This week's butterfly seems remarkably poorly documented because many entomologists have adopted a revised taxonomic list of Asian Graphium species. While the species name Graphium mullah has been in use for a while, the little that's been documented about it is being revised to reflect the recent reclassification of Graphium timur as a subspecies of G. mullah, which only a few years ago was fully separated from G. alebion. DNA studies, rather than field studies, have been followed in reclassification:
It is found in China, Japan, Laos, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Photo by Tref, who notes that it was taken in March. Butterflies are important pollinators for some flowers and trees, including some trees whose fruit humans eat.
Photo from Dearlep.tw. Subspecies have been identified; a clear explanation of the latest subspecies list has yet to appear online. Some mullahs' wings are clear white and some are tinged with bright yellow.
Graphium mullah differs from Graphium garhwalica in having bigger, brighter yellow spots on the upper side of hind wings. Sometimes these spots are also conspicuous on the under side. Its black stripes are a little more conspicuous, too. Its upper wings can lose their scales and become transparent especially in that wide border section along their outside edge.
Photo by Tref, taken in March. Males gather at puddles or on wet sand and sip water. They are photographed doing this alone, with others of their own species, or with others of different species.
Photo by Sonata_z, taken in March. Another Graphium seems to be attracted to anything, even plastic waste, that has a sky-blue color.
Photo by Yancai, taken in April in China. This seems to be an earlier instar than
Photo by Jiuheng92, taken in May in China. No photo of the egg or pupa was found.
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