MORPHOLOGY

External characteristics

Male
Forewing length (mm): 51-59. Wingspan (mm): 94-107.
Forewings: Upperside dark, veins vaguely darker, unmarked or there may be a faint indication of a pale beige or violet band from near tornus to about vein 5; underside similar. Hindwings crenulate, with a broad, spatulate tail at end of vein 4; upperside dark brown, veins may be inconspicuously darker, pale yellowish or whitish prominent spots (separated by dark veins) of strongly varying width in spaces 5-7, sometimes also in space 4 and a small one in space 3; underside similar, but with vague indications small bluish and orange spots outside the pale band, latter may be continued to inner margin by small violet spots in spaces 1b-3.

Female
Forewing length (mm): 51-69. Wingspan (mm):93-116.
Similar to male and same range of variation, pale yellowish usually more whitish, submarginal spots on hindwing absent to prominent.

Subspecies and variation

Much of the variation in color, and size and expression of spots, partly individual, but mainly geographical and 20 subspecies have been distinguished to cover it.

Similar species

There are several Papilio species with a practically unmarked forewing and a large pale yellow/whitish patch on the hindwing: P. helenus, P. hystaspes, P. iswaroides, P. iswara, and P. sataspes. In all these species the red color on the underside of the hindwing is much more strongly developed, with at least a prominent crescent in spaces 1b and 2, and sometimes in all spaces up to space 6.

_{source: Jan Moonen, peronal communication 2020}