Abstract
We extracted blue bilin pigments from the wings of Graphium butterflies and of other butterfly species, and spectrophotometrically analyzed them by means of high performance liquid chromatography. The bilin pigments obtained were classified into two types; biliverdin type and sarpedobilin type. In the former, two absorption peaks were found both at 300-400nm (a so-called solet band) and at 600-700nm: the ratio of absorption maxima of 600-700nm/300-400nm was below 1. In the latter, by contrast, only one peak was clearly observed at 600-700nm, and the absorption value around the 300-400nm region was very low, with a ratio between the two of over 10. Distribution of the two pigment types among these butterflies species is discussed in relation to the phylogenetic relationships between them and to the light responsiveness of the blue/green coloration on the wings (as seen in G.sarpedon and G.maclayanum).
