Swallowtail Butterflies – Papilio Natewa

Bhumika Goel / November 2018

The huge Swallowtail insect was originally photographed by Australian ornithologist Greg Kerr in the year 2017. The photograph puzzled the scientists across the world. Later this year a second field trip to Fiji by researchers confirmed it as a new species of butterfly. The research was led by John Tennent, Honorary Associate at Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and Scientific Associate of the Natural History Museum, London.

Tennant has devoted a major part of his life to research. He spent a long time in the Pacific, including the Solomon Islands and eastern Papua New Guinea. He discovered and named more than a hundred new species and subspecies of butterflies in the last 25 years.

Tennant describes the unfamiliar Natewa Swallowtail the most spectacular discovery. As there were only two species of Swallowtail butterflies in the Pacific area. While one Swallowtail butterfly species in Fiji before the discovery.

Researchers have discovered a new species of Swallowtail butterflies. The beautiful creature lives in the Pacific Island of Vanua Levu in Fiji. “Papilio Natewa” is the name of the latest discovery. The researchers named the species after Natewa Peninsula where these incredible insects are found.

The Discovery

What are Swallowtail butterflies? 

Swallowtail butterflies are big in size. They are eye-catching and beautiful. They belong to the Papilionidae family. There are approx.  550 species known of this particular family of butterflies. They live on all continents except for Antarctica.

The bottom wings of swallowtail butterflies are unusual in shape.  They look like a fork. They are visible when the insect is still with wings open.  This tail makes them look like a swallow. Therefore they are termed by the name.

Some of the extremely common species of swallowtail butterflies include

• Asian swallowtail,
• Alpine black swallowtail
• Canadian tiger swallowtail
• Black Swallowtail
• Giant Swallowtail
• Old world swallowtail
• Eastern tiger swallowtail
• Citrus swallowtail
• Western tiger swallowtail
• Spicebush Swallowtail
• Zebra swallowtail.

Did you know?

Birdwing – the largest butterfly in the world is a swallowtail.

References: ScienceDaily

Bhumika Goel is a technology and design thinker, a lifelong learner having a wide range of experience across WordPress development, content marketing and search engine optimization. Creative web applications, tools, and products that your customers will love and get you real business results, is something she can empower you with. She is passionate for delivering high-quality work that meets the needs and expectations of her clients. She is always eager to learn new skills and technologies to enhance her portfolio and stay ahead of the curve. She is looking for new opportunities to collaborate with other professionals and help businesses grow their online presence and reach their goals.