Papilio ophidicephalus chirinda - Emperor swallowtail

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Papilio ophidicephalus

Photo(s): Bart Wursten, National Botanic Garden, Vumba.

Species details:

Note: The largest butterfly in Southern Africa.
Distribution: This subspecies is found in the forests of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique.
Related plant families:
Related plant genera:
Related plant species:
RutaceaeCitrus × limon (Food plant)
RutaceaeClausena anisata (Food plant)
Literature: Henning, G.A., Pringle, E.L.L. & Ball, J.B. (1994), Pennington's Butterflies of Southern Africa, Struik Winchester, Cape Town, p. 304.

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Lepidoptera - Butterflies and Moths: Papilio ophidicephalus chirinda.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/insect-display.php?insect_species_id=400120, retrieved 18 April 2024

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