Common Mormon - Papilio polytes Linnaeus, 1758

A male Common mormon taking nectar from Lantana camara

Upper wings description of Common Mormon - Papilio polytes butterfly:

A male common mormon butterfly taking rest on a leaf

Physical Description Of Male Papilio polytes Upperside:

From upper side of the Papilio polytes is black-colour swallow tailed butterfly. The UPF has a series of white spots, decreasing in size towards the apex. The UPH has a complete discal band of elongated white spots. The males are generally smaller in size than the females but not always. Both male and all forms of the female of Papilo polytes can very considerably in size depending on climatic region.

Under wings description of Common Mormon - Papilio polytes:

The upper one is the male mormon butterfly

Physical Description Of Male Common Mormon Underside:

The male Papilio Polytes is also black from underside. Postdiscal white spots difference from the female. The marginal spots of male Papilo polytes is yellowish where female is redish. The thorax contain a few numbers of spots as well as male.

Physical Description Of Female Common Mormon:

The female Papilo polytes is polymorphic. The female has several forms or morphs. These are

Cyrus form:

This form is similar to the male, difference is that is always has a strongly marked red crescent. It is the least common of three forms. It is normally abundant where the Common rose or Crimson rose don't occur.

Stichius form:

This female form of the Papilio polytes mimics the common rose very closely. This is the commonest form wherever the common rose files.

Romulus form:

This female form mimics the crimson rose and is common over it's range. It's not such a close mimic as the previous form being duller than its model. It is a easy differentiate the mimics form models by the colour of their body- the models are red-bodied and the mimic are black-bodied. I found this type of form from my native village (Akhaura, Brahmanbaria) located Northeast region of Bangladesh.

Courtship Of Common Mormon:

The male trying to mat with the female. The male find this female by their antenna. This system continually happen until the male can't confess the female for mat. If the female accept the male then they go on matting. Courtship is just the last significant moment before mating.

Courtship Of Common Mormon

Caterpillar Of Common Mormon:

The photo given below is the 5th instar or the last instar before pupa. Its take 5-6 day for become a final instar. This is the mature form of Papilio polytes. This instar body length reaches up to 45-46mm. Toward the end of this instar the body gradually shortens in length.