Black Windmill (Atrophaneura crassipes) is a beautiful butterfly found in India that belongs to the Windmills group of Atrophaneura, comprising tailed black swallowtail butterflies with white spots and red submarginal crescents.

Range

North East India (Manipur), Myanmar (southern Shan states), northern Thailand, northern Laos, northern Vietnam (Tonkin), and possibly southern China.

Status

The Black Windmill is very rare and is protected by law in India. More information is required on this species.

Description

• Wingspan : 110–120 mm.
• Black butterfly which is unmarked except for obscure red spots on the upper hindwing. The tail is red-tipped below.

Male upperside: fore wing dark fuliginous black, with black veins, a longitudinal streak between tho veins and streaks within the cell. Hind wing very narrow anteriorly and much prolonged posteriorly, exterior margin broadly scalloped, tail very broad and short; abdominal margin with a very long folded lappet, which when opened displays a lengthened greyish-white woolly andro-conial patch ; colour dull greyish black, with two upper marginal and two sub-anal lunules, tip of the tail very obscure dusky red. Underside: fore wing paler. Hind wing dull black, with the two upper and lower marginal lunules, an irregular-shaped anal lunule, and the tail tip bright crimson. Thorax and abdomen above black; front of head and thorax and abdomen beneath crimson; abdomen beneath with black segmental bands; hind tibiae very thick; antennae and legs black.^[1]

Taxonomy

No separate subspecies have been described.

Habits

Recorded from Manipur between 1,000 and 2,500 ft (300 and 760 m).

References

• Collins, N.M. & Morris, M.G. (1985) Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World. IUCN. ISBN 2-88032-603-6
• Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India
• Haribal, Meena (1994) Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and their Natural History.
• Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.

See also

• Lepidoptera
• Butterflies
• Papilionidae
• List of butterflies of India
• List of butterflies of India (Papilionidae)