Stats

Lifespan

A few weeks

Size

Large

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Tropical rainforest

Range

Oceania

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Rare

About

The Ulysses butterfly is a large swallowtail found in tropical island forests. Its wings feature structural blue scales that reflect light to create a neon shimmer.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A tiny ribbed egg laid on the underside of a host-plant leaf, hatching within days.
2. 2.
   caterpillar

   A voracious caterpillar feeds and molts through several instars, growing rapidly.
3. 3.
   chrysalis

   A chrysalis hangs sealed and still while the body remodels into a winged adult.
4. 4.
   butterfly

   A winged adult with full scales and coloration, ready to fly and mate.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Papilionidae

Genus

Papilio

Species

Papilio ulysses