Kingdom Animalia Family Papilionidae Scientific name Atrophaneura nevilli Rank Species | Class Insecta Genus Byasa Phylum Arthropoda Order Butterflies and moths | |
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Similar Byasa plutonius, Byasa crassipes, Byasa polla, Byasa mencius, Byasa latreillei | ||
Byasa nevilli, the Nevill's windmill, is a butterfly found in India that belongs to the windmills genus (Byasa), comprising tailed black swallowtail butterflies with white spots and red submarginal crescents.
Contents
Range
North east India (Assam), Myanmar (Shan states) and western China.
Status
It is very common in western China and very rare in India. This butterfly is protected in India though it is not known to be threatened.
Taxonomy
No separate subspecies have been described.
Description
The wingspan is 100-120 mm. In appearance it is similar to the great windmill (Byasa dasarada), but is smaller. The tail is not red-tipped. It also resembles the great windmill subspecies B. d. ravana, Moore, but is smaller, with the markings also proportionately smaller. The male differs as follows: the subterminal series of lunules on the hindwing are crimson or vermilion red, never white or partly white as in B. d. ravana; sexual abdominal fold within white, not blackish brown; the subterminal red lunule in interspace 3 very often missing. Female resembles the male rather than the female of B. d. ravana but the white rectangular markings in interspaces 5 and 6 are whiter. From B. d. ravana female it differs in the complete absence of the white discal spots in interspaces 1, 2, 3 and 4. In both sexes the tail is black without any red spot.