16) Sp. rhadamantus (Lucas, 1835)7)
Ssp. rhadamantus (Lucas, 1835)
= hesiodus (Fruhstorfer, 1911)
= belzanor (Fruhstorfer, 1911)
Ssp. plateni (Staudinger, 1888)
A medium-sized endemic species from Philippines. It has been known for a long time as an alternative species for a continental another species, Troides aeacus, which is also found in Taiwan. As it is found all over the Philippines, there are some local variations between the northern and southern populations. In particular, vein-stripes on FW are brighter in northern specimens than southern specimens, while the black shading on HW tends to be darker in southern specimens than in northern specimens. But these differences are not enough to make it a subspecies. The Palawan Island populations, however, is rather different and is sometimes classified as a separate species. But we thought those differences are not enough to make it a species, therefore it is treated here as a subspecies.
(Distribution) [DCD 35]
![[DCD 35]](https://www.ag.kagawa-u.ac.jp/birdwingbutterflies/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DCD35-scaled.jpg){kind=link}
All over the Philippines, Palawan Is.
(Vertical distribution)
0 – 1, 300 m. a. s. l.
(Spotted pattern)
♂: Wing shape is characterized by the significantly pointed anal angle of HW, while Palawan ssp. is rounded. FW shiny black with grayish white vein-stripes along V2nd – V9th, but only a few are present submarginally in Palawan ssp. The semi-translucent golden spots on HW cover all spaces with black shading in spaces 2 – 5 or 6, while the golden spots of most Palawan ssp. are smaller and extend only from the subcostal space to spaces 6 or 5. The underside is not much different from the surface, but Palawan ssp. tends to have anal angular area on HW darkly covered with black scales. Reddish hair tufts are present in neck and lateral thorax. The upper surface of the abdomen is blackish, and the underside is yellow.
♀: This species has a distinctive pattern. The grand color of FW is black or blackish brown, with M-shape cell-spot and grayish white vein-stripes along V2nd – V9th, however one on V2nd is short. The yellow spots on HW are about half the size of wing, but in Palawan ssp. it is much smaller and besides there are no submarginal yellow spots. Reddish hairs tufts are present on the neck and lateral thorax. The upper surface of abdomen is blackish brown, and the under surface is yellow.
(Larval foodplant)
Aristolochia tagala, Aristolochia zollingeriana, Aristolochia jackii.8)