Swallowtail genera?

[wanda]

Zachary Lemann wrote:
> 
> Can someone let me know the current state of these two generic names?  We
> have a few nice swallowtails in this area (eastern tiger, spicebush, giant,
> black, palamedes) which I am under the impression are Papilio species.  Are
> they Pterourus instead?  Is this a matter of some debate amongst lep
> taxonomists?  Please chime in. Thanks!


Dear Zach,

There is obviously a difference in entomological thinking as while
LepSoc (no formal list) & NABA (currently uses Battus & Parides as below
and Papilio for the remainder--tho understand the list is under
consideration for updates & revisions this year), the recent Mexican
Pap/Pierid book shows several different genera and broken down below as
I see them.  There may very well be other criteria that also applies. 

Pterourus for the Tiger Swallowtails & esperanza
Protographium for tiger-striped Kite-Swallowtails, 
Protesilaus for seemingly (?) the larger tiger Kites, 
Eurytides for salvini, a white non-tiger Kite-Swallowtail 
Mimoides for the single row red-spotted swallowtails,
Priamides for the double row red-spotted swallowtails, 
Troilides for torquatus - banded w/apex bar
Calaides ornythion, astyalus & androgeus - wider-banded w/dimorphic
genders
Heraclides for thoas & cresphontes - large sized, narrow-banded
Pyrrhosticta for abderus, garamas & victorine - the mostly black
swallowtails

continuing with: 

Battus for polydamas, philenor, eracon, lycidas, - black w/blue or
green  
Parides for the red-spotted Cattlehearts - forewing shape seems more
rounded than 	Mimoides & Priamides - other differences anyone?
Papilio for indra, zelicaon, machaon and polyxenes - largely black at
base, at least 	some dimorphism

My thoughts are that it seems to be more realistic to have the differing
groups split into separate genera as we certainly don't have all the
sulfurs, blues, etc. in just one genera.   

Does anyone happen to know why esperanza* a wide-banded bug was placed
into Pterourus rather than Calaides?    Certainly not tiger-striped and
is dimorphic.

Wanda Dameron
San Fernando Valley, Ca.


*esperanza pictured in  de la Maza's Mariposas Mexicanas: female plate
10, #5 and male Plate 3, #8, formerly thought to be an aberrant of
garamas.  Paste-in updated common & scientific names opposite plates,
available from Flutterby Press, $5 be496 at lafn.org.