Parides bunichus

Parides bunichus is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.

Parides bunichus
P. b. damocrates, male
P. b. chamissonia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Parides
Species:	P. bunichus
Binomial name
Parides bunichus (Hübner, [1821])[1]
Synonyms
Menelaides bunichus Hübner, [1821] Papilio ascalus Godart, [1924] Papilio chamissonia Eschscholtz, 1821 Papilio echedorus Boisduval, 1836 Papilio eurydorus Lucas, 1852 Papilio archimides Larrañaga, 1923 Papilio campeiro Foetterle, 1902 Parides chamissonia Parides diodorus Papilio perrhebus Boisduval, 1836 Parides perrhebus

The larva is brownish black, with an oblique white band, extending laterally from the 6th segment to the tubercle on the 7th. The pupal stage lasts three weeks.

The butterfly is very common and is one of the earliest spring species (August). From August to April there are at least three generations.

P. b. bunichus

Subspecies

• P. b. bunichus (Brazil: Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Santa Catarina)
• P. b. chamissonia (Eschscholtz, 1821) (Brazil: Santa Catarina) Both wings with white band, that on the hindwing abbreviated; cell-spot of the hindwing not extending further towards the base than to the second median; red anal spot v-shaped. In forma echedorus Boisduval the fringes are partly black, at least at the extremities of the veins.
• P. b. damocrates (Guenée, 1872) (Argentina, Uruguay) Much paler; the head and palpi are black, and the submarginal spots on the upper surface of the hindwing are not bright red.
• P. b. diodorus (Hopffer, 1863) (Brazil: Goias, Bahia, Minas Gerais) Has entirely white fringes. The breadth of the white band is variable.
• P. b. perrhebus (Boisduval, 1836) (Paraguay, Brazil (São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul), northern Argentina) ^[2]

Status

Parides bunichus is common and not threatened.^[3]

Taxonomy

Parides bunichus is a member of the ascanius species group^[4] ("Fringe-spots white. Hindwing with submarginal spots and usnally also discal spots or dots, or a discal band; mostly with tail") A quadrate whitish spot in space 2 of the forewings is quite peculiar of the ascanius group^[5]

The members are

• Parides agavus (Drury, 1782)
• Parides alopius (Godman & Salvin, [1890])
• Parides ascanius (Cramer, [1775])
• Parides bunichus (Hübner, [1821])
• Parides gundlachianus (C. & R. Felder, 1864)
• Parides montezuma (Westwood, 1842)
• Parides phalaecus (Hewitson, 1869)
• Parides photinus (Doubleday, 1844)
• Parides proneus (Hübner, [1831])