Biology:Battus (butterfly)

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Short description: Genus of butterflies

Battus
Pipevineswallowtail.JPG
Pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Gold rim swallowtail (Battus polydamas polydamas) underside.jpg
Polydamas swallowtail (Battus polydamas)
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Tribe: Troidini
Genus: Battus
Scopoli, 1777
Type species
Papilio polydamas
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

See text

Battus is a New World genus of butterflies that are usually found around pipevine (genus Aristolochia) plants. The caterpillars feed off the poisonous pipevines, making the insects poisonous themselves; they taste very bad to ward off predators.[1] Since birds avoid these butterflies, other swallowtail species mimic their coloration. The common North American species are Battus polydamas and Battus philenor.

Etymology

In Greek mythology, Battus is a shepherd who witnessed Hermes stealing Apollo's cattle. Because he broke his promise not to reveal this theft, Hermes turned him to stone.

Species

Listed alphabetically within groups:[2][3]

subgenus: Battuosa Möhn, 1999

species group: belus Möhn, 1999
  • Battus belus (Cramer, 1777) – Belus swallowtail
  • Battus crassus (Cramer, 1777) – Crassus swallowtail
  • Battus eracon (Godman & Salvin, 1897) – west-Mexican swallowtail, Colima swallowtail
  • Battus ingenuus (Dyar, 1907) – Dyar's swallowtail, confused swallowtail
  • Battus laodamas (C. & R. Felder, 1859) – green-patch swallowtail, yellow-spotted swallowtail
  • Battus lycidas (Cramer, [1777]) – Cramer's swallowtail, yellow-trailed swallowtail
  • Battus polystictus (Butler, 1874)
species group: madyes Möhn, 1999
  • Battus madyes (Doubleday, 1846) – Madyes swallowtail

subgenus: Battus Möhn, 1999

species group: philenor
  • Battus devilliersii (Godart, 1823)
  • Battus philenor (Linnaeus, 1771) – pipevine swallowtail
  • Battus zetides (Munroe, 1971) – Zetides swallowtail
species group: polydamus Möhn, 1999
  • Battus polydamas (Linnaeus, 1758) – Polydamas swallowtail, gold rim swallowtail, or tailless swallowtail

  • Museum specimen of Battus philenor

  • Battus philenor caterpillar, high-temperature red form

  • Battus philenor caterpillar, low temperature black form

  • Battus philenor pupa

References

  1. ↑ Pinheiro, Carlos E.G. (1996) Palatability and escaping ability in Neotropical butterflies: tests with wild kingbirds (Tyrannus melancholicus, Tyrannidae). Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 59(4): 351–365. HTML abstract
  2. ↑ Battus, funet.fi
  3. ↑ Glassberg, J. (2007) A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of Mexico and Central America, Sunstreak Books, pp.8-9.
  • Edwin Möhn, 2002 Schmetterlinge der Erde, Butterflies of the World Part V (5), Papilionidae II: Battus. Edited by Erich Bauer and Thomas Frankenbach Keltern: Goecke & Evers; Canterbury: Hillside Books. ISBN:978-3-931374-70-9 Illustrates and identifies 14 species and 49 subspecies.

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q556018 entry




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