Common Mime

Physical Characteristics

The Common Mime is a medium- to large-sized swallowtail butterfly found throughout South and Southeast Asia. It is known for its remarkable mimicry, with adults mimicking unpalatable species for protection.

Color Forms:
The Common Mime exists in two main color morphs, both of which imitate other toxic butterflies (a behavior known as Batesian mimicry):

• Form clytia (Common Form): Resembles the unpalatable Common Indian Crow (Euploea core). It has blackish-brown wings with white spots and streaks.

• Form dissimilis (Uncommon or Oriental Form): Mimics the Blue Tiger (Tirumala limniace) and has blackish-blue wings with light blue or white striations.

Wings:

• Wings are broad and rounded, with a wingspan of 3.1 to 4.1 in (8 to 10.5 cm)

• The hindwings lack tails, which is unusual for a swallowtail

• The underside mirrors the upper side, enhancing the mimetic effect

Body:

• The body is slender and black, with white lateral markings on the abdomen and thorax

• The head features clubbed antennae, typical of butterflies

Sexual Dimorphism:

• Both sexes look alike, though females are usually slightly larger

• Sexual dimorphism is minimal due to their reliance on mimicry for survival, which requires visual consistency across sexes

Flight:
The flight is slow and graceful, often gliding and fluttering gently—another trait mimicking their toxic models

Caterpillar and Pupa:

• Caterpillars are dark brown with white markings and possess fleshy protuberances

• The pupa is green or brown, angular, and attached upright to a surface via a silk girdle

The Common Mime’s physical appearance is defined not just by its beauty but by its strategic mimicry, allowing it to avoid predators by imitating species that birds and lizards instinctively avoid.

Reproduction

The Common Mime butterfly follows a complete metamorphosis life cycle, progressing through four distinct stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult. Its reproductive success depends on careful host plant selection and camouflage during vulnerable stages.

1. Mating Behavior:
Mating typically occurs during the warmer months, especially in the post-monsoon season when vegetation is abundant.

• Males patrol territories or perch in sunlit areas, waiting for females

• Courtship involves brief fluttering and pursuit flights, followed by copulation that can last up to an hour

2. Egg Laying (Oviposition):

• Females lay spherical, yellowish-white eggs singly on the underside of host plant leaves

• Preferred host plants belong to the Lauraceae family, including Cinnamomum, Litsea, and Persea species

• Each female can lay dozens to hundreds of eggs over her lifetime

3. Larval Stage (Caterpillar):

• Eggs hatch in 3 to 5 days, depending on temperature

• Caterpillars are dark with white or yellow patches and possess soft, fleshy spines

• The larval stage lasts around 2 to 3 weeks, during which the caterpillar molts multiple times

4. Pupal Stage (Chrysalis):

• The mature larva attaches itself to a twig or surface using a silk pad and a supporting silk girdle

• The pupa is angled, leaf-like, and cryptic, lasting 10 to 20 days, though it may enter diapause (delayed emergence) during colder months

5. Adult Emergence:

• Adults emerge from the chrysalis in the morning, expanding and drying their wings before flight

• They reach full sexual maturity within a few days and begin the cycle anew

The Common Mime’s reproductive cycle is finely tuned to seasonal cues, with its camouflaged immature stages and mimetic adult forms increasing survival at every step. Its reliance on specific host plants also plays a key role in reproductive site selection.

Lifespan

The Common Mime butterfly experiences a complete metamorphosis life cycle and has a relatively short adult lifespan, balanced by multiple broods throughout the year in favorable climates.

Lifespan in the Wild:

• Egg Stage: 3 to 5 days

• Larval Stage (Caterpillar): 2 to 3 weeks

• Pupal Stage (Chrysalis): 10 to 20 days, longer if in diapause

• Adult Butterfly: 2 to 4 weeks on average

Total lifespan from egg to natural adult death typically spans 6 to 8 weeks, though this varies by season and temperature.

Generations Per Year:
In warm, tropical regions, the Common Mime is multivoltine, producing 3 to 5 generations per year, especially during and after monsoon months when host plants and nectar sources are abundant.

Lifespan in Captivity:
In butterfly houses or controlled environments, adults may live slightly longer (up to 5 weeks) with consistent access to nectar and absence of predators. However, caterpillars still require specific host plants to survive.

Threats to Longevity:

• Predation by birds, spiders, and lizards, especially during the larval and pupal stages

• Habitat loss and deforestation affecting availability of host plants

• Pesticide use, which can affect both caterpillars and adult butterflies

• Climate variation, such as cold snaps or excessive drought, which can interrupt or delay development

The Common Mime’s mimicry helps extend the adult butterfly’s lifespan by reducing predation, but its overall lifecycle remains brief. Its multiple generations per year ensure steady population turnover in suitable habitats.

Eating Habits

Eating & Foraging

The Common Mime is a nectar-feeding butterfly whose diet changes dramatically between life stages—from herbivorous leaf consumption as a caterpillar to fluid-feeding as an adult. Its foraging behavior is shaped by its mimicry and preference for sunlit habitats.

Larval Diet (Caterpillar Stage):

• The caterpillar is a specialist herbivore, feeding exclusively on leaves of plants in the Lauraceae family, especially:

  • Cinnamomum spp. (wild cinnamon)

  • Litsea spp.

  • Persea spp. (wild avocado relatives)

• Caterpillars consume tender foliage and use cryptic coloring to avoid detection while feeding

• Feeding is most active during the morning and evening, when temperatures are moderate

Pupal Stage:

• The chrysalis does not feed. It remains attached to a surface, camouflaged and inactive, while undergoing metamorphosis

Adult Diet (Butterfly Stage):

• Adult Common Mimes feed on nectar from a variety of flowering plants

• Common nectar sources include:

  • Lantana camara

  • Ixora spp.

  • Clerodendrum spp.

  • Buddleja (butterfly bush)

• Adults visit sunny clearings and flowering shrubs, preferring open spaces near forest edges or gardens

Feeding Behavior:

• The butterfly uses its long, coiled proboscis to extract nectar while hovering or perching

• Feeding sessions are brief but frequent, often interrupted by gliding flights

• Adults also engage in mud-puddling, particularly males, to collect salts and minerals from moist soil or animal droppings

The Common Mime’s dietary habits allow it to thrive in forests, gardens, and semi-urban landscapes, with its larval dependence on Lauraceae plants balanced by a generalist nectar-feeding strategy as an adult.

Uniqueness

The Common Mime is an exceptional butterfly not for its toxicity or aggression, but for its evolutionary mimicry, which allows it to thrive alongside predators by appearing dangerous when it is not.

Batesian Mimicry Master:
The Common Mime is a textbook example of Batesian mimicry—a harmless species evolving to resemble a harmful or distasteful one. It has two distinct mimetic forms:

• Form clytia imitates the toxic Common Indian Crow (Euploea core)

• Form dissimilis mimics the Blue Tiger (Tirumala limniace)

Both models are unpalatable to birds, and predators learn to avoid them—thus also avoiding the Common Mime.

Two Morphs, One Species:
Unlike most butterflies, the Common Mime expresses two completely different adult forms within a single species. This dual-form strategy increases its survival across regions where different toxic butterflies dominate.

Tail-less Swallowtail:
Despite belonging to the swallowtail family (Papilionidae), the Common Mime lacks the signature tail extensions seen in most relatives. This enhances its mimicry, as its models (the Crow and Blue Tiger) are also tail-less.

Sexual Monomorphism:
Both male and female Common Mimes look nearly identical, which is rare among butterflies. This trait likely evolved to maintain mimetic accuracy, ensuring both sexes benefit equally from predator avoidance.

Peaceful Flight Pattern:
The Common Mime mimics not only appearance but also behavior, adopting the slow, gliding flight and gentle wingbeats of its toxic models—further deceiving predators into assuming it is unpalatable.

Habitat Flexibility:
Although it prefers woodland edges and forest clearings, the Common Mime is highly adaptable and frequently found in gardens, parks, and plantations. Its ability to thrive in semi-urban habitats makes it one of the most commonly seen large butterflies in Asia.

The Common Mime’s combination of visual, behavioral, and ecological mimicry makes it a marvel of natural selection. It survives not by being dangerous, but by convincingly pretending to be.