Recently a visitor who was butterfly watching on Wuhu Mountain on Kinmen was able to photograph a rare black swordtail butterfly (Pazala timur chungianus (Murayama))

A Kinmen National Park spokesperson said that the member of the public first thought it was a swordtail but it was identified by an expert as a Pazala timur chungianus (Murayama) (black-tailed swordtail butterfly.) The expert said “This wasn’t the so-called swordtail seen on mainland Taiwan, it was a Pazala timur chungianus (Murayama) that is often seen in the Mazu area but rarely in the Kinmen area.

This butterfly is commonly called “one of the five treasures of early spring” along with the Pazala eurous asakurae (Matsumura), Chilasa epycides melanoleucus and Calinaga buddha formosana, Chilasa epycides melanoleucus and Calinaga buddha formosana ,the adult butterflies only appearing March-May. Many butterfly watchers look for the swordtail and the black swordtail in spring, calling the latter butterfly the nickname “sky sword.” The blacktailed swordtail can only be observed on fine days.

Of the five jewels of spring, the black-tailed swordtail is most precious and its range of distribution relatively limited. The butterflies appear from mind-March to early April and are only seen for a relatively short time, the peak time lasting only two weeks. The black-tailed swordtail and the swordtail look very similar and often live together which is why it wasn’t until 1961 that the black-tailed swordtail was discovered by Puli butterfly merchant. Its common name in Chinese was given to commemorate his late father.

Translated by：Kevin Lax
Source：Kinmen National Park Headquarters