#papilio polytes

[usagi-03]

Got this male common mormon butterfly (Papilio polytes). He’s beautiful 🥹

The seller is "StarlitOdditiesAU" on Etsy if anyone is interested

[timeless-takes]

A Swallowtail Moment

Photo credit: Eleanor Chua.

A female swallowtail butterfly, called the Common Mormon because of its polymorphism, feeding on Panama Rose flowers in the Gardens by the Bay.

[malnedott]

thrift shop find

[markunsan]

Papilio polytes　

今回の　沖縄滞在で　最もよく見かけたアゲハの仲間。

わりと警戒心もなく　飛び方もオットリ系で　撮りやすかった。　

とは言え　風のある中　スズメガの様な羽音も無く　

低い回転数で　ホバリングしながら器用に　蜜を採ってた。

[timeless-takes]

A Swallowtail in the Land of the Pentas

Photo credit: Eleanor Chua.

A Swallowtail butterfly sipping pentas syrup in the Butterfly Aviary. This was captured at the 400mm equivalent end of the lens on a bridge camera. The image was then cropped down to 50 percent of the original in post.

[butterflykerala]

Papilio polytes romulus Cramer, [1775] – Indian Common Mormon

നാരകക്കാളി

[fairymayasblog]

THE COMMON MORMON, PAPILIO POLYTES 🦋

[libutron]

Common Mormon: a deceptive butterfly

Papilio polytes (Papilionidae), also called Common Mormon, is a beautiful  butterfly from Australasia, first described in 1758 by Linnaeus.

The wingspan of this butterfly is about 9.0 – 10.0 cm. Adult females (pictured) have several polymorphisms, most of which mimic other butterfly species that are unpalatable (Pachlipta aristolochiae and Pachliopta hector). The mimetic polymorphisms, which effectively disguise the Common Mormon butterfly as other, toxic butterfly species, enable Common Mormon females to avoid being eaten by predators. Because P. polytes is palatable and mimics unpalatable butterfly species, this predator evasion strategy is an example of Batesian mimicry.

Mimetic Papilio polytes females mimic not only the appearance, but also the flight pattern. Non-mimetic females can live longer than males and mimetic females, but they have a higher risk of predation. Females tend to be attacked more frequently than males because their larger abdomen is a more rewarding meal for predators.

Note: It is unknown whether P. polytes mates with multiple partners, however, the common name is an allusion to the polygamy.

References: [1] - [2]

Photo credit: ©Alexander Fedorov | Locality: unknown (2010)