Common Rose

Pachliopta aristolochiae is a swallowtail butterfly. The Singapore population is assigned to the subspecies asteris. [1]

The bright red body and red hindwing spots form a warning pattern. The butterfly is distasteful, and the romulus female form of the Common Mormon, Papilio polytes, resembles it. [1]

The species ranges from Sri Lanka and India through Indochina and southern China to Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. In Singapore it occupies forests, parks and gardens containing its larval food plants. [1]

Across the Singapore study period, adults and larvae were recorded in all 12 months of the year. [2]

Singapore larvae feed on the cultivated vine Aristolochia acuminata. Adults of both sexes take nectar from flowers, including Lantana. [1][2]

A Singapore field study combined systematic surveys from 2010–2014 with records from 1999–2019. It recorded the Common Rose at 33 of 119 analyzed locations, with 220 sightings. Distribution models associated its occurrence most strongly with proximity to larval host plants and expert-identified potential population sources. [2]

Common Rose sightings in that study were more numerous in urban parks and private gardens than in forest sites. The spatial models showed a positive association with managed tree cover. Cultivated host vines can therefore support populations within this urban landscape. [2]

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.