Loading this page…
Return homePlease wait while the next page arrives.
Luminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Graphium policenes
Lepidoptera / Papilionidae
The small striped swordtail has dark wings crossed by fine green or blue-green bars, narrow hindwing tails and small red accents. African accounts associate it with coastal and riverine forests, Annonaceae larval hosts and male gatherings on wet ground.
Read the species account
Graphium policenes belongs to Papilionidae and is often placed in Graphium (Arisbe). Small striped swordtail, common striped swordtail and speckled swordtail are English names. Papilio policenes is the historical combination. [1]
The National Museums of Kenya guide gives a wingspan of 55–65 mm and describes similar sexes, green or blue-green bars, small red inner-hindwing patches and long, narrow tails. [2]
In comparison with G. policenes, G. antheus has an S-shaped arrangement of three forewing-cell bars, while G. polistratus has narrower bands and a substantially darker underside. [1]
The South African account reports repeated broods during the warmer months. [3]
The Kenyan guide records larval associations with Annonaceae, including Artabotrys, Annona and Uvaria. [2]
Field accounts describe rapid flight with abrupt changes of direction. Males gather at mud or wet sand, while flower visits are recorded for both sexes. [1]
The specialist treatment retains Surinamen in the original locality wording but identifies it as erroneous. It is a historical locality error, rather than evidence of a South American population. [1]
Swordtail describes the narrow hindwing extensions. [1]
Both wing surfaces show the pale bar pattern and red hindwing details within the narrow-tailed silhouette.
The illustration retains the fine green-blue bars, narrow tails and small red accents. Their placement and spacing give the pattern its structure within the ornate frame.
Keep physical specimens enclosed and handle the frame rather than the insect. Avoid direct sunlight, persistent damp and concentrated heat; inspect periodically for loose fragments, moisture or pest damage. Do not brush or wet wing surfaces. [4]
Are green and blue-green stripes different sexes? The Kenyan guide describes both colours and similar male and female patterns. [2]
Is the original Surinamen locality valid? The African treatment identifies that original locality as erroneous. [1]
The African Graphium synthesis supplies nomenclature, diagnostic comparisons and distribution. The Kenyan museum guide provides size, appearance and host associations; SANBI supplies a regional South African account of occurrence and seasonality. [1][2][3]
Lepidopterists Society of Africa / Metamorphosis · Accessed 2026-10-09
National Museums of Kenya · Accessed 2026-10-09
South African National Biodiversity Institute · Accessed 2026-10-09
Canadian Conservation Institute · Accessed 2026-10-09
Smithsonian Gardens · Accessed 2026-10-09
Framed and digital artworks featuring this species. Current options and prices are listed on Etsy.
Sources checked 2026-10-09. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
Return to the Entomological Atlas ↑