Banded Swallowtail 100309 2

Details
Family : Papilionidae
Subfamily : Papilioninae
Genus : Papilio
Common Name : Banded Swallowtail
Wingspan : mm
Hostplant : Nil
Status In Singapore :


Description
The Banded Swallowtail has black wings with a pale greenish macular band extending from the apex of the forewing to the mid-dorsum of the hindwing. The hindwing has a series of pale greenish lunulate submarginal spots and a black ocellus ringed with orange-red at the tornal angle. There is a long spatulate tail at vein 4.

Habitat & Habits
The butterfly is a fast flyer and can be found in the nature reserves, zooming up and down sunlit paths. It can often be found flying from flower to flower, Ixora and Lantana are the favourites. In Singapore, so far it is not encountered the males of this species puddling (feeding on damp ground), which is the typical behaviour of male Papilionidae of the genus. The eggs of the Banded Swallowtail are laid one on top of the other to form a "string".

Early Stages
The caterpillars, when hatched, eat about half the eggshell to ensure that the string of eggs is kept intact and does not break off. This is different from the other Papilionidae where the caterpillar devours its own single eggshell upon hatching. The Banded Swallowtail's caterpillars eat and stay in a group in the early instars.