Police Car Swallowtail vs Wallace's Longwing
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Police Car Swallowtail | Wallace's Longwing |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Graphium policenes | Heliconius wallacei |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Papilionidae | Nymphalidae |
| Size | 60-75 mm wingspan | 60-72 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Forests | Forests |
| Diet | Nectar Feeders | Nectar Feeders |
| Regions | West and Central Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, DRC, Ivory Coast) | South America (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Police Car Swallowtail
A striking swallowtail butterfly with black wings covered in small pale green spots resembling a police car's livery. It has short hindwing tails and a rapid, darting flight. Common in forest areas throughout its range.
Did You Know?
Its common name comes from the black-and-white spotted pattern that was thought to resemble early police vehicles.
Wallace's Longwing
A relatively rare Heliconius species with dark wings marked by a distinctive yellow band on the forewing and red patches at the base of the hindwing. Named after the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. It is primarily found in western Amazonian forests.
Did You Know?
Named after Alfred Russel Wallace, who independently conceived the theory of evolution by natural selection while studying insects in South America and Southeast Asia.