Graphium policenes
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Graphium policenes, the common swordtail or small striped swordtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in tropical Africa. The wingspan is 55–60 mm in males and 60–65 mm in females. The species has continuous broods during warmer months.
The larvae feed on Uvaria caffra, Artabotrys monteiroae, Uvaria bukobensis, Uvara chamae, Landolphia buchannani, Landolphia ugandensis, Polyalthia species, Annona reticulata, Annona senegalensis, Annona squamosa, and Monanthotaxis caffra.
Graphium policenes policenes (Sub-Saharan Africa) Graphium policenes telloi Hecq, 1999 (Nigeria, northern Cameroon, Central African Republic, southern Sudan) It is very similar to Graphium policenoides and Graphium liponesco
It is the nominal member of the policenes -clade (policenes, Graphium liponesco, Graphium biokoensis, Graphium policenoides, Graphium porthaon.) Aurivillius in Seitz places policenes (policenoides), nigrescens, sisenna (polistratus), polistratus, junodi, porthaon and collona in the Policenes Group Subgroup 2. It has a circumscribed hindwing with a long, narrow tail of uniform width... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Odzala-Kokoua National Park | 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo | |
| 2 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Striped Swordtail sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 186th most-seen of the 316 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Striped Swordtail in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to September, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Striped Swordtail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Small Striped Swordtail sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Odzala-Kokoua National Park (Republic of the Congo, about 20%) and Kibale National Park (Uganda, about 20%).
Same genus: Graphium
The closest relatives of the Small Striped Swordtail that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (genus Graphium, Swordtails, Jays, Bluebottles and allies) are Angola White Lady (about 10%), Large Striped Swordtail (about 10%) and Black Swordtail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small Striped Swordtail is recorded against all the insects logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
