Papilio slateri

Blue Striped Mime
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Papilio
Subgenus:	Chilasa
Species:	Papilio slateri
Binomial name
	Papilio (Chilasa) slateri; Hewitson, 1857
Synonyms
	Chilasa slateri;

The Blue Striped Mime (Papilio (Chilasa) slateri) is a Swallowtail butterfly found across South and South-East Asia. The butterfly belongs to the Mime subgenus, Chilasa, of the genus Papilio or The Black-bodied Swallowtails. The nominate subspecies is found in India and is also called the Brown Mime. It is a good example of mimicry among Indian butterflies.

Description

Male upperside: forewing rich velvety black, slightly paler towards apex and along the terminal margin; two or three somewhat obscure spots or short streaks in apex of cell followed by an internervular series of slightly clavate, outwardly truncate, blue streaks that in certain lights have a violet tint; outwardly the ends of these streaks form a curve at some distance from the terminal margin and inwardly they do not reach the bases of the interspaces. Hind wing: dark chocolate-brown, the subterminal series of short white streaks of the underside show though very faintly; a comparatively . Underside dull chocolate-brown. Fore wing: the cellular and internervular blue streaks of the upperside faintly represented by diffularge ochraceous tornal spot inwardly margined with blackse white patches of scales. Hind wing: a small white spot at extreme base of wing; a subtermiual series of inwardly diffuse white streaks in the interspaces and an ochraceous tornal spot as on the upperside. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen black; the thorax beneath sparsely speckled with white; the abdomen with two lateral rows of small spots.

Female similar to the male; the blue intercellular and internervular streaks on the upperside of the fore wing slightly more prominent.^[1]

Distribution

The butterfly is found in India from northern West Bengal, Sikkim and right across from Assam to North Myanmar. It is also found in Thailand, Southern China, northern Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, peninsular and eastern Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia (Kalimantan and northern Sumatra).

Status

Not rare in Sikkim though considered rare in India by Wynter-Blyth. While not known to be threatened as a species, the nominate subspecies is protected by law in India.^[2]

Habitat

This is a butterfly of hilly regions but also found at lower elevations. It is plentiful in the premonsoon and monsoon period and becomes scarce later on. It has been recorded in Sikkim in April

Mimicry

The Blue-striped Mime mimics the Blue Crows, members of the Euploea genus of the Danaids now part of Family Nymphalidae.

Habits

The Blue-striped Mime flies slowly closely mimicking the flight of the species it resembles, generally staying a few metres above the ground. The Mime settles for short spells on the ground. It displays territorial behaviour and patrols its beat aggressively driving away any intruders. It does not visit flowers. It has been found frequenting the clearings of Oak forests in Sikkim.

Lifecycle

It has only one brood and is known to fly in March in low elevations.

References

^ Bingham, C. T. 1907. Fauna of British India. Butterflies. Volume 2
^ Collins, N.M., Morris, M.G. (1985) Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World. IUCN. ISBN 2-88032-603-6