Large Striped Swordtail

The wingspan is 65–70 mm in males and 70–75 mm in females.The transverse bars in the cell of the forewing all separated; the apical spot in the cell of the hindwing above completely separated from the median band of the cell by the black ground-colour; the middle cell of the hindwing beneath with a deep black and red spot. The larva is brown to brown-green with a yellow belt on the third segment and lives on Artabotrys, an Annonaceae. Sierra Leone to Angola. — In ab.evombaroides Eim. the apical spot of the cell of the hindwing above is more or less united with the median band; otherwise not different from antheus. West Africa. — In ab. utuba Hamps. the fourth and fifth transverse bands in the cell of the forewing are united posteriorly, forming a U-shaped spot; otherwise agreeing with nyassae. Delagoa and British East Africa. — nyassae Btlr. has the middle cell of the hindwing beneath without the black and red spot; the transverse bars in the coll of the fore wing separated. Natal to British East Africa. — ab. (var. ?) lurlinus Btlr. is somewhat larger than antheus and has the green markings of the upperside more extended, especially the transverse bars in the cell of the fore wing and the submarginal spots of both wings are nearly twice as large as in the latter. Nyassaland and in the neighbourhood of Victoria Nyanza. mercutius Sm. & Kirby. …