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The Tailed Jay (1) (Graphium agamemnon) (64)
pankajbajpai
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1558 W: 105 N: 4679]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (16507) | Ivan has helped me in identifying this species.I thank him very much for his praise worthy comments.
Its Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon) is a predominantly green and black tropical butterfly that belongs to the swallowtail family. The butterfly is also called Green Spotted Triangle, Tailed Green Jay or the Green Triangle. It is a common, non-threatened species native to India, Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia and into Australia.
Once found primarily close to wooded country where there is a fairly heavy rainfall, the Tailed Jay is now very common at low elevations and regularly seen in gardens and urban areas due to its foodplant, Polyalthia longifolia (False Ashoka or Mast Tree), being widely used as an ornamental tree.
Strong and restless fliers, they are very active butterflies and flutter their wings constantly even when at flowers. They are seldom seen drinking from damp patches. The males are particularly fond of feeding from flowers such as Lantana, Ixora, Mussaenda and Poinsettia. The females are more likely caught when looking for foodplants or laying eggs.
Tailed Jays are active throughout the year but their abundance depends upon the local monsoon and availability of the larval host plants. The butterflies generally fly among the tree-tops but descend to ground level in search of flowers or host plants. Because of their relatively fast life cycle (just over one month from egg to adult), Tailed Jays are multivoltine and may produce up to 7–8 broods per year.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Suborder: Macrolepidoptera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Genus: Graphium
Species: G. agamemnon
Binomial name
Graphium agamemnon
source wikipedia |
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