Atrophaneura crassipes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Black Windmill

Scientific classification

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

Binomial name

Atrophaneura crassipes
Oberthür, 1879

Black Windmill Atrophaneura crassipes is a beautiful butterfly found in India that belongs to the Windmills group of Atrophaneura, comprising tailed black swallowtail butterflies with white spots and red submarginal crescents.

1 Range
2 Status
3 Description
4 Taxonomy
5 Habits
6 References
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] Range

North East India (Manipur), Myanmar (southern Shan states), northern Thailand, northern Laos, northern Vietnam (Tonkin) and possibly southern China.

[edit] Status

The Black Windmill is very rare and is protected by law in India. More information is required on this species.

[edit] Description

Wingspan : 110 - 120mm.
Black butterfly which is unmarked except for obscure red spots on the upper hindwing. The tail is red-tipped below.

Male upperside: fore wing dark fuliginous black, with black veins, a longitudinal streak between tho veins and streaks within the cell. Hind wing very narrow anteriorly and much prolonged posteriorly, exterior margin broadly scalloped, tail very broad and short; abdominal margin with a very long folded lappet, which when opened displays a lengthened greyish-white woolly andro-conial patch ; colour dull greyish black, with two upper marginal and two sub-anal lunules, tip of the tail very obscure dusky red. Underside: fore wing paler. Hind wing dull black, with the two upper and lower marginal lunules, an irregular-shaped anal lunule, and the tail tip bright crimson. Thorax and abdomen above black; front of head and thorax and abdomen beneath crimson; abdomen beneath with black segmental bands; hind tibiae very thick; antennae and legs black.^[1]

[edit] Taxonomy

No separate subspecies have been described.

[edit] Habits

Recorded from Manipur between 1000 and 2500 feet.

[edit] References

Collins, N.M. & Morris, M.G. (1985) Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World. IUCN. ISBN 2-88032-603-6
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.