Papilio antimachus

Giant African swallowtail
Male, upperside
Conservation status
Data Deficient (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Papilio
Species:	Papilio antimachus
Binomial name
Papilio antimachus Drury, 1782
Synonyms
Drurya antimachus var. gigantea Watkins, 1899 Drurya antimachus ab. plagiata Stichel, 1903 Papilio antimachus f. parvus Reuss, 1922 Papilio antimachus f. karschi Reuss, 1922 Papilio antimachus f. rothschildiana Reuss, 1922 Papilio antimachus f. staudingeri Reuss, 1922 Papilio antimachus f. centrispila Le Cerf, 1924 Papilio antimachus f. melanescens Le Cerf, 1924 Papilio antimachus congolanus Dufrane, 1929 Papilio antimachus congolanus ab. vreuricki Dufrane, 1929 Papilio antimachus congolanus ab. pupillata Dufrane, 1929 Papilio antimachus congolanus ab. obsoleta Dufrane, 1929 Papilio antimachus congolanus ab. lagai Dufrane, 1929 Papilio antimachus congolanus ab. virgularia Dufrane, 1929 Papilio antimachus coffea Talbot, 1936 Papilio antimachus congolanus ab. burgeoni Dufrane, 1946

Papilio antimachus, the giant African swallowtail, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. With a wingspan between 18 and 23 centimetres (7.1 and 9.1 in), it is the largest butterfly in Africa and among the largest butterflies in the world. P. antimachus live in the tropical rainforests of west and central Africa. The distribution area (range) stretches from Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. The male is larger than the female and can often be seen in groups at nectar. The females show themselves less, continually flying high above the tree tops. The butterfly has no natural enemies because it is very toxic, with a toxin potent enough to kill up to six average house cats.

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