Protographium epidaus
Encyclopedia
The Mexican Kite Swallowtail or Long-tailed Kite Swallowtail (Protographium epidaus) is a butterfly
of the Papilionidae family. It is found in Mexico
and Central America
.
The wingspan
is 40–45 mm.
The larvae feed on Annona reticulata
and Rollinia
species
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Papilionidae family. It is found in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 40–45 mm.
The larvae feed on Annona reticulata
Annona reticulata
Annona reticulata is a small deciduous or semi-evergreen tree in the plant family Annonaceae.It is best known for its fruit, called custard-apple, a name it shares with fruits of other species from the same genus: A. cherimola and A. squamosa or sometimes it is called wild-sweetsop,...
and Rollinia
Rollinia
Rollinia is a genus in the family Annonaceae. While it is widely recognised as a distinct genus a recent monograph advocates its inclusion in Annona, which also contains custard apples and soursops....
species
Subspecies
There are three recognised subspecies:- Protographium epidaus epidaus (southern Mexico (Tamaulipas, Puebla, Veracruz, Tabasco, Yucatan, Quintana Roo, N.Oaxaca, N.Chiapas), Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica)
- Protographium epidaus tepicus (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) western Mexico: Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima)
- Protographium epidaus fenochionis (Salvin & Godman, 1868) (south-western Mexico: Michoacán, Guerrero, Morelos, Oaxac, S.Veracruz, Chiapas)