African Giant Swallowtail

African Giant Swallowtail

We are delighted that Iris Geis has taken on the sponsorship of the African Giant Swallowtail (Papilio antimachus).

In Africa, the African Giant Swallowtail is not only the largest representative of the swallowtail family (Papilionidae), but also the largest butterfly on the continent. Our "godchild" has a wingspan of 21 cm (!) and can be identified as a male by its elongated forewing tips. The wings of the somewhat smaller females, on the other hand, are shorter and more rounded. These stately butterflies are widespread in the rainforest regions from Sierra Leone in the west to Uganda in the east and Angola in the south.

While the females are found almost exclusively in the treetop area and are therefore rarely sighted or collected, the males can be observed more frequently in the lower rainforest canopy in groups sucking nectar. They are in no danger from predators - the moths are highly poisonous, a characteristic that probably stems from the food plant of their caterpillars, which absorb and store the toxins contained in it.