Pachliopta polydorus

MORPHOLOGY

External characteristics

Male 
Forewing length (mm): 45. Wingspan (mm): 80.
Head either pink or black.Forewings: Upperside and underside forewing black, broadly creamy white along the veins, giving the forewing a striped appearance; underside forewing. Hindwings Upperside and underside hindwing black with conspicuous red submarginal spots and a short white band consisting of creamy white spots in space 1c to 4 and top of cell, separated by black veins.

Female 
Forewing length (mm): 50.  Wingspan (mm):90.
Similar to male, but larger and the forewing is more rounded, and the creamy white color is white, more or less dusted with black.  

Subspecies and variation

 
Variable in extent and tinge of wing patterns. More than 30 subspecies have been recognised by some authors, but differences are small and there is much overlap; possibly only a few 'real' subspecies will survive a severe scrutiny.

Similar species

Almost certainly a model for several mimics, including male Cressida cressida, female Papilio ambrax and female Papilio phestus, but wing pattern, especially of the hindwing, is different. The red abdominal markings, always present in P. polydorus, are always absent in Papilio.

 

_{source: Jan Moonen, peronal communication 2020}