Emerald Swallowtail

The emerald swallowtail is scientifically known as Papilio palinurus. In Virgil's Aeneid, palinurus, which means "butterfly", refers to the captain. By virtue of its Latin name, the emerald swallowtail is supposed to be some sort of navigator. This notion is fairly new given the butterfly's vivid green wings, which quickly catch your attention whichever way it is moving. They are mainly found in Southeast Asia.

The emerald swallowtail's internal and external wing colors are very different. The exterior is not as spectacular as the interior. Dusty greys make up the exterior, with blue and orange specks appearing toward the bottom of the wing. A starry night sky can be imagined from this collage. However, the interior hues resemble a spotlight in many ways. Dark sage green with an abrupt, angled radiation green streak on either side. It has been hypothesized that the emerald swallowtail uses its bright interior coloration to fool potential predators above and its dull exterior coloration to hide from them below.