Atrophaneura aidoneus

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iLesser Batwing

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Atrophaneura
Subgenus:	Atrophaneura
Species:	A. aidoneus

Binomial name

Atrophaneura aidoneus
Doubleday, 1845

The Lesser Batwing Atrophaneura aidoneus is an Asian species of butterfly that belongs to the Batwings group of Atrophaneura, comprising tailless black swallowtail butterflies.

1 Description
2 Range
3 Status
4 Taxonomy
5 Habitat
6 Habits
7 Cited references
8 References
9 See also
10 External links

[edit] Description

Wingspan - 112-162mm.
Male : Tailless. Above, the butterfly is bluish-black and unmarked. It has a white scent patch in a square dorsal fold, which is pink or red on its marginal edge. This white scent patch is smaller than that of the Common Windmill.
Female : Tailless. Above, the butterfly is grey-brown. It has dark stripes in between the veins.

Resembles Atrophaneura varuna race astorion, but differs as follows:— Cell of: lore wing proportionately not quite so long; abdominal fold to the hind wing in male not so broad, its lower margin not square, rounded; the specialized scales within the fold white, with an edging of piuk. Female larger. Upperside: ground-colour olivaceous-brown, never black; abdomen with a broad white, not crimson, lateral stripe.^[1]

[edit] Range

Northern India, Bhutan, Myanmar, northern Vietnam, northern Laos, southern China (including Hainan (Guangdong province)).

In India, it is found in Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland.

[edit] Status

The butterfly is not common but not regarded as threatened.^[2]

[edit] Taxonomy

No subspecies.

[edit] Habitat

The Lesser Batwing flies from April to November and frequents forests up to the altitude of 5000 feet.

[edit] Habits

The Lesser Batwing is a shade-loving forest butterfly. It has a slow and graceful flight. Both sexes frequent flowers, Lantana being a preferred species.

[edit] Cited references

^ Bingham, C. T. 1907. Fauna of British India. Butterflies. Volume 2
^ Collins, N.M. & Morris, M.G. (1985) Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World. IUCN. ISBN 2-88032-603-6

[edit] References

Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India
Haribal, Meena (1994) Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and their Natural History.
Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.