Papilio Polytes - Common Mormon Butterfly - Animal India

The Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) is a species of swallowtail butterfly widely distributed across Asia. This butterfly is known for the mimicry displayed by the numerous forms of its females which mimic inedible Red-bodied Swallowtails, such as the Common Rose and the Crimson Rose. Male common Mormon butterflies are black with white spots on the outer edge of their forewings and a white band across each hindwing. Female common Mormon butterflies have black forewings with white veins and black hindwings with red spots and a large white and red spot in the center. Common Mormon males are fast and restless, flying in a zigzag pattern close to the ground. They are often seen hovering over flowers in gardens when the sun is shining. They only rest briefly to bask in the sun. Female common Mormon butterflies fly more slowly than males to advertise their inedibility to predators. They mimic the flight patterns of rose butterflies, but are more easily disturbed and fly off erratically. Female common Mormon butterflies live longer than males, with an average lifespan of 6 to 8 days, compared to 3 to 4 days for males. A pair of Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) butterflies are flying around at Tehatta, West Bengal; India on 29/12/2024.