The Red Helen

Papilio helenus

Description

Papilio helenus has black-colored wings, on the upper side of the wing there is a large white spot on the hindwing which is hidden when the butterfly is resting, but stands out when flying. There is an additional dusty white stripe on the forewings, while on the hind wings there is a row of red crescent-shaped markings on the sub-margins of the hindwings. The appearance of the underside of the wings is the same as that of the top.

Larva: Papilio helenus larvae are green with stripes of black, white and gray. Like other Papilio species, Papilio helenus can also secrete an osmeterium, like a two-pronged horn when it feels threatened. The oximeter secretes a foul-smelling liquid that repels predators and parasites.

Pupa : –

Population Size

-

Life Span

-

WEIGHT​

-

LENGTH

-

Ar

Arboreal

He

Herbivore

Classification

KINGDOM

:

Animalia

PHYLUM

:

Arthropoda

CLASS

:

Insecta

ORDER

:

Lepidoptera

FAMILY

:

Papilionidae

GENUS

:

Papilio

SPECIES

:

Papilio helenus

Distribution

Papilio helenus can be found in rainforests with an altitude of up to 1800 m above sea level

Geography

Continent : Asia

Country : Papillio helenus is distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Sulawesi and Java).

Habits and Lifestyle

Papilio helenus is often seen flying along forest trails with deep, irregular flapping. Male butterflies are usually found alone or with two or three others visiting puddles, while the female is looking for a place to lay eggs or hovering in the flowering bush. This species is usually at rest with its wings fully extended.

Lifestyle

Arboreal

Biome

Tropical rain forest

Climate Zone

Tropical

Diet and Nutrition

Papilio helenus larvae feed on the leaves of Zanthoxylum tetraspermum, Toddalia asiatica, Citrus madurensis and several plants from the Rutaceae family.

Diet : Herbivore (larva), Nectarivore

Mating Habits

Papilio helenus reproduces by laying eggs (oviparous), the eggs are laid separately at the tip of the young leaves of the host plant. Eggs are apricot-yello when laid, before hatching the eggs appear to have brown lines and spots. The shape of the egg is round and the outside is a bit rough.

Life cycle (Metamorfosis) : Papilio helenus eggs hatch in 4 – 7 days, the newly hatched caterpillars are brown with whitish spots around the center and tail segment. Caterpillars can secrete a yellow-red osmeterium from the first segment on the back of the head when they feel threatened. On the second instar, the caterpillar is green with brindles of black, white and gray. The larvae of this species are not very active, during the day they usually stay along the lower fronds of the leaves. At the next instar, the color of the body becomes more green and often spends time on the upper side of leaves, stems or twigs. The length of the larvae at the last instar reaches 50 mm.

Reproduction session : –

Incubation periods: –

Independent age : at birth

Baby name : –

Baby carrying : –

Population

Population status : Not Evaluated (NE)

NE

DD

LC

NT

VU

EN

CR

EW

EX

PHOTO GALLERY

Reference

  1. Red Helen article 
  2. Red Helen article 
  3. Papilio helenus on Wikipedia article