Scarlet Mormon - Female

Scarlet Mormon or Scarlet swallowtail (Papilio rumanzovia), is a butterfly of the Papilionidae family. It is found in the Australasia ecozone, which includes  Celebes, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The wingspan is 120-140 mm, which makes this a very large and impressive   butterfly, and a favourite amongst those who market these magnificent insects for commercial gain.

The species exhibits strong sexual dimorphism, with the male resembling the male Papilio ascalaphus, but lacking the tail at the end of the bottom wing. The female is very colourful, and that is where the “Scarlet” comes from, as the females of the species have scarlet makings on the wings….

Technorati Tags: butterfly,Scarlet,Mormon,swallowtail,Papilio,rumanzovia,Papilionidae,Australasia