aeacus

18) Sp. aeacus (Felder, 1860)⁴⁾

Ssp. aeacus (Felder, 1860)

= praecox (Fruhstorfer, 1913)

Ssp. szechwanus Okano & Okano, 1983

Ssp. malaiianus Fruhstorfer, 1902

Ssp. formosanus Ｒothschild, 1899

= kaguya (Nakahara & Esaki, 1930)

*Ssp.(?) insularis (Ney, 1905)

This species was once classified as the same species, because of its similarity to T. rhadamantus from Philippines (Boisduval, 1836²⁾), and moreover, the female closely resembles T. minos from S. India, suggesting a similarity between the two, too. This is a continental species, with the second widest distribution area next to Troides helena, making the northern and northwestern limits of distribution of all Birdwing  Butterflies. But in despite its wide distribution area, it is a stable species with little local variation. As the species, occurred in Malay Peninsula, Taiwan, and China, which are out of the distributional continuity, show some variation locally in the wing shape and patterns, they are now classified into four subspecies. The same species was discovered on Sumatra Island and described as ssp. insularis by Ney (1905)¹¹⁾, but afterward it has never been found there again. So that it considered invalid.

(Distribution) [DCD 37]

Nepal, North India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malay Peninsula, Taiwan.

(Vertical distribution)

300 – 3, 000 m. a. s. l.

(Spotted pattern)

♂: The apex of FW is pointed, and outer margin is concave. The anal angle of HW is slightly acute. FW is glossy black with transparent vein-stripes from V^2nd to V^9th. HW is semi-translucent golden yellow with high black marginal projections, which are covered with crescent-shaped black shadings in spaces 2 – 4. On the underside, vein-stripes on FW are grayish white and broad and a short vein-stripe also appear on V^1b. There are no black shadings on HW. Reddish hair tufts on the neck and lateral thorax. Abdomen black, each segment margined with yellow.

♀: FW and HW are slightly rounded. FW, the ground color is pale blackish brown, with a cell-spot that covers almost the entire inner margin, leaving a portion of the base of the cell, and stained grayish white vein-stripes on all wing veins. HW is yellow bordered by high dark projections and teardrop-shaped dark discal spots isolate in the center of each discal space. There are two small yellow spots on the subcostal space. Reddish hair tufts are present on the neck and lateral thorax. The upper surface of abdomen is dark brown and under surface forms a black and yellow strip pattern.

(Larval foodplant)

Aristolochia kankauensis, (Northern Asia) Aristolochia shimadai, Aristolochia liukiuensis, Aristolochia cathcartii.^９）