Papilio polytes ssp. & ♀ forms

[adamcotton]

I ve read a paper (DOI:10.1002/ece3.5182) about mimicry of female Papilio polytes, which said the ratio of tailed females (f.polytes) increased in the Ryukyu Islands since the model Pachliopta aristolochiae moved there.
I still have a confusion to consult you. Since Papilio theseus separate to Papilio polytes, there are no dark form of P. polytes now? I've seen some 'dark' female individuals without white spot on their hindwings (different from f. theseus from Indonesia), so that might be a different form or just variable of f.polytes? I've aslo seen several 'intermediates' with slight or small white spots as well as aligned spots similar as male-like form (f.cyrus) but much larger spots. If possible, could you please list the form of polytes, theseus and alphenor?

Technically there are no completely dark forms in Papilio polytes. Chinese ssp. polytes females can have reduced white spots on the hindwings but these are not normally completely absent.

Here are the subspecies of the three species with type localities in ( ):

Papilio alphenor Cramer, 1776
ssp. ledebouria Eschscholtz, 1821 (Manilla)
ssp. steffi (Page & Treadaway, 2003) (Cavan Cavan, Sibutu, 5m)
ssp. perversus Rothschild, 1895 (Sangir Island; Talaut; Siao Island)
ssp. polycritos Fruhstorfer, 1902 (Sula-Besi)
ssp. nicomachus Fruhstorfer, 1909 (Buru)
ssp. alphenor Cramer, 1776 (China [loc. err.])
ssp. nicanor C. Felder & R. Felder, 1864 (Batjan, Halmaheira)
ssp. muratai Kishida, 1933 (Koror Island)

Papilio polytes Linnaeus, 1758
ssp. thibetanus Oberthür, 1886 (Chapa, Thibet)
ssp. polytes Linnaeus, 1758 (Asia [= southern China])
ssp. pasikrates Fruhstorfer, 1908 (Formosa, Takan)
ssp. polycles Fruhstorfer, 1903 (Okinawa and Ishigaki)
ssp. romulus Cramer, 1775 (Côtes de Coromandel & Ceylon)
ssp. rubidimacula Talbot, 1932 (Tibet (? south-east), Yunnan: Teng-yueh-Ting)
ssp. latreilloides Yoshino, 2018 (Weixi County, 2,500 m, North Yunnan, China)
ssp. stichioides Evans, 1932 (Andamans)
ssp. nikobarus C. Felder, 1862 (Nankauri, Nicobar Is.)

Papilio theseus Cramer, 1777
ssp. theseus Cramer, 1777 (la côte Occidentale de Sumatra)
ssp. melanides Haan, 1840 (Banjermasin)
ssp. rubeus (Page & Treadaway, 2011) (Indonesia, Karimata Island)
ssp. javanus C. Felder, 1862 (Java)
ssp. vigellius Fruhstorfer, 1909 (Bawean)
ssp. messius Fruhstorfer, 1909 (Lombok)
ssp. sotira Jordan, 1909 (Sumbawa)
ssp. timorensis C. Felder & R. Felder, 1864 (Timor)
ssp. alcindor Oberthür, 1879 (Celebes)
ssp. kurokawai Nakae, 2011 (Batuatas Island)
ssp. tucanus Jordan, 1909 (Binongka and Kalidupa, Toekan Bessi Islands)

I should mention that I do not place much importance on form names. Most subspecies have names that can be applied to individual ♀ forms, mimetic or male-like, but I don't label form names in my collection. I just treat them as synonyms or infrasubspecific names within the relevant valid subspecies name.

I can try to give form names for females of particular subspecies on request, but here are a few:
Papilio polytes
ssp. polytes from China
male-like ♀ form pammon Linnaeus, 1758
mimetic ♀ form polytes
ssp. romulus from Sri Lanka, India to Indochina & Malay Peninsula
male-like ♀ form cyrus Fabricius, 1793
P. aristolochiae mimic ♀ form stichius Hübner, [1808]
P. hector mimic ♀ form romulus

Papilio theseus
ssp. theseus from Sumatra
male-like ♀ form nonia Jordan, 1909
mimetic ♀ form theseus
ssp. javanus
male-like ♀ form pygela Jordan, 1909
mimetic ♀ form javanus

Papilio alphenor
ssp. ledebouria from most of the Philippines
male-like ♀ form horsfieldii Reakirt, [1865]
mimetic ♀ form praxilla Jordan, 1909
mimetic ♀ form elyros Wallace, 1865 (hindwing black or with small white discal spots)
ssp. alphenor from S Moluccas
male-like ♀ form unnamed
mimetic ♀ form alphenor
ssp. nicanor from N Moluccas & Obi
male-like ♀ form manzer Rothschild, 1896
mimetic ♀ form typicus Rothschild, 1896

Adam.

[Leonard187]

Thank you for your kind reply, and I will write it down ^0^

[Leonard187]

Recently I saw a specimen named Papilio hipponous which is much similar as P. polytes. However I cannot find it as a subspecies from above list. May
I know whether it is just a synonym of some sp. or ssp.?

[adamcotton]

Papilio hipponous is a separate species from the Philippines, not directly related to P. polytes but in the fuscus-group. Another species related to P. hipponous is P. prexaspes from the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Indochina, with a subspecies in Hainan - bowringi. This subspecies is rather hard to obtain, as it lives only in the lowlands, and generally not in places people go to look for butterflies. It also looks superficially very like P. polytes, but note the lack of white spots along the forewing margin of all species in the fuscus-group.

Adam.

[Leonard187]

Papilio hipponous is a separate species from the Philippines, not directly related to P. polytes but in the fuscus-group. Another species related to P. hipponous is P. prexaspes from the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Indochina, with a subspecies in Hainan - bowringi. This subspecies is rather hard to obtain, as it lives only in the lowlands, and generally not in places people go to look for butterflies. It also looks superficially very like P. polytes, but note the lack of white spots along the forewing margin of all species in the fuscus-group.

Adam.

Thanks for your reply and I feel sorry for my carelessness because this information could be found in the new papilio paper you posted previously >0<
I just intuitively treated it as group polytes because of their similar appearance.

[Chuck]

Thanks for your reply and I feel sorry for my carelessness because this information could be found in the new papilio paper you posted previously >0<
I just intuitively treated it as group polytes because of their similar appearance.

Adam is always very helpful.

I'd not worry too much about misID, that happens.

I can't tell you the number of times some sub-project in my research has eaten many hours of work, and then I discover that the work had already been done, the paper is on my computer, and I'd simply forgotten that I'd read it.

[Leonard187]

Adam is always very helpful.

I'd not worry too much about misID, that happens.

I can't tell you the number of times some sub-project in my research has eaten many hours of work, and then I discover that the work had already been done, the paper is on my computer, and I'd simply forgotten that I'd read it.

Thanks, and you are so kind. I found that my memory has been a bit weak recently .