About Papilio demolion Cramer, 1776
Papilio demolion has a wingspan ranging from 75–95 mm (3.0–3.7 in). For males, the upperside of the wings is brownish black. Both forewings and hindwings are crossed by a broad, prominent oblique pale greenish or yellowish-white band. This band starts just before the middle of the hindwing's dorsal margin, crosses onto the forewing, and continues as a series of spots that get smaller toward the forewing apex in the upper interspaces. On the hindwing, a subterminal series of lunules of the same color follows this band. The underside of the wings is fuliginous black, with the same transverse wing-crossing band seen on the upperside. On the forewing, the cell has four slender longitudinal pale lines starting from the base; the veins are also marked with pale lines, which are only conspicuous at the apexes of the veins leading to the terminal margin. In addition, there are short similar lines between the veins that reach the terminal margin. On the hindwing, the interspaces beyond the transverse medial greenish-white band are marked with broad jet-black streaks that extend up to the subterminal line of greenish-white lunules. These streaks are interrupted in the middle by a transverse line of blue scales, and are followed by preapical ochraceous-yellow spots in interspaces 1 and 7. The terminal margin beyond the line of lunules is black. The antennae, head, thorax, and abdomen are fuliginous black; on the underside, the palpi and abdomen are greenish white, and the thorax is dark grey. This species can be found in Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. These butterflies live mainly in nature reserves, wastelands, mangrove areas, and offshore islands.
