COMMON ROSE

Description:

Common rose, is a swallowtail butterfly belonging to the Pachliopta genus, the roses, or red-bodied swallowtails. It is a common butterfly which is extensively distributed across South and Southeast Asia. The various members of the genus Atrophaneura are known as Windmills, Batwings, Club-tails and Roses. They all have elongated black forewings. In most species the hindwings have spatulate tails and are marked with red submarginal spots and/or white patches. Most also have red markings on the head, thorax and abdomen.

Habitat:

This very common species can be found in a wide variety of habitats including rain forests, beach hinterlands, parks and gardens. In Sri Lanka it even occurs in arid savannah / thorn scrub habitats due to the proximity of these to the beach hinterlands where it's larval foodplants flourish.