Scarlet Mormon

The Atlas uses Papilio rumanzovia, the scarlet Mormon, in Papilionidae. Recent research also acknowledges Papilio deiphobus rumanzovia as a subspecies treatment. [1][4]

The Florida Museum gives a wingspan of 12–14 cm. The Makiling account describes black, tailless male wings with red markings on the underside. Female patterns vary in the extent of white and red streaks. [2][3]

The Philippines is the principal range in the museum account. The 1985 swallowtail volume also records islands near northern Sulawesi and strays in southern Taiwan. [2][6]

A University of the East survey recorded the scarlet Mormon in a Manila garden from April to July 2019. [7]

A Philippine Commission on Higher Education report records Citrus associations at selected Mindanao sites. The Makiling account lists citrus and related larval plants, with adults taking nectar from flowers including Hibiscus and Ixora. [5][3]

The Makiling account describes strong, deliberate flight through forest and garden habitats. [3]

Sheikh and colleagues’ 2025 experiments reduced doublesex expression in the tested female morphs. The resulting wings became more male-like, demonstrating the gene’s role in regulating female pattern variation. [4]

The four-month Manila garden survey recorded twenty scarlet Mormon individuals among fifteen butterfly species or subspecies. [7]

Eschscholtz’s rumanzovia name dates to 1821. The Natural History Museum index retains Papilio rumanzovia at species rank; the 2025 experimental paper acknowledges the alternative combination Papilio deiphobus rumanzovia. [8][4]

The 1985 IUCN swallowtail volume did not regard rumanzovia as threatened at that time. The Makiling Center’s 2026 account identifies habitat loss and deforestation as conservation concerns. [6][3]

The tailless silhouette is shared by the illustrated surfaces. Red ventral markings and the varying white and red female regions provide the principal pattern contrasts. [2][3]

Scarlet, pale and dark regions remain clearly separated within bold outlines. The tailless wing contour is retained. [2][3]

Protect physical wings and antennae from handling. Keep the display in a stable, closed enclosure away from direct sunlight, moisture and pests. [9]

Does the scarlet Mormon have hindwing tails? No. Its wings are tailless despite its membership in the swallowtail family. [2][3]

Why do two scientific combinations appear? Papilio rumanzovia is the species-rank treatment used here; Papilio deiphobus rumanzovia treats rumanzovia as a subspecies of P. deiphobus. [8][4]

Museum and Philippine accounts describe the adult, hosts and local occurrence. The 2025 experiments examine doublesex regulation, while the 1985 swallowtail volume supplies historical range and conservation context. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8]