Great Yellow Mormon butterfly feeding on a flower


Papilio lowi, the great yellow Mormon or Asian swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Borneo, Indonesia, and the Philippines (Palawan, Balabao) This species is endemic to Southeast Asia. Asian Swallowtails are sexually dimorphic meaning that males and females have different colours and/or patterns. Males are characterized by bluish black dorsal wing surface with faint white striping on the hindwing. Both males and females have tails. Females are characterized by a pale yellow dorsal forewing surface with black veins and edging, and a triangular red spot where each wing attaches to the body. The hindwings are black with white and red spots and tails. The head and thorax are black, but the abdomen is mainly pale yellow. Larvae of the Asian Swallowtail feed on plants in the Citrus family.


Size: 3451px × 2761px
Location: RHS Wisley Surrey UK
Photo credit: © Niall Ferguson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: asian, butterfly, great, insect, lowi, mormon, papilio, swallowtail, yellow