Papilio nubilus


Papilio nubilus is a rare species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus Papilio that can be found in Borneo.
Previously listed as a distinct species, but now regarded as an interspecific hybrid between Papilio nephelus and Papilio polytes.

Description

Similar to Papilio nephelus; Male small, the subapical spots of the forewing not sharply defined eitherabove or beneath, more or less dusted with black, the 3. and 4. spots placed much nearer to the cell than in
P. nephelus, the 4. far removed from the distal margin; hindwing above with white discal band consisting of 7 patches, of which the 3. and 4. are the longest, no submarginal spots above, beneath a complete row, all white,
smaller than in P. nephelus, especially the 4., 5. and 6. The female not known. Borneo and Sumatra.

Subspecies

  • Papilio nubilus nubilus
  • Papilio nubilus musianus Rothschild, 1899 Forewing above with 3 subapical spots, below which a fourth is indicated, beneath with an anal spot, before which a second, very small one is placed; the 4. and 5. submarginal spots of the hindwing beneath extremely small.1 male in the Tring Museum, from the hills west of Palembang South-East Sumatra Karl Jordan in Seitz.

Taxonomy

Papilio nubilus is a member of the helenus species-group. Other members of this clade are