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Battus polydamas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Polydamas swallowtail)

Battus polydamas
B. p. jamaicensis
Secure
Secure (NatureServe)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Battus
Species:
B. polydamas
Binomial name
Battus polydamas
Synonyms
  • Papilio polydamas Linnaeus

Battus polydamas, also known as the gold rim swallowtail, the Polydamas swallowtail or the tailless swallowtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 10th edition of Systema Naturae, published in 1758. Adults generally have black wings with yellow markings while the larval stage is mainly about consuming acids from toxic plants to make themselves unpalatable to predators.[3] They are mainly found in the Neotropical region, and in many of the Caribbean islands.[4]

Distribution and habitat

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The Polydamas swallowtail is widespread in the Neotropical realm throughout Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and in southern United States, including Texas and Florida.[4] It also inhabits many Caribbean islands such as Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.[5] Within this broad range, B. polydamas prefers habitats where they can access its larval host plants, particularly species in the genus Aristolochia.[3] However, it is most often found in open woodlands, along the edges of forests, or abandoned fields, and occasionally in gardens with their preferable host plants.[3]

Morphology

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The wingspan of an adult B. Polydamas is 84 to 110 mm without the tail. The top of the wings are black with a broad submarginal band formed by large yellow spots.[3] The undersides of the forewings have the same pattern, while the hindwings have a submarginal row of red lunules.[6] This butterfly flies from April to November in three generations in the north of its range, throughout the year in several generations in the tropics.[7]

Chemical defense in larvae

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Swallowtail butterflies build their chemical defense by feeding on toxic host plants that make them distasteful to predators, ultimately increasing their fitness.[8] For instance, the larvae of B. polydamas feed exclusively on plants of Aristolochia species, containing aristolochic acids (AA).[9] Throughout their larval development, they consume and accumulate aristolochic acids in their body and integument.[9] And the amount of AA content they can contain increases with the size of larvae.[9]

Subspecies

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The species is divided into the following subspecies:

References

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  1. ↑ Grice, H.; Hall, P.; Mega, N.; Nunez-Bustos, E.; Freitas, A.V.L. (2018). "Battus polydamas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018 e.T110520503A110520514. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T110520503A110520514.en. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0 - Battus polydamas Polydamas Swallowtail". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "EENY-062/IN219: Polydamas Swallowtail, Gold Rim, Tailless Swallowtail, Battus polydamas lucayus (Rothschild & Jordan) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Papilionidae: Troidini)". Ask IFAS - Powered by EDIS. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  4. 1 2 3 Savela, Markku. "Battus polydamas (Linnaeus, 1758)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Battus polydamas thumbnails". www.butterfliesofamerica.com. Archived from the original on 2025-02-21. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  6. ↑ "Battus polydamas - Polydamas Swallowtail". Butterflies of Cuba. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  7. ↑ "Polydamas Swallowtail Battus polydamas (Linnaeus, 1758) | Butterflies and Moths of North America". www.butterfliesandmoths.org. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  8. ↑ Palma-Onetto, Valeria; Bergmann, Jan; González-Teuber, Marcia (2023-04-24). "Mode of action, chemistry and defensive efficacy of the osmeterium in the caterpillar Battus polydamas archidamas". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 6644. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-33390-x. ISSN 2045-2322.
  9. 1 2 3 Pinto, Carlos F.; Urzúa, Alejandro; Niemeyer, Hermann M. (2013-01-01). "Sequestration of aristolochic acids from meridic diets by larvae of Battus polydamas archidamas (Papilionidae: Troidini)". EJE. 108 (1): 41–45. doi:10.14411/eje.2011.005. hdl:10533/143197. ISSN 1210-5759.
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