Biology and morphometry of common Mormon butterfly, Papilio polytes L. (Papilionidae: Lepidoptera) on acid lime

Abstract

The common Mormon. Papilio polytes L. is one of the important butterfly pests on citrus crops. The biology of P. polytes was studied under laboratory conditions at the Department of Agricultural Entomology. College of Agriculture. Vijayapura, Karnataka, India. The average fecundity was 21.70 eggs per female butterfly. The incubation. total larval and pupal period were observed to be of 3.83. 14.88 and 13.36 days, respectively. The total lifecycle of male and female butterfly was completed in 39.42 and 41.47 days, respectively. Pre-oviposition, oviposition and post- oviposition period were 1.18, 5.96 and 1.20 days, respectively.