Project Description
There are several un-tailed, green-banded species, including chrapkowskoides which has very broad metallic green bands on it’s dark brown upperside; and sosia which is similar but has more bluish bands. Papilio nireus, as it’s vernacular name implies, has very narrow bands, and these can vary in color from turquoise to metallic lime green in color. All three species have similar undersides.
Papilio nireus is found in forested regions throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa. This is a forest species, most commonly seen along logging roads or in secondary forest, but it also penetrates savannah habitats where it flies along riparian edges. It has migratory tendencies, so can also be found in botanical gardens, arboreta, Males commonly settle at damp patches on logging roads, often in groups of 4 or 5, to imbibe mineralized moisture.parks and even occasionally in city gardens.
