Please wait while the next page arrives.
Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Papilio ulysses
Lepidoptera / Papilionidae
Papilio ulysses has broad iridescent blue fields enclosed by black wing margins and prominent black hindwing tails. Its caterpillars feed on rainforest trees in the citrus family, especially Melicope elleryana in tropical Queensland.
Read the species account
In tropical Queensland, Papilio ulysses inhabits rainforest. Suburban plantings of its larval host Melicope elleryana also provide habitat. [3]
Microscopic structures in the blue wing scales reflect blue light. Adjacent black scales absorb light strongly, increasing the visual contrast of the blue fields. [4]
A 2023 phylogenetic revision restored Papilio telegonus and Papilio orsippus as separate species after earlier treatments had placed them within Papilio ulysses. [5]
Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.
Discover Nature at JCU, James Cook University · Accessed 2026-10-11
National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan (updated 2025) · Accessed 2026-10-11
Botanic Gardens of Sydney, February 2026 · Accessed 2026-10-11
Queensland Museum · Accessed 2026-10-11
Condamine and colleagues; Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 183, 107758 (2023) · Accessed 2026-10-11
Sources checked 2026-10-11. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
Return to the Entomological Atlas ↑
