{{Short description|Species of butterfly}} {{Speciesbox | image = RhopaloceraExoticaXXIII.jpg | image_caption = Plate accompanying original description | status = | taxon = Parides mithras | authority = (Grose-Smith, 1902) | synonyms = *''Papilio mithras'' <small>Grose-Smith, 1902</small> }}

'''''Parides mithras''''' is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found in Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana and Brazil (Amazonas).

''Parides mithras'' is very similar to ''Parides chabrias'' but has paler and smaller spots, especially the last spot of the hindwing above. Rothshild and Jordan considered it to be a subspecies of ''P. triopas'' Godart,<ref>Rothschild, W. and Jordan, K. (1906). A revision of the American Papilios. ''Novitates Zoologicae'' 13: 411-752. (Facsimile edition ed. P.H. Arnaud, 1967) and [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/21926#page/425/mode/1up online]</ref> which is a synonym for ''Parides chabrias''.

==Original description== Expanse: {{frac|2|1|2}} inches (6.5&nbsp;cm). Male. Upperside. Both wings jet black. Anterior wings with three oval pale biscuit-coloured spots, one towards the apex, above the upper discoidal nervule, and two others on either side of the middle median nervule adjacent to the median nervure. Posterior wings with a large biscuit-coloured spot extending over the outer two-thirds of the cell, two small similarly coloured spots above, and two others below the cell, the spot nearest the inner margin four times the size of the others. Cilia between the veins narrowly white. Underside. Both wings dull black with spots as on the upperside.

Female resembles the male, but the anterior wings are rounder towards the apex; on those wings there is an additional spot above the lowest subcostal nervule, and an elongate spot in the cell on the inner side of the median nervure.

It was found in British Guiana and is in the collections of the British Museum (two specimens) and of Henley Grose-Smith (four specimens).

This species is very close to ''P. triopas'', Godt., which is a larger species, browner in the colour of the wings, the spots on which are yellower. The specimens of ''P. triopas'' examined all have three subapical spots on the anterior wings, and on the posterior wings there are two small spots at the end of the cell, which are absent in both sexes of ''P. mithras''.

==Subspecies== There are two subspecies * ''P. m. mithras'' range including Brazil * ''P. m. marajoara'' <small>Brown, 1994</small> Brazil only

==Biology== The larva feeds on ''Aristolochia acutifolia''.

==Status== Not uncommon but not known to be threatened.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Collins |first1=N. Mark |last2=Morris |first2=Michael G. |title=Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/98674#page/7/mode/1up |year=1985 |publisher=IUCN |location=Gland & Cambridge |isbn=978-2-88032-603-6 |via=Biodiversity Heritage Library}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==

''Parides mithras'' is a member of the ''chabrias'' species group.<ref>Edwin Möhn, 2007 ''Butterflies of the World'', Part 26: Papilionidae XIII. ''Parides'' Verlag Goecke & Evers Verlag Goecke & Evers {{ISBN|9783937783277}} </ref>

The members are: *''Parides chabrias'' *''Parides coelus'' *''Parides hahneli'' *''Parides mithras'' *''Parides pizarro'' *''Parides quadratus''

==References== {{Reflist}} *Möhn, Edwin 2006 ''Schmetterlinge der Erde.'' Butterflies of the World Part XXVI (26), Papilionidae XIII. ''Parides''. Edited by Erich Bauer and Thomas Frankenbach Keltern: Goecke & Evers; Canterbury: Hillside Books. {{ISBN|978-3-937783-27-7}} (Supplement 13 in English - by Racheli)

==External links== {{Commons category}} *[http://insecta.pro/taxonomy/15323 "''Parides mithras'' (Grose-Smith, 1902)"]. ''Insecta.pro''. With image. *[http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/parides_m_mithras.htm "''Parides m. mithras'' (Grose-Smith, 1902)"]. ''Butterflies of America''. Image of holotype.

{{Taxonbar |from=Q3365078}}

Category:Butterflies described in 1902 mithras Category:Swallowtail butterflies of South America Category:Taxa named by Henley Grose-Smith Category:Lepidoptera of Venezuela Category:Lepidoptera of French Guiana Category:Lepidoptera of Guyana Category:Lepidoptera of Brazil

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