Green-Banded Swallowtail (papilio palinurus)
A green flash is all one mostly sees of this swift-flying swallowtail. Up close, this butterfly is peppered with green scales either side of the main bands. It belongs to a large group of Asian swallowtails that all have green or blue iridescence. The adult butterfly rarely last longer than a week. Note the brown smudges on wings. This species emerges from its pupa with bronze-coloured wings which after about 15 minutes of emerging change to the luminous green of the mature imago.
Green-Banded Swallowtail (papilio palinurus)
A green flash is all one mostly sees of this swift-flying swallowtail. Up close, this butterfly is peppered with green scales either side of the main bands. It belongs to a large group of Asian swallowtails that all have green or blue iridescence. The adult butterfly rarely last longer than a week. Note the brown smudges on wings. This species emerges from its pupa with bronze-coloured wings which after about 15 minutes of emerging change to the luminous green of the mature imago.