Indian Common Mormon

Papilio polytes romulus (Cramer, 1775) നാരകക്കാളി
 

Malayalam Name 

:

നാരകക്കാളി

Family 

:

Papilionidae

Sub-family             

:

Papilioninae

Tribe                     

: 

 Leptocircini

Order

:

Lepidoptera


DISTRIBUTION
                 India,  Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan
STATUS:    Very Common
HABITAT
The Common Mormon inhabits home gardens and other well-wooded areas around habitations, deciduous forests and edges and openings in the semi -evergreen and evergreen forests.
HABITS
 The female forms present a good example of  mimicry of the Roses in colouration as well as in habit. It feeds on nectar and also visits wet patches of soil . Both the Sexes bask in the sun with their wings spread flat .
IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES
Large black Jet black butterfly with row of white spots along the middle part of hindwing. 90–100 mm wing span;

Male

The male has one morph. It is a dark-coloured swallow-tailed butterfly. The upper forewing has a series of white spots decreasing in size towards the apex. The upper hindwing has a complete discal band of elongated white spots. It may or may not have marginal red crescents.

 

Female

The female of the common Mormon is polymorphic. In the Indian Subcontinent, it has several forms or morphs but can be recognised by its black body.

Form cyrus : This form is similar to the male, differing in that it always has strongly marked red crescents. It is the least common of the three forms. It is normally abundant where the common rose or crimson rose do not occur, such as in Himachal Pradesh around Shimla.

Female  Cyrus Form resembling males but with red cresents in hind wings
 

Form stichius: This female form of the Common Mormon mimics the common rose very closely. This is the commonest form wherever the common rose flies.

Female form stichius -Photo: Anila Manalil
Female Stichius form mimicing Common Rose

Form romulus:This female form mimics the crimson rose and is common over its range. It is not such a close mimic as the previous form being duller than its model. It is easy to differentiate

Female: Romulus Form mimicing Crimson Rose



LARVAL HOST PLANTS
Atalantia racemosa, Aegle marmelos, Citrus aurantifolia , C. grandis, C.loimin, C. medica, C. sinensis, Glycosmis arborea, M.koenigii, Murraya paniculata, Tripahsia sp. and Zanthoxylum rhetsa.

LIFE CYCLE

MORE IMAGES    

Female Cyprus Form

Female: Stichius Form

Female: Cyrus Form


Common Mormon
Female form stichius            Photo: Pradeep Krishnan

Male reognised by absence of red cresentson hind wing

Female form stichius -Photo: Anila Manalil

Male - Basking- Dorsal view - Photographer: Anila Manalil

Female  Cyrus Form resembling males but with red cresents in hind wings

Female Romulas Form




Female: Romulus Form mimicing Crimson Rose




 Courtesy 
Write up:Wikipaedia
Images: TNHS

കേരള വനം വന്യജീവി വകുപ്പ്  
മാങ്കുളം ഡിവിഷൻ

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