Five-bar Swordtail

Common designation for a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae, found in South Asia and Southeast Asia, and with the scientific name Graphium antiphates. Both males and females have an orange-white edged, blackish, long and sword-like tail on each of the hindwings. Above, the wings are mostly white, with a series of black bars and stripes, that are more elongated towards the base and apex of the forewings. In the distal and basal areas, the space in between the bars and stripes is yellowish green, while the area on the inner angle of the hindwings is greyish. On the underside, the forewings are marked as above, but the hindwings have their basal halves yellowish green, with black stripes and spots, and their distal halves yellowish orange, with small embedded black spots. The body of the Five-bar Swordtail, which shape is somewhat reminiscent of that of Tiger Beetles (fig.), is white with some yellowish-orange colouring towards the head and a lateral band of −mostly continuous− black spots, which −though somewhat shorter− is also present on the top of the body. See also List of Thai Insect Names. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回