Table of Contents for Chinese Peacock (Papilio bianor)
The Chinese Peacock butterfly flies in eastern Asia, incuding China, Japan, and the countries of southeast Asia. Its host plants include members of the Citrus, Zanthoxylum, and Skimmia genera. The Chinese peacock flies in forests and wooded areas, but can be attracted to gardens and urbans with the presence of its host plants.
Taxonomy and Naming of the Chinese Peacock (Papilio bianor)
Taxonomy
This butterfly was named and described by Pieter Cramer, a Dutch Entomologist, in 1777. It is a member of the family Papilionidae and is in the subfamily Papilioninae.
Meaning of the Scientific and Common Names
Scientific Name
The genus name, Papilio, is Latin for butterfly. The species name, bianor, may come from the Greek words for strength (bia) and man (aner) (behindthename). Bianor was also a centaur in Greek mythology (Wikipedia).
Common Name
The common name derives from the resemblance of this butterfly to a peacock. Another common name is common peacock.
Physical Description
Description
- Color: Black with iridescent aqua (green scales) and red coloration.
- Wingspan: 4 cm (1.5 in) to 12 cm (5 in). The summer brood tends to be larger than the spring (Leech 1892). Females are larger than the males.
- Active Flying Time: Adults are active between March (in the south) to October.
Life Cycle of this butterfly
Eggs
The eggs of this butterfly are green and are laid on the underside of the host plant.
Larvae
The larvae, or caterpillars, is green with white stripes.
In the north, two broods can be produced, while in the south there are often three in a season.
Range of the Chinese Peacock in Asia
These butterflies are native to south-central and eastern Asia.
Habitat
This butterfly flies in forested areas where its host plants grow.
Host Plants
The host plants of this butterfly are many and include:
- Citrus genus
- Zanthoxylum genus
- Rhus typhina (Perveen and Sikander 2014)
- Euodia hupensis (Perveen and Sikander 2014)
- Orixa japonica (Perveen and Sikander 2014)
- Phellodendron amurense (Perveen and Sikander 2014)
- Poncrius trifoliata (Perveen and Sikander 2014)
Nectar Plants
Nectar plants for this species include Pei-lan (Eupatorium fortunei), lesser bouganvillea (Bougainvillea glabra), and cotton rosemallow (Hibiscus mutabilis) (Hu 2009).
Frequently Asked Questions about the Chinese Peacock
Are the male and females of this butterfly different?
The male of the species has a black velvety hair or like dark brown fur (Kershaw 1905) on the forewing, which the female lacks. The female does have a red spot on the hindwings. Otherwise the sexes are similar.
What other butterflies look like this one?
This species is in the Bianor group and is most similar to the common peacock (Papilio polyctor), which is in the same group. They differ in that P. bianor has no green band on the edge of the wing, whereas P. polyctor does have this green band (Bingham 1907).
Where can I get more information on this butterfly?
Interesting facts about this butterfly?
This species is recognized as the state butterfly of Uttarakhand in India.
References
- Bingham, C.T. 1907. Butterflies, Vol. I-II. (Calcutta and Simla: Taylor and Francis).
- Hu, Shaoji. 2009. Preliminary field survey of butterflies on Xishan Hill (Kunming, Yunnan Province, China). Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 41: 60-69.
- Kershaw, John C.W. 1905. Butterflies of Hong Kong. (Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh).
- Leech, John Henry. 1892. Butterflies from China, Japan, and Corea. (London: R.H. Porter).
- Perveen, Farzana, and Anzela Khan Sikander. 2014. Characteristics of butterfly (Lepidoptera) fauna from Kabal, Swat, Pakistan. Journal and Entomology and Zoology Studies 2(1): 56-69.