Swallowtail
We are delighted that Niklas Menzel has taken over the sponsorship of the swallowtail (Graphium ridleyanus).
The English name of this butterfly from the swallowtail family (Papilionidae) is Acraea Swallowtail. It is derived from the fact that this butterfly mimics species of the genus Acraea, which are poisonous and therefore protected from predators. It has a brown ground colour with orange and black markings and can reach a wingspan of 7-9 cm. It is found from eastern Nigeria to Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, southern Sudan, western Tanzania and Zambia, mainly in transitional areas between rainforest and savannah.