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.Leonard187 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 12, 2023 2:19 am 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?
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.