Citrus butterfly is a genus of butterflies in the family Phoenix family, which is widely distributed throughout China and belongs to the common butterfly species in China. In foreign countries, citrus butterflies are mainly distributed in Japan, North Korea, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The wings of the citrus butterfly are yellowish-green on the front, with a wingspan of 68 mm to 87 mm, black bands along the veins, black bands bifurcated on the A veins of the forewings, and a black band on the outer margin; The black band of the forewing submargin is embedded with 8 greenish-yellow crescent spots, 2 dark spots at the mid-ventricular end, and 4 to 5 black longitudinal stripes at the base; The hindwing black band contains 6 greenish-yellow crescent spots embedded with blue patches on the inside, a greenish-yellow mid-chamber without markings, an orange round spot at the rump angle, and a black spot in the middle.
Citrus butterflies are male and female, and there are spring and summer types. The spring butterfly is small and brightly colored, and the female butterfly is lighter in color; The summer butterfly is large , with males having 1 distinct dark spot on the anterior edge of the hindwing, while females do not.
The eggs of citrus butterflies are nearly spherical, 0.9 mm to 1.2 mm in diameter, and have a nearly smooth surface. At first birth, the eggs are milky white to pale yellow and gradually turn blackish brown.
5-instar larvae, 1st instar larvae black, with few native bristles; 2nd to 3rd instar larvae are black-brown with mimicry white stripes, very similar to guano; The 5th instar larvae turn mainly green, very similar to juvenile snakes. The larvae prefer to eat plants such as Zanthoxylum anthoceanium and evodia. The larvae have many natural enemies, such as birds, praying mantises, black hairy ants and spiders. If the last instar larvae are disturbed during the growth phase, they will protrude out of the yellow stinky horn on the anterior edge of the dorsal plate of the prothorax and secrete a pungent odor to ward off predators.
It is pupae, bifurcated anteriorly, and has a convex dorsal plate of the mid-thorax but no sharp corners. The abdomen is broad, the dorsal curvature is large, and there are two types of green and brown. The pupae on the outdoor host are often green, and the pupa indoors are mostly brown.
Adults of citrus butterflies prefer to move in sunny areas, males prefer to absorb water in wetlands, and both sexes prefer to eat nectar. Strong flying ability, often appear in the flowers, grass and woodlands of human settlements, dancing, dancing movingly. Males can mate multiple times in their lifetime, while females usually mate only once.
