Friday, May 11, 2012

Common Rose Pachliopta aristolochiae Fabricius


Common Rose is one of the most beautiful swallow tail butterflies to be found in India. With a wingspan of 80 -110 mm it is also a large butterfly. It is black in color with a crimson body and has a large white area on its hind wings. The outer margin of its hind wings has a series of deep red or brownish red spots. Both sexes of this butterfly species look alike.

 Common Rose Butterfly - Pachliopta aristolochiae Fabricius
 Crimson Rose Butterfly

Crimson rose and Malabar rose are two species that look alike the Common rose. But crimson rose is larger, brighter and it also has two white central bands on its fore wings. And Malabar rose has a much larger white patch on its hid wings and is only found in southern and central western ghats. The stichius form of the Common mormon female mimics Common rose.

Common Mormon Butterfly

Flight

Flight of the common rose butterfly is slow but straight and long sustained, usually flies at a height of 3 – 4 meters from the ground but when traveling long distances it attains heights up to 10 – 15 meters.

Habits

Common rose butterfly is fond of flowers especially of Lantana, Cleorodendron, Cosmos, Zinnia etc. It occasionally visits wet soil patches, baskes with its wings spread out.

Newly Emerged Common Rose Butterfly
Newly Emerged Common Rose Butterfly

Newly emerged common rose butterfly
Newly emerged common rose butterfly


Caterpillar

Caterpillar of common rose butterfly is velvety maroon in color and has a white band on its abdominal segments. It is bulky, has fleshy protuberances on the body and moves very slowly. Caterpillars are very similar to that of Southern Birdwing but smaller and with out pale ash markings on the body.

Pupa

Pupa of common rose butterfly is brownish in color, has a large flat semi circular projections on the back of abdomen, thorax and head. It is usually supported by a body band which is attached to the stick where it hangs.

Larval Host Plants

Aristolochia indica, Aristolochia tagala, Aristolochia bracteolate and Thottea siliquosa (Aristolochiaceae).

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