The type material, taxonomy and conservation of Horniman's Swallowtail, Papilio hornimani (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)

Abstract

The taxonomy of the East African swallowtail Papilio hornimani is reviewed, with special reference to the three currently recognized subspecies described from the Usambara Mts (P. h. hornimani), Udzungwa Mts (P. h. mwanihanae) and the Oldeani‐Mbulu massif (P. h. mbulu), all located in Tanzania. The primary type material is illustrated, and type localities are established, notably with respect to the original source for P. h. hornimani, collected at Magila, Mlinga Forest area, East Usambara mountains. Populations from the Chyulu Hills (Kenya) and Mts Meru and Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), placed here with P. h. mbulu, appear to represent further potential segregates, or clinal variation. Prospects for conservation of the Mlinga Forest population are briefly discussed.

Keywords:

• subspecies
• Usambaras
• type localities
• Magila
• Rev. John Farler

Acknowledgements

Campbell Smith and Jim Reynolds kindly helped trace the location of Magila, Jim Brock checked the Horniman Museum specimen, and the Natural History Museum (BMNH) Photo Studio originated the photographs (except for Fig. 11). Kim Goodger kindly databased the types and other historic specimens in the BMNH collections. Bill Rodgers drew Davenport (2000) to our attention. We are very grateful to Steve Collins for important information (including the images used for Fig. 11), and Norbert Cordeiro and Arthur Rydon for their valuable comments on the manuscript; Dr Rydon also generously presented several specimens of P. hornimani used in this study to the BMNH. We also thank Theron Morgan‐Brown (Amani Butterfly Project) and Keith Bland (National Museums of Scotland) for information. We are especially grateful to Michael Boppré (Freiburg) for assistance with preparation of the illustrations. We also thank Torben Larsen and Campbell Smith for valuable comments on the MS. RIVW is indebted to the UK National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts for continuing support. SDL wishes to acknowledge WWF for support, and Patricia Moehlman for support and encouragement. BMNH Department of Entomology generously defrayed the cost of producing Figures 2A–H in colour.