Butterfly populations are a very good indicator of the health of an area's ecosystem !!
Image 3 contrributed by U.K.
photographer Pamela Vinton.
Papilio memnon is a slow and inconsistent flyer that is quite common and not threatened.
Cultivation of citrus all over Southern Asia has provided an abundance of food plants.
They fly at altitudes up to 2,100 metres (6,900 ft) in the Himalayas, but are most commonly found at lower elevations.
They usually fly 2 to 4 metres (6 ft 7 in to 13 ft 1 in) above the ground.
They are typically found in forest clearings and are very common butterflies, often seen among human habitation.
Poinsettia, Jasminum, Lantana, Canna and Salvia are the flowers they commonly visit. They are known to be puddlers.
Males are much more common than females. The female forms butlerianus and alcanor are especially uncommon.
Great Mormons are large, and have four male and many female forms. Females are highly polymorphic and many of them are mimics of unpalatable butterflies. This species has been studied extensively for understanding the genetic basis for polymorphy and * Batesian mimicry. As many as twenty-six female forms are reported.
The dorsal side of the males display a deep blue to black coloration, and may or may not bear the red streaks at the base of the cell on the forewings. The females’ forewings have sepia as the ground color with streaks in greyish white. The third part of the cell at the base is red, with an outward touch of white. The upper part of the hindwing is bluish black with five to seven white to yellow disc patches.
When the wings are closed, both wing bases show a red coloration with the each hind wings having a red tornal patch. Those are the most common and typical forms of the sexes known as ‘agenor’. This species however, has four male and many female forms (including butlerianus, alcanor, and polymnestoroides), with at least twenty-six female forms being reported.