Troides minos

Southern birdwing
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Troides
Species:
T. minos
Binomial name
Troides minos
Cramer, 1779

Troides minos, the southern birdwing,[2][3] also called Sahyadri birdwing,[4] is a large and striking species of swallowtail butterfly. It is endemic to southern India.[2][3] With a wingspan of 140–190 mm, it is the second largest butterfly of India. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List.[5]

It was earlier considered a subspecies of the common birdwing (Troides helena) but is now recognised as a valid species.[2][3]

The species is more common in the Western Ghats of southern India, which is a biodiversity hotspot with a high degree of endemism in many taxa. It is much sought after by collectors and is a highlight of many butterfly tours in the Western Ghats. It is the state butterfly of Karnataka, India.[6]

  1. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  2. ^ a b c Varshney, R.K.; Smetacek, Peter (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. New Delhi: Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing. p. 7. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3966.2164. ISBN 978-81-929826-4-9.
  3. ^ a b c Savela, Markku. "Troides minos (Cramer, [1779])". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference BoI was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Troides minos". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 25 January 2018.
  6. ^ The, Hindu (May 17, 2017). "State gets its own butterfly". Retrieved 3 March 2018.