25-11-2016 NYAUNG OAK MONASTERY, MYANMAR - COMMON MIME BUTTERFLY (Papilio clytia)

Papilio clytia, the common mime, is a swallowtail butterfly found in south and southeast Asia. The butterfly belongs to the subgenus Chilasa, the black-bodied swallowtails. It serves as an excellent example of a Batesian mimic among the Indian butterflies.

This butterfly is found in India from Kangra to Sikkim, from Assam to Myanmar, Nepal, Bangladesh, Peninsular India and the Andaman Islands. It is also found in Sri Lanka, Thailand, southern China (including Hainan), Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, peninsular Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia (Flores, Alor, Timor and Moa). Several regional variants and forms are recognized.

Generally common and not threatened. The nominate subspecies is protected by law in India.

This is a butterfly of hilly regions but also found at lower elevations. It is plentiful in the pre-monsoon and monsoon period and becomes scarce later on.

The common mime has two mimetic forms in both sexes. The nominate form P. clytia form clytia mimics the common Indian crow (Euploea core) while the form dissimilis mimics the blue tiger (Tirumala limniace).

The flight of the mime also resembles that of the model, fluttering, neither weak nor strong, sometimes staying close to the ground and at other times flying strongly up into the treetops. It mud-puddles on stream banks in summer. Known to bask and usually sits with the wings spread wide open while feeding on nectar from flowers.