TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies)
Family: Papilionidae (Swallowtail butterflies)

Genus/species: Papilio memnon

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: P.memon has four male and many female forms, Male Great Mormons never have tails, while females may or may not.
Span.is large up to 150 millimetres (4.7 to 5.9 in)

male wing upperside (dorsal)

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Range: Southeast Asia. Adults inhabit forest clearings and disturbed areas,

male wing underside (ventral)

DIET IN THE WILD: P. memnon visits flowers of Poinsettia, Jasminum, Lantana, Canna, and Salvia. (known to mud-puddle)

Female wing upperside (dorsal)

REPRODUCTION: Adults lay single eggs on the underside of leaves, which hatch in three days. For the first four instars, caterpillars resemble bird droppings. Pupation occurs after about 2.5 weeks.

Female wing underside (ventral)

References

California Academy of Sciences Rainforest 2017 Vetting Tim Wong

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/33144076391/in/album-72157608449327886/

EOL  eol.org/pages/131345/details

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden www.lewisginter.org/sexually-dimorphic-butterflies/

Butterfly corner.net en.butterflycorner.net/Papilio-memnon-Great-Mormon.1248.0…

 

3-6-17