaus <small>Godart, 1819</small>

:* Papilio polymnestor <small>Cramer, [1775]</small> – blue Mormon

:* Papilio rumanzovia <small>Eschscholtz, 1821</small> – scarlet Mormon or red Mormon

species group: protenor

:* Papilio alcmenor <small>C. Felder & R. Felder, [1864]</small> – redbreast

:* Papilio macilentus <small>Janson, 1877</small>

:* Papilio protenor – spangle

:* Papilio taiwanus <small>Rothschild, 1898</small> – Formosan swallowtail

species group: bootes

:* Papilio bootes <small>Westwood, 1842</small> – tailed redbreast

:* Papilio elwesi <small>Leech, 1889</small>

:* Papilio maraho <small>Shiraki & Sonan, 1934</small>

subgenus: Chilasa Moore, [1881]

species group: agestor

:* Papilio agestor <small>Gray, 1831</small> – tawny mime

:* Papilio epycides <small>Hewitson, [1864]</small> – lesser mime

:* Papilio slateri <small>Hewitson, 1853</small> – blue-striped mime

species group: clytia

:* Papilio clytia <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> – common mime

:* Papilio paradoxa <small>(Zincken, 1831)</small> – great mime

species group: veiovis

:* Papilio veiovis <small>Hewitson, [1865]</small>

species group: laglaizei

:* Papilio laglaizei <small>Depuiset, 1877</small>

:* Papilio moerneri <small>Aurivillius, 1919</small>

:* Papilio toboroi <small>Ribbe, 1907</small>

species group: unnamed

:* Papilio carolinensis <small>Jumalon, 1967</small>

:* Papilio osmana <small>Jumalon, 1967</small>

subgenus: Achillides <small>Hübner, [1819]</small>

species group: paris

:* Papilio arcturus <small>Westwood, 1842</small> – blue peacock

:* Papilio bianor <small>Cramer, [1777]</small> – Chinese peacock

:* Papilio blumei <small>Boisduval, 1836</small> – green peacock

:* Papilio chikae <small>Igarashi, 1965</small> – Luzon peacock swallowtail

:* Papilio dialis <small>Leech, 1893</small> – southern Chinese peacock

:* Papilio doddsi <small>Janet, 1896</small>

:* Papilio elephenor <small>Doubleday, 1845</small> – yellow-crested spangle

:* Papilio hoppo <small>Matsumura, 1908</small>

:* Papilio karna <small>C. Felder & R. Felder, 1864</small>

:* Papilio krishna <small>Moore, 1857</small> – Krishna peacock

:* Papilio longimacula <small>Z.G. Wang & Y. Niu, 2002</small>

:* Papilio maackii <small>Ménétriés, 1859</small> – alpine black swallowtail

:* Papilio paris <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> – Paris peacock

:* Papilio polyctor <small>Boisduval, 1836</small> – common peacock

species group: palinurus

:* Papilio blumei <small>Boisduval, 1836</small> – peacock or green swallowtail

:* Papilio buddha <small>Westwood, 1872</small> – Malabar banded peacock

:* Papilio crino <small>Fabricius, 1793</small> – common banded peacock

:* Papilio palinurus <small>Fabricius, 1787</small> – emerald swallowtail

species group: unnamed

:* Papilio lorquinianus <small>C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865</small>

:* Papilio neumoegeni <small>Honrath, 1890</small>

:* Papilio peranthus <small>Fabricius, 1787</small>

:* Papilio pericles <small>Wallace, 1865</small>

species group: ulysses

:* Papilio montrouzieri <small>Boisduval, 1859</small>

:* Papilio syfanius <small>Oberthür, 1886</small>

:* Papilio ulysses <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> – Ulysses, mountain blue, blue emperor, or blue mountain swallowtail

subgenus: Heraclides <small>Hübner, [1819]</small>

species group: anchisiades

:* Papilio anchisiades <small>Esper, 1788</small> – ruby-spotted swallowtail or red-spotted swallowtail

:* Papilio chiansiades <small>Westwood, 1872</small>

:* Papilio epenetus <small>Hewitson, 1861</small>

:* Papilio erostratus <small>Westwood, 1847</small> – Erostratus swallowtail

:* Papilio hyppason <small>Cramer, 1775</small>

:* Papilio isidorus <small>Doubleday, 1846</small>

:* Papilio oxynius <small>(Geyer, [1827])</small>

:* Papilio pelaus <small>Fabricius, 1775</small>

:* Papilio rogeri <small>Boisduval, 1836</small>

species group: thoas

:* Papilio andraemon <small>(Hübner, [1823])</small> – Bahaman swallowtail

:* Papilio androgeus <small>Cramer, [1775]</small> – Androgeus swallowtail, queen page, or queen swallowtail

:* Papilio aristodemus <small>Esper, 1794</small> – Schaus' swallowtail or island swallowtail

:* Papilio aristor <small>Godart, 1819</small> – scarce Haitian swallowtail

:* Papilio astyalus <small>Godart, 1819</small> – broad-banded swallowtail or Astyalus swallowtail

:* Papilio caiguanabus <small>Poey, [1852]</small> – Poey's black swallowtail

:* Papilio cresphontes <small>Cramer, [1777]</small> – eastern giant swallowtail

:* Papilio homothoas <small>Rothschild & Jordan, 1906</small>

:* Papilio machaonides <small>Esper, 1796</small>

:* Papilio melonius <small>Rothschild & Jordan, 1906</small>

:* Papilio ornythion <small>Boisduval, 1836</small> – Ornythion swallowtail

:* Papilio paeon <small>Boisduval, 1836</small>

:* Papilio rumiko <small>(Shiraiwa & Grishin, 2014)</small>

:* Papilio thersites <small>Fabricius, 1775</small> – Thersites swallowtail or false Androgeus swallowtail

:* Papilio thoas <small>Linnaeus, 1771</small> – Thoas swallowtail or king swallowtail

species group: torquatus

:* Papilio garleppi <small>Staudinger, 1892</small> – Garlepp's swallowtail

:* Papilio hectorides <small>Esper, 1794</small>

:* Papilio himeros <small>Hopffer, 1865</small> – Himeros swallowtail

:* Papilio lamarchei <small>Staudinger, 1892</small>

:* Papilio torquatus <small>Cramer, 1777</small> – Torquatus swallowtail

species group: unnamed

:* Papilio okinawensis <small>Fruhstorfer, 1898</small>

subgenus: Pterourus Scopoli, 1777

species group: troilus

:* Papilio palamedes <small>Drury, [1773]</small> – Palamedes swallowtail or laurel swallowtail

:* Papilio troilus <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> – spicebush swallowtail

species group: glaucus

:* Papilio alexiares <small>Höpffer, 1866</small> – Mexican tiger swallowtail

:* Papilio appalachiensis <small>(Pavulaan & Wright, 2002)</small> – Appalachian tiger swallowtail

:* Papilio bjorkae <small>Pavulaan, 2024</small> – New England tiger swallowtail

:* Papilio canadensis <small>Rothschild & Jordan, 1906</small> – Canadian tiger swallowtail

:* Papilio esperanza <small>Beutelspacher, 1975</small> – Esperanza swallowtail

:* Papilio eurymedon <small>Lucas, 1852</small> – pale swallowtail or pallid tiger swallowtail

:* Papilio glaucus <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> – eastern tiger swallowtail

:* Papilio multicaudata <small>Kirby, 1884</small> – two-tailed swallowtail

:* Papilio pilumnus <small>Boisduval, 1836</small> – three-tailed tiger swallowtail

:* Papilio rutulus <small>Lucas, 1852</small> – western tiger swallowtail

:* Papilio solstitius <small>DeRoller, Wang, Dupuis & Schmidt, 2025</small> – midsummer tiger swallowtail

species group: zagreus

:* Papilio bachus <small>C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865</small>

:* Papilio neyi <small>Niepelt, 1909</small>

:* Papilio zagreus <small>Doubleday, 1847</small>

species group: scamander

:* Papilio birchallii <small>Hewitson, 1863</small>

:* Papilio hellanichus <small>Hewitson, 1868</small>

:* Papilio scamander <small>Boisduval, 1836</small>

:* Papilio xanthopleura <small>Godman & Salvin, 1868</small>

species group: homerus

:* Papilio cacicus <small>Lucas, 1852</small>

:* Papilio euterpinus <small>Salvin & Godman, 1868</small>

:* Papilio garamas <small>(Geyer, [1829])</small>

:* Papilio homerus <small>Fabricius, 1793</small> – Homerus swallowtail

:* Papilio judicael <small>Oberthür, 1888</small> (tentatively placed here, may be hybrid)

:* Papilio menatius <small>(Hübner, [1819])</small>

:* Papilio warscewiczii <small>Hopffer, 1865</small>

subgenus: Sinoprinceps <small>Hancock, 1983</small>

:* Papilio benguetanus <small>Joicey & Talbot, 1923</small>

species group: xuthus <small>Hancock, 1983</small>

:* Papilio xuthus <small>Linnaeus, 1767</small> – Asian, Xuthus, or Chinese yellow swallowtail

Former species

Many species originally described in the genus Papilio have now been reclassified. For a list of selected former species see List of former species in the genus Papilio.

References

External links

• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility —P
• "Genus Papilio". Insecta.pro.
• GART checklist