Graphium morania

Graphium morania, the white lady or small white-lady swordtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Zululand, Eswatini, Transvaal, S.Mozambique, SE.Zimbabwe, E.Botswana).^[3]

White lady
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Graphium
Species:	G. morania
Binomial name
Graphium morania (Angas, 1849) .[1][2]
Synonyms
Papilio morania Angas, 1849 Graphium morania f. vansoniana Storace, 1953 Graphium morania var. holoplaga Grei, 1986

Description

The wingspan is 50–55 mm in males and 55–60 mm in females. Hindwing beneath without red spots in the marginal band; both wings above with white spots in the marginal band; abdomen without continuous yellow lateral stripe, at most with three yellow lateral spots on segments 2—4, on the other hand with triangular black lateral spots. Apex of the cell of the forewing either filled by a single white spot or with two spots, which however are only narrowly or incompletely separated.The discal spot in cellule 2 of the forewing is large and completely fills up the base of the cellule; the white subdiscal spots of cellules 2—5 of the hindwing above are placed nearer to the inner margin than to the outer margin of the black marginal band; the markings yellowish or greenish white. Ovambo Land to Delagoa Bay.^[4]

Biology

Its fight period is year-round, peaking in November and February.^[5]

The larvae feed on Uvaria caffra, Artabotrys species, Hexalobus monopetalus, Artabotrys brachypetalus, Artabotrys monteiroae, and Annona senegalensis.^[3][5]

Taxonomy

Graphium morania belongs to a clade with six members. All have similar genitalia The clade members are:

• Graphium angolanus (Goeze, 1779)
• Graphium endochus (Boisduval, 1836)
• Graphium morania (Angas, 1849)
• Graphium taboranus (Oberthür, 1886)
• Graphium schaffgotschi (Niepelt, 1927)
• Graphium ridleyanus (White, 1843)