Papilio janaka

Papilio janaka, the tailed redbreast, is a well-marked swallowtail butterfly found in India. The species was first described by Frederic Moore and Thomas Horsfield in 1857.

Description

File:Papilio janaka 433.png

The tailed redbreast closely resembles Papilio bootes but differs as follows:

• Male upperside; ground colour a duller more greyish black, the outer half of the hindwing darker; the elongate discal white series of spots extended into interspace 2, sometimes also into interspace 5; beyond these the dark red markings are as in P. bootes, but there is in addition a postdiscal series of red lunules, that at the tornal angle coalesces with the admarginal spot.
• Underside; similar to that of P. bootes, but with the additional white spots as on the upperside, these however in many specimens are much irrorated with red scales; the red at the base of the wings are more extended than in P. bootes and continue along the dorsal margin of the hindwing in a long streak.
• Female; similar to the male, but the ground colour on the upperside paler, a spot of red at the base of the forewing; the postdiscal markings on the hindwing white, only tinged with red. Underside is similar to the upperside; the red at the base of the wings continues along the dorsal margin as in the male.

Status

The species is not known to be threatened.

References

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