Common Mormon/ Swallowtail butterfly Caterpillar

Habitat:

Common mormon butterflies are widely distributed throughout Asia. They are found in Pakistan and southern Asia, including India and all regions east of it, Malaysia and Indonesia, and on the coast of southern China, the Philippine islands, and the southwestern islands of Japan. They are adaptable, inhabiting tropical and subtropical areas, open forests interspersed with meadows, tropical rainforests, agricultural fields, suburban gardens, and even large cities.

Notes:

This particular sp. was spotted feeding on the curry leaves in our kitchen garden. Here we could also see on the prothorax, a spooky but interesting fleshy organ called the osmeterium, which is a forked, that emerges from the anterior of the caterpillar when it is threatened and secretes noxious chemicals to ward off predators.