Oriental Common Mime

August 09, 2023

Papilio clytia clytia Linnaeus, 1758 വഴന ശലഭം

Photographer: Anila Manalil

Malayalam Name : വയണശലഭം / വഴന ശലഭം

Family : Papilionidae

Sub-family : Papilioninae

Tribe : Papilionini

Order : Lepidoptera

DISTRIBUTION

In India it is most common in the central Indian hill-range and also in the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats, along the Himalayan Foothills and in the northeastern states. It occurs throughout the Oriental region.

STATUS

Not rare

HABITAT

This is a butterfly of the hilly region, but mainly at low elevation. It occurs in the dry deciduous and moist deciduous as well as semi evergreen forests, and more frequently in riparian patches.

HABIT

The common mime flies with a continuous fluttering of its wings, Much like the Blue Tiger. It flies both near the ground and in the canopy, but spends most of its time near shrubs and small trees. It feeds mainly from flowers of shrubs and small trees. In summer months may join mudpuddling assemblages on sandy banks of streams.IT basks with the wing spread flat or closed.

IDENTIFICATION FEATURES

Wingspan 90mm-120mm. This tail-less Swallowtail has two forms: clytia and dissimilis, in both the sexes. The form clytia mimics the common Indian Crow and form dissimilis mimics the Blue Tiger. The clytia is dark brown with two series of white spots at the edges of its wings. The form dissimilis is white with broad black stripes. Both the forms have cream-coloured or yellow spots at the margin of the hind wings.

LARVAL HOST PLANTS

The host plants are members of the family Lauraceae: Alseodaphne semicarpifolia, Cinnamomum camphora, C,macrocarpum, Litsea chinensis and L.deccanensis, Cinnamomum and Alseodaphne arecommonly used host plants.