Common Raven Butterfly

The male Papilio castor has black upper wings, more or less irrorated (sprinkled) with yellowish-brown scales that on the forewing form somewhat indistinct longitudinal cell-lines and internervular streaks. The hind wing has an upper discal cream-coloured patch composed of an oval spot in interspace 4, a more elongate mark broadened outwardly in interspace 5, a similar elongate mark in interspace 6, and a much smaller broadly oval spot above it in 7; these markings are not coalescent but are distinctly divided by the black veins. The cilia on the forewings and hind wings are black alternated with white. The underside of the male is duller and more opaque than the upper side. Whereas, the brownish-black apical area of the forewing and base of the hind wing are thinly sprinkled with yellowish-brown scales. The underside of the forewings has a small white spot on the middle discocellular and a subterminal and terminal row of small white specks that do not extend to the costa. The markings on the hind wing are similar to those on the upper side, but smaller and more widely divided from each other by the veins which are edged with black; a subterminal, more or less well-defined series of small white lunules and a terminal series of white specks. …