Noble butterfly
We are delighted that Tanja Klär has taken on the sponsorship of the Hesperus or Black and Yellow Swallowtail (Papilio hesperus).
With a wingspan of 11.5 cm, this male specimen almost reaches the maximum size (12 cm) of this member of the swallowtail family (Papilionidae).
The species inhabits the African rainforests from Nigeria and Cameroon in the west to Uganda in the east and south to Zambia. The pretty butterflies are conspicuous by their protruding forewing tips, the angled forewing band and the long, drop-shaped tails of the hindwings. Their caterpillars feed on various laurel plants.