Monday 24 August 2015

115. Byasa confusus mansonensis (The Chinese Windmill)

Number: 115
Family: Papilioniidae
Sub-Family: Papilioniinae
Species: Byasa confusus mansonensis (Fruhstorfer, 1901)
 Synonym : Byasa alcinous mansonensis Fruhstorfer, 1901
Common name(s): The Chinese Windmill
Photography location: Huu Lien N.R. (Lang Son Prov.)

"Red-bodied Swallowtails" are butterflies in the Papilionidae that belong to the genera Atrophaneura 
(3 species in Vietnam), Byasa (8), Losaria (1) and Pachliopta (1). Many species show aposematism (“warning coloration”) and serve as models for Batesian mimicry.

The genus Byasa is represented in Vietnam by 8 species viz. crassipes, polyeuctes, dasarada, adamsoni, latreillei, hedistus, nevilli & confusus (Monastyrskii & Devyatkin, 2016).

Byasa confusus mansonensis is recorded from N.Vietnam, S.-E. & C. China, Taiwan. It appears to be very local in occurrence in Vietnam (recorded, at least, from Mt. Mau Son, Huu Lien N.R., Mt. Tam Dao).

Below some shots of females in the field:






Female (top) and male (upperside) side by side
This butterfly is sexually dimorphic. The female is bigger, its upperwings  are yellowish-brown, whereas those of the male are black.

Female (top) and male (underside)
 




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