Graphium policenes
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Small Striped Swordtail sighting in Kibale National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th most-seen of the 41 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, May–June and August–September
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Small Striped Swordtail in Kibale National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, July and October–February, 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.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Small Striped Swordtail sightings, Kibale National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Odzala-Kokoua National Park (Republic of the Congo, about 20%).
Same family: Papilionidae
The closest relatives of the Small Striped Swordtail that you can see in Kibale National Park (family Papilionidae, Swallowtails and Parnassians) are Apple-Green Swallowtail (about 50%), Mocker Swallowtail (about 30%) and Central Emperor Swallowtail (about 20%), 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 Kibale National Park (6 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.
