Papilio ophidicephalus
Papilio ophidicephalus, the emperor swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The wingspan is 90–110 mm in males and 100–120 mm in females. It has two broods, one from August to December and the second from January to April.
The larvae feed on Clausena inqequalis, Calodendrum capense, Citrus species, Clausena anisata, Zanthoxylum capense and other Zanthoxylum species.Taxonomy
Papilio ophidicephalus is a member of the menestheus species group. The members of the clade are:
Listed alphabetically:
- P. o. ayresi van Son, 1939
- P. o. chirinda van Son, 1939
- P. o. cottrelli van Son, 1966
- P. o. entabeni van Son, 1939
- P. o. mkuwadzi Gifford, 1961
- P. o. niassicola Storace, 1955
- P. o. ophidicephalus Oberthür, 1878
- P. o. phalusco Suffert, 1904
- P. o. transvaalensis van Son, 1939
- P. o. zuluensis van Son, 1939
