Heraclides garleppi was named relatively recently, in honor of two memorable characters in modern scientific literature, the naturalist brothers Gustav and Otto Garlepp. A thumbnail biography of the brothers is at
The butterflies are large South American swallowtails. They are found all through the year but are most numerous in August. Males and females have different color patterns but similar wing shapes, with very long, rounded fore wings. Males look more like H. thoas with even wider yellow or white bands across the fore wings. More of the upper wing surface is yellow or creamy white than is black or brown.
Photo by Jhonny Zambrano, Ecuador, November.
Females look more like Heraclides anchisiades, with or without a white spot in the center of each fore wing, and with a rose-red spot in each hind wing. Are there females who look more like the males? The species is not well enough known for anyone to be sure. We know that this species shows significant sexual dimorphism.
Photo by Thewildgtrv, Surinam, October.
There are three subspecies. Heraclides garleppi garleppi is found in Bolivia.
Photo by Layme, Bolivia, July. Males join puddle parties with other male butterflies and these Urania individuals, who look and behave like Swallowtail butterflies but are scientifically classified as a completely different genus--a sort of day-flying moth.
H.g. interruptus is found in Brazil and Peru.
H.g. lecerfi is found only in South America's "Guiana Shield," where it has "protected" status because it is so rare. In Surinam, for instance, it's known to breed only in the Brownsberg nature park.
The Bojonawi nature preserve hosts only H.g. interruptus, but it hosts so much wildlife that its species checklist is a full-sized book, beautifully illustrated (though not with Heraclides garleppi). If you like looking at tropical birds and plants, or want to make your own video to accompany that "Orinoco Flow" song, you might want to "sail away" with this e-book.
Rothschild described only the subspecies garleppi and interruptus, explaining where the yellow band on interruptus is "interrupted":
The life cycle remains poorly documented, although some progress has been made. We know that male Swallowtails gather at puddles, especially just after eclosion, waiting to become ready to mate. Females are typically ready to mate as soon as their wings unfold. When a female joins a puddle party, she's looking for a mate, and is likely to find one soon. After that she will spend most of her time finding places to lay her eggs.
Photo by Anabenavides, Colombia, August.
Maeva Leroy believed this to be an early stage caterpillar of Heralides garleppi.
Photo by Maeva Leroy, Surinam, August.
Other researchers say that the caterpillar differs from other species that look similar to the adult garleppi, but this difference remains to be documented with digital photographs.
The preferred host plant is a wild bush in the citrus family called Ticorea foetida, the Foul-Smelling Ticora. Not all Wikipedia pages have been written in or translated to English by humans; that's what translation software is for.
A 1985 assessment of this species' conservation status concluded that not enough is known about it to justify calling it threatened or endangered. Since it has always been rare, has been reported from very diverse and non-contiguous locations, and has features in common with two other species that share the same range, it might be a natural hybrid. More recent studies suggest that it is not a hybrid, but much about this species remains to be learned.
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