Mimoides phaon is a species of butterfly

Butterfly

A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...

 in the family Papilionidae, native to the Americas

Americas

The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...

. It is commonly known as the Red-sided Swallowtail and the Variable Swallowtail.

Description

The dorsal side of the Red-sided Swallowtail's wings is variable. They are mainly black with the hind wings having a postmedian band of spots, which are either greenish-blue or red. Some individuals have one or two rows of smaller light colored spots along the outer margin of the hind wing. The fore wing has a row of whitish spots along the outer margin, which may be reduced or lacking in some individuals. The underside of the wings is less variable than the upper side. The outer margin of the hind wing has a row of small red crescents. The basal area of the hind wing, the thorax

Thorax (insect anatomy)

The thorax is the mid section of the insect body. It holds the head, legs, wings and abdomen. It is also called mesosoma in other arthropods....

, and the head are spotted with red. The abdomen

Abdomen

In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...

 has a row of lateral red spots, which distinguish M. phaon from other members of its genus.

Subspecies

• Mimoides phaon phaon (Boisduval, 1836)
• Mimoides phaon therodamas (C. Felder & R. Felder
  Rudolf Felder
  Rudolf Felder was an Austrian jurist and entomologist. He was mainly interested in Lepidoptera, amassing, with his father, Cajetan Felder a huge collection.-Works:...
  
  , 1865)

Distribution

The nominate subspecies, M. p. phaon, is found in northeastern Mexico, Belize

Belize

Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...

, and Honduras

Honduras

Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...

. The other subspecies, M. p. therodamas, is found in Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

, and eastern Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

. In October, 2008, M. p. phaon was found in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, making it the first swallowtail of the genus Mimoides to stray into the United States.

Life cycle

The Red-sided Swallowtail caterpillar

Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...

is mainly black with its head and thorax spotted with blue and yellow. The abdomen is striped laterally with blue, yellow, black, and white. The last segments are spotted like the head.