Baroniinae
| Baronia | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Papilionidae |
| Subfamily: |
Baroniinae Bryk, 1913 |
| Genus: |
Baronia Salvin, 1893 |
| Species: | B. brevicornis |
| Binomial name | |
|
Baronia brevicornis Salvin, 1893 |
|
Baronia brevicornis, commonly known as the short-horned baronia, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is monotypic within the genus Baronia. It is endemic to a very small area of Mexico, where the distribution is patchy and restricted.
The genus is named after a Mr Baron who collected the first specimen in the Sierra Madre region of Mexico. The species was then described by Salvin.
Morphological characteristics include an abdominal scent organ in females.
Baronia is unique among swallowtail butterflies in having an Acacia species, Acacia cochliacanha (family Leguminosae) as its larval food plant.
Baronia brevicornis is of particular importance due to its relict nature and uncertain relationship to other subfamilies such as the Parnassiinae. It is now considered to represent the monotypic subfamily Baroniinae. The butterfly is considered as the most primitive extant papilionid taxon and shares some features with the fossil taxon Praepapilio.
Illustrated works:
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Wikipedia