This week's butterfly is a rare one: Graphium deliae, one of the African Swordtails that look very similar to some of the American Kites. G. deliae is found in Zambia. Some think it is only a "form," not even a true species, of Graphium poggianum, which would account for its surviving while being so rare. An online summary of the argument that it's a "form" is at:
Deliae could be considered a mythological name. It means "belonging to a lady from Delos." In Greek literature the Lady of Delos was the form of Artemis or Diana worshipped on that island. However, deliae was named only in the present century, and as a matter of record it was named after a twentieth century lady, Delia Curle.
Graphium deliae is a little smaller than G. poggianus, with a wingspan of only about 8 or 9 cm. Female wingspans of museum specimens average a few millimeters wider than male, but few females have been preserved in museums.
Its habitat is the rather dry woodlands on the edge of the Kalahari desert. It is thought to eat the same plants as Graphium almansor Like almansor, it may benefit from a resemblance to some butterflies in the "Clerics" family of Brush-footed Butterflies. Deliae are a little smaller than almansor, have more areas of pale color on their wings (living butterflies are described as brown and yellow or gold), and are said to fly faster.
Caterpillars and pupae have been described in printed literature. They resemble poggianus and almansor, too, but are slightly smaller and have slightly different color patterns. Pupae suspend themselves from leaves of their host plant. Upon eclosion males will stake out territories in the woods that contain their food plant and fly about warning others off their territory; females will spend most of their lives finding leaves on which to lay eggs, and seldom leave the woods or venture into places where they would be easy for humans to see.
Fishing
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