GOLD-RIMMED SWALLOWTAIL Battus polydamas polydamas FAUNA PARAGUAY

Battus polydamas polydamas (Linnaeus 1758)
ENG: Gold-rimmed Swallowtail, Polydamas Swallowtail
ESP: Polydamas
JIZ: Triangular forewing with pointed apex and long costa, forming horizontal leading edge on spread wings. Diagonal outer margin of forewing slightly cleaved close to midpoint. Hindwing lacking obvious tail but with serrated outer margin (six serrations) and smoothly vertical anal margin with single additional serration poteriorly. No sexual dimorphism. Feeds by hovering with fluttering wings. FLI: Fluttery but strong and straight.
UPP: (Fig 1) Mostly black with broad golden-yellow band forming a wide U-shape across both hindwing and forewing, thinner and less distinct towards the apex. Golden-yellow band is separated into discrete "cells" by black veins that traverse it. Serrations of hindwing are thinly bordered golden-yellow on anal margin.
UND: (Fig 2) Underside of forewing mostly black, slightly paler and greyer towards apex and darker and blacker basally. Shows whitish trace of upperwing band, though frequently hidden behind hindwing. Hindwing similarly mostly black with diagnostic large orange-red spot at the base. Row of six or seven short, submarginal red wavy lines along outer margin. Concave sections of wing serrations bordered pale yellow with additional yellow spots accompanying three of the four outer red lines (absent on outermost) and decreasing in size from outer to inner.
BOD: Upperside of head and body black apart from a small white spot at the base of each antennae, two small white spots at the rear of the head and two small orange spots on the neck. Thorax black with diagonal row of three prominent orange spots on each thoracic segment. Abdomen black with thin orange ventro-lateral stripe slightly broader at its extremes. Antennae black. Eyes black thinly bordered white. Legs black.
MMT: A stocky, tail-less Swallowtail. No significant sexual difference in measurements. CL - 43.8mm (43.5-44.5mm); BL - 26mm (25-27mm); WS - 93mm (92-94mm); HW - 4.8mm (4.5-5mm); AL - 18mm; n=2 (2M).
SSP: This species is at least superficially similar to Battus polystictus but is easily identified by the much bolder upperwing pattern - B.polystictus looks distinctly dull dorsally. Note that on the underside of the wing this species possesses a diagnostic large orange dot at the base of the hindwing that is absent in B.polystictus. Furthermore B.polystictus has a pronounced and clearly-defined series of yellow spots along the side of the abdomen, these are much reduced and more orange-coloured in this species and tend to join to form a thin ventro-lateral stripe. Male B.polystictus has a yellow upperside of the abdomen.
ABU: Common to abundant often occurring in large numbers with other Papilionids at flowering bushes. Greatest abundance from January to April.
HAB: Widespread in open areas including gardens and orchards.
HOS: Plants in the family Rutaceae including Citrus and Aristolochiaceae such as Aristolochia. (Canals 2003).
Citable Reference: Smith P (2007) FAUNA Paraguay Online Handbook of Paraguayan Fauna Butterfly Species Account 9 Battus polydamas.
Last Updated: 4 September 2007.
References:
Canals G 2003 Mariposas de Misiones - LOLA, Buenos Aires.