Male Common Mormon from India

Subject: Lazy butterfly
Location: India
January 23, 2013 7:29 am
I found this butterfly in the lowest stem of my plant ! I put it on the flower n then she is not moving frm there ! Is she sick or normal
N wats the kind of it ??
Signature: Creepyluv

Dear Creepyluv,
We have identified your butterfly as a male Common Mormon, Papilio polytes.  You can compare your butterfly to the mounted specimen pictured on the National Taiwan University Insect Museum Digital Archives Project website.  The Butterfly Circle website has nice images of the entire life cycle and provides this information:  “The female of the species is dimorphic, f. polytes, is a good mimic of the Common Rose. As the Common Mormon is not impalatable to birds, the female mimics the poisonous Common Rose for protection from its predators.”  According to the Kronforst Lab at the University of Chicago:  “Papilio polytes, a widely ranging Asian swallowtail, has a single male form and several female forms, most of which mimic locally abundant and toxic Pachliopta butterflies. There is a dominance hierarchy between female forms, the non-mimetic female form being recessive to all others.”  Now to addressing your other question.  This looks like a “young” butterfly since it has undamaged wings, and it might have just recently emerged from its chrysalis.  Also, if it has been cooler than normal recently, or if it was found early in the morning, it might explain the lethargy.

Thankeww ! Am fascinated that my backyard Curry Leave Plant has more that 7 caterpillars of common mormon ! Am waiting now !

You are such a tease.  Where are the caterpillar photos????

I will send those in morning if they showed up munching leaves !