Peacock Swallowtail

The wingspan of P. blumei is 120–140 mm (4.7–5.5 in). The imago has a wingspan of 10 to 12 cm[1]. On the obverse, the wings have a black background colour. The forewings have a broad, iridescent transverse stripe, which appears emerald green when viewed from the front and blue when viewed from the side. The base and the submarginal part of the wing are sprinkled with green scales. The hindwings have a spatula-shaped tail, which appears turquoise blue when viewed from the front and purplish blue when viewed from the side, with a black line in the middle. The hindwings also have a band of the same colour as the forewings, a series of submarginal lunulae, also of the same colour, and are sprinkled with green scales in the basal part. On the reverse the wings are black. The forewings have lighter scales in the intervenous spaces of the submarginal part. The rest of the wing is sprinkled with lighter scales. The hindwings have a series of pale orange submarginal macules surmounted by iridescent blue lunulae and are sprinkled with lighter scales in the basal part. The tail is black. In females, the bands of the forewings and hindwings of the obverse may be narrower than in males. In both sexes the body is black, sprinkled with iridescent green scales on top.

Papilio blumei is endemic to Sulawesi in the Australasian realm inhabiting forest.