162. Lamproptera meges (The Green Dragontail)

Number: 162

Family: Papilioniidae
Sub-Family: Papilioniinae

Species: Lamproptera meges Zincken, 1831

Common name(s): The Green Dragontail
Photography location: Cuc Phuong N.P. (Ninh Binh Prov.)

In flight it can hardly be recognized as a butterfly; when circling low looking for a drinking spot they look like dragonflies. 

Hundreds of Lamproptera species (mostly meges) demonstrating selectively gregarious behavior when mud-puddling along a dirt road in Xuan Son NP

I was amazed to see so many butterflies packed into such a small area

Lamproptera species tend to puddle separately from aggregations of other species. Lamproptera meges is usually by far the commoner of the two species where both occur together

Lamproptera meges

There are several key features that can help naturalists confidently separate the different species of Lamproptera - see L. curius's post

Lamproptera meges

Lamproptera meges

Lamproptera meges

Lamproptera meges mudpuddling with Graphium doson (Common Jay) and Graphium eurypylus (Great Jay / half-hidden)