178. Papilio dialis doddsi (The Southern Chinese Peacock)

Number: 178

Family: Papilioniidae
Sub-Family: Papilioniinae

Species: Papilio dialis doddsi Jannet, 1896

Common name(s): The Southern Chinese Peacock
Photography location: Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

Papilio dialis has been recorded from Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, southern China, Taiwan (? Thailand). To my knowledge, the race doddsi is only known from Vietnam (N. & C.) and Laos. It is sometimes raised to specific rank by some authors (Papilio doddsi Jannet, 1896).

Papilio dialis doddsi belongs to the subgenus Achillides ("Peacocks Swallowtails"). The other representants of this subgenus known in Vietnam are P. paris paris, P. arcturus arcturus, P. krishna charlesi & P. bianor gladiator.

Two males of Papilio dialis doddsi puddling on rocks near the main stream at Tây Thiên, foothills of Tam Dao, on June 18, 2016. These are typical dialis doddsi from northern Vietnam, but some can have longer tails

This nice Swallowtail is rather local in distribution and is also a very short-lived species, so if you are not in the right place at the right time you won't see it

Male Papilio dialis doddsi sucking water on rocks along a stream (Tam Dao foothills, June 2016)