<> Lamproptera meges (Gray, 1832) <>

the Green Dragontail ผีเสื้อหางมังกรเขียว

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Photo taken at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand 400m a.s.l.

Members of the Lamproptera genus, which contains just three species, are the smallest of the papilionid butterflies found in tropical Asia. They are also some of the most interesting and are instantly recognisable from their dragonfly-like flight pattern and the fact that they look very different to other swallowtails in the Papilionidae family. All three species are visually quite similar but Lamproptera meges is perhaps the most common being found in most countries across the region with the exception of those in the Himalayas, Bangladesh, Singapore, and Taiwan. It has very long hindwing tails which, when combined with the hindwing itself, is at least twice the length of the forewing. They fly low and rather erratically and are able to stop in mid-air and change direction, darting from place to place very quickly. They are most often seen near shallow fast-flowing mountain streams.

When puddling, adult males do so in the company of their own species, usually in small groups of perhaps 3 or 4 but very occasionally in much larger aggregations. They are rarely seen puddling in the company of other butterfly species. They puddle in a similar way to Graphium species in that they suck up water and then expel it from the anus having extracted the disolved minerals. Females can sometimes be seen visiting flowers but are less commonly encountered than males. Both sexes are occasionally found at rest on foliage with their wings fully outstretched, a posture which is also adopted by males on the sandy banks of shallow streams. The species is multivoltine and there are several generations each year but further study is needed to determine the details of its life history.

Synonyms and previously used names: Papilio meges, Leptocircus decius, Leptocircus meges

Taxonomy: Animalia - Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Papilionidae - Papilioninae - Lamproptera - meges

Regional subspecies: Lamproptera meges akirai (S.Sulawesi, Indonesia), L.m.amplifascia (N.Myanmar, Yunnan-China), L.m.annamiticus (SE.Thailand, Cambodia, S.Laos, S.Vietnam), L.m.decius (Philippines), L.m.ennius (North and Central Sulawesi, Indonesia), L.m.indistincta (NE.India), L.m.meges (Indonesia), L.m.niasicus (Nias, Indonesia), L.m.pallidus (N.Vietnam), L.m.pessimus (Philippines), L.m.virescens (Myanmar, Thailand, N.Laos, W.Malaysia)

Regional Distribution: India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines

Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand 400m a.s.l.

Habitat: Lamproptera meges is found in wet tropical and subtropical rainforests and open montane forest, nearly always close to streams. They are found at low to moderate elevations and have been recorded in habitats up to 1500m a.s.l.

Flight time: all year depending on location Wingspan: 30-40mm

Life History: not fully known

Larval Hosts: Illigera celebica, Illigera cordata, Illigera luzonensis, Illigera rhodantha, Illigera thorelii, Illigera trifoliata (Hernandiaceae), Zanthoxylum sp. (Rutaceae), Rubia cordifolia (Rubiaceae). There may be other hosts almost certainly from the Hernandiaceae family.
Actual host plant used depends upon location and availabilty of plant species.

Adult Food Sources: Nectar - Bidens pilosa, Chromolaena odorata, Mikania micrantha (Asteraceae), Lantana camara, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (Verbenaceae), Bergera koenigii (Rutaceae), Buddleja paniculata (Scrophulariaceae), Helixanthera cylindrica (Loranthaceae). There may be other nectar sources that have not yet been recorded. Other - mud puddling