| Sixbar Swordtail | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Papilionidae |
| Genus: | Graphium |
| Subgenus: | Pazala |
| Species: | G. eurous |
| Binomial name | |
| Graphium eurous Leech, 1892-94 |
|
The Sixbar Swordtail Graphium eurous, which is native to India, is a butterfly of the Swallowtails (Papilionidae) family. It belongs to the Pazala subgenus of genus Graphium, the Swordtails.
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Along the Himalayas west from Northern Pakistan into India (including Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Garhwal and Kumaon, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur), Nepal, Northern Myanmar extending into south-western and central China; and Taiwan.
Though overall common and not threatened, it tends to be extremely local.
These butterflies are found in open places in wooded country between 3000 to 8000 feet in the Himalayas. They inhabit certain small localities and are always to be found there.
While the male Swordtails are rarely away from their favourite spots, the females wander abroad in search of their hostplants, the Laurels.
The males generally fly high up, often around a selected tree, where they can be seen settling now and then well out of reach. Occasionally, they descend close to the ground where they can be netted. The females, being less lively fly closer to the ground, and are often found settling on their hostplants.
This species is single-brooded. It regularly emerges in Himachal Pradesh area in mid-April and stays on the wing till mid-May. The brood emerges slightly earlier East of Himachal till in Assam the butterflies appear as early as January.
Usually, the females emerge much later than the males and it is not uncommon to see fresh females with wings in perfect condition being courted by males with tattered wings.
Not described.
The caterpillars are greenish and have black dots. It has a yellow transverse band. Each thoracic segment has a pair of spines. The anal processes are yellow and have a black tip.
The pupas are slender, green and have four yellowish lines.