Giant African Swallowtail - Papilio antimachus

Giant African Swallowtail

Africas largest butterfly may also be the most toxic butterfly.

The Giant African Swallowtail has a wingspan of up to 9.8 inches and is among the largest butterflies in the world. Living in the tropical rainforests of Central Africa they're often seen in groups feeding on nectar. The butterflies have no known enemies because they are extremely toxic.

Researchers speculate that the giant butterfly most likely gets its toxin when its caterpillar ingests the leaves of Strophanthus gratus, a thick, woody liana that winds among the treetops and bears flagrant flowers.

The plant contains high concentration of the cardiac glycoside, ouabain, it is odorless but very bitter and extremely toxic. Ouabain have long been used by Somali tribesmen and other groups to poison hunting arrows. It is rumored that a sufficiently concentrated ouabain dart can bring down a Hippopotamus, probably as the result of respiratory or cardiac arrest.

Males flutter close to the ground near rivers and streams while females spend their life high up in the forest canopy. There, they feast on flowers exposed to direct sunlight and are hardly ever seen.

Males can be highly aggressive, and sometimes jostle and fight while defending a territory along a stretch of river.

Species: Papilio antimachus
Photo: Sarah Folts | TheButterflyBabe