Graphium morania, the white lady or small white-lady swordtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Zululand, Eswatini, Transvaal, S.Mozambique, SE.Zimbabwe, E.Botswana).[3]
| White lady | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Papilionidae |
| Genus: | Graphium |
| Species: | G. morania
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| Binomial name | |
| Graphium morania | |
| Synonyms | |
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Description edit
The wingspan is 50–55 mm in males and 55–60 mm in females. Hindwing beneath without red spots in the marginal band; both wings above with white spots in the marginal band; abdomen without continuous yellow lateral stripe, at most with three yellow lateral spots on segments 2—4, on the other hand with triangular black lateral spots. Apex of the cell of the forewing either filled by a single white spot or with two spots, which however are only narrowly or incompletely separated.The discal spot in cellule 2 of the forewing is large and completely fills up the base of the cellule; the white subdiscal spots of cellules 2—5 of the hindwing above are placed nearer to the inner margin than to the outer margin of the black marginal band; the markings yellowish or greenish white. Ovambo Land to Delagoa Bay.[4]
Biology edit
Its fight period is year-round, peaking in November and February.[5]
The larvae feed on Uvaria caffra, Artabotrys species, Hexalobus monopetalus, Artabotrys brachypetalus, Artabotrys monteiroae, and Annona senegalensis.[3][5]
Taxonomy edit
Graphium morania belongs to a clade with six members. All have similar genitalia The clade members are:
- Graphium angolanus (Goeze, 1779)
- Graphium endochus (Boisduval, 1836)
- Graphium morania (Angas, 1849)
- Graphium taboranus (Oberthür, 1886)
- Graphium schaffgotschi (Niepelt, 1927)
- Graphium ridleyanus (White, 1843)
References edit
- ^ Angas, G.F. [1849]. The Kafirs illustrated in a series of drawings taken among the Amazulu,Amapondo, and Amakosa tribes, etc. London. 1-52.
- ^ Afrotropical Butterflies: File C – Papilionidae - Tribe Leptocercini
- ^ a b Graphium morania, funet.fi
- ^ Aurivillius, [P.O.]C. 1908-1924. In: Seitz, A. Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde Band 13: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die afrikanischen Tagfalter, 1925, 613 Seiten, 80 Tafeln (The Macrolepidoptera of the World 13).Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
Data related to Graphium morania at Wikispecies
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