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Common Bluebottle butterflies mud puddling

Common Bluebottle or Graphium sarpedon mud puddling

Common Bluebottle or Graphium sarpedon butterflies mud puddling

Code: Butterfly Life
Skills: Butterflies of India
Website: www.savetreesavelife.org

Project Description

The Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon) is a captivating swallowtail butterfly found in South and Southeast Asia, as well as eastern Australia. Let’s explore some fascinating

Description:

- The Common Bluebottle has an opaque black upper side. Its forewings and hindwings are crossed by a semi-hyaline broad pale blue medial band, which is broadest in the middle. This band may appear greenish and has macular patterns anteriorly. Interestingly, the portion of the band that crosses interspaces 6, 7, and 8 on the hindwing is white.
- On the hindwing beyond the band, there is a sub-terminal line of blue slender lunules. The underside of the wings is similar, with a dark brown ground color. The hindwing features a short, comparatively broad sub-basal band from the costa to the sub-costal vein.
- The Common Bluebottle exhibits a striking central spot in the form of a blue or blue-green triangle on both forewings and hindwings, with the apex pointing toward the body.
- The wingspan of this butterfly varies between 55 and 75 mm. The upper wings are black, while the lower wings are brown.
Habitat:
- Graphium sarpedon primarily inhabits moist, low-level rainforests below 1600 meters (5000 feet). You’ll often find it flying just above the tree canopy in these elevations.
- The larvae of the Common Bluebottle feed on trees from the laurel family, including the cinnamon tree. They have even expanded their range to include cinnamon tree plantations.
- The Bluebottle butterfly is also known for mud-puddling during migration.