The Common Mime : Form clytia

Description:

Identity thief! In this form it perfectly mimics the common crow butterfly(Euploea core). Since the latter is inedible most of the predators avoid the species. Worldwide, the Common Mime occurs in two morph-groups in both sexes. Form clytia: Illustration from The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Butterflies. Vol 2 Common mime form dissimilis Common mime form clytia Common mime form dissimilis, upperside Common mime form clytia, upperside Both males and females have the upperside velvety black or soft dark brown. Forewing: a subterminal series of outwardly truncate or emarginate white spot; the spot in interspace 4 shifted inwards out of line; those in interspaces 6,7 and 8 oblique to the costa, the lowest and the upper two spots elongate; this is followed by a terminal series of smaller white spots, two in interspace 1, one above the outer, and two in interspaces 8; lastly, a single spot between the subterminal and terminal series. Hindwing: a discal series of inwardly conical and outwardly emarginate, triangular, elongate white spots; a prominent tornal yellow spot broadly divided across the middle by a bar of the ground colour. The cilia touched with white in the interspaces; sometimes one or more of these specks on the cilia are broad and prominent and yellow in colour. Underside: from soft pale brown to rich dark velvety brown. Forewing with the markings as on the upperside. Hindwing: the markings also similar to those on the upperside, but the terminal margin beyond the subterminal series of white markings bears a row of comparatively large very conspicuous yellow spots, separated from the white lunules by a series of short transverse detached spots of the ground colour. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen black, the thorax anteriorly and beneath and the abdomen on the sides spotted with white.

Habitat:

The Common Mime (Papilio clytia) is a Swallowtail butterfly found in South and South-east Asia. This is a butterfly of hilly regions but also found at lower elevations. It is plentiful in the premonsoon and monsoon period and becomes scarce later on.