Molecular phylogenetic relationships of African swallow-tail butterflies Papilio dardanus, P. phorcas, P. nireus, and P. demodocus to Japanese papilionid butterflies were analyzed through DNA sequences of mitochondrial ND5, COI, and COII genes and are discussed. In addition to 10 butterfly species’ sequence data obtained in this study, other sequence data of the ND5, COI, and COII genes from 20 Papilio species was taken from database (NCBI) to construct a phylogenetic tree of Papilio. In particular, we have paid attention to the origin of Batesian mimicry of butterflies in both African and oriental (including Japan) regions. The main points of our results are as follows. (1) The African mimetic butterfly species P. dardanus and P. phorcas showed a sister relationship, but have no closely related species of the genus Papilio in Japan. (2) There was no Japanese species with a clear relationship to the African butterfly P. nireus, even though it showed a sister relationship to P. oribazus and P. epiphorbas, which are found in Madagascar. (3) The African butterfly P. demodocus showed a close relationship to an oriental species, P. demoleus with strong support, suggesting that these two species recently diverged from a common origin. This result is consistent with that analyzed by use of the COI, COII, and EF-1α genes (Zakharov et al., 2004). (4) The phylogenetic relationships of the mimetic species P. protenor, P. macilentus, P. polytes, and P. memnon were resolved well, a different result from that reached with lower support by Zakharov et al. (2004). This result suggests that the mimicry in both sexes of P. protenor and P. macilentus is closely related to the female-limited mimicry of P. polytes and P. memnon. (5) A sister relationship between P. glaucus and P. clytia was suggested with strong support.

　A new species, Acidon sugii sp. nov. is described from Ani-jima, Chichi-jima and Haha-jima Islands of the Ogasawara Islands, Japan with illustrations of the male and female genitalia. The genus Acidon is newly recorded from Japan. The new species can be distinguished from the closely related species, A. calcicola by the bipectinate male antennae and short and centrally obtusely flexed aedeagus. Perciana marmorea and Hepatica nakatanii are successfully distinguished using standard DNA barcoding.

　Male adults of several species in the family Papilionidae emit characteristic odors. However, it remains unclear whether the presence of male-specific volatiles is a common trait in this family, because the chemistry of adult odors has been investigated in only a limited number of species belonging to the Papilioninae subfamily. We conducted gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses of the highly volatile substances of the Parnassiinae butterfly, Luehdorfia japonica （Lepidoptera, Papilionidae）, using solvent extracts of laboratory-reared adults. Although this species lacks a strong odor detectable by the human nose, a total of 24 highly volatile compounds were identified from both sexes, and 17 of these compounds were discovered in adult papilionid butterflies. The most abundant component was limonene, which was present at a level of 1 μg per individual on average. Both sexes showed similar compositions of these volatile compounds, with no significant differences in the quantity of each compound between sexes. These results suggest that L. japonica adults possess a common odor in both sexes and lack male-specific volatiles.

　A new species of the genus Etainia Beirne, 1945 of the family Nepticulidae is described from Japan. This species, Etainia parva sp. nov., is closely related to E. peterseni Puplesis in having yellow forewings with a dark fuscous fascia: however it can be distinguished from the latter by the smaller body size, broader forewing fascia, different shapes of the male valvae and female signa in the genitalia. Morphological characters of E. peterseni are redescribed and illustrated.

　Genus Brenthis in Japan has hitherto been divided into two species, each with two subspecies. Mating experiments using the cage pairing method were carried out to clarify the degree of reproductive isolation between each of the subspecies of both species. Cage pairing experiments with B. ino showed that the two subspecies easily copulate. The inter-subspecific F1 hybrids of the forward and reverse crosses developed to maturity, and normal adults emerged with a normal sex ratio. The backcrossing results showed that F1 individuals could reproduce. As there was no reproductive isolation between these subspecies, the two subspecies of B. ino in Japan should be regarded as a single taxon. In contrast, male and female individuals of the subspecies of B. daphne did not copulate. As complete mating isolation between two subspecies of B. daphne appears to exist, the two subspecies of B. daphne in Japan should be regarded as distinct species.