Lime butterfly at National Library, Kolkata

National Library, Kolkata

Lime butterfly

National Library is the largest library in India. It is located on scenic 30 acres Belvedere Estate, in Kolkata. It is oldbuilding which used to be It was former residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. It is under the 'Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India'. The park and outside region of the library is lush green, and is at its peak during rains but needs bit of maintenance. I clicked this Common lime butterfly at the library complex.

Info on common lime butterfly (sourced from wikipedia)
Common Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus) is a widespread butterfly and gets its name from its host plants which are usually citrus species such as the lime. Unlike most swallowtail butterflies it does not have a prominent tail. It is perhaps the most widely distributed swallowtail in the world. Butterfly is an avid mud-puddler and visitor of flowers. It basks with its wings held wide open on tufts of and generally keeps within a metre above the ground, even on cloudy days. It relies on its quick flight for escape. An interesting butterfly in that it has a number of modes of flight. In the cool of the morning, the flight is slow considering that it is an edible and unprotected swallowtail. As the day progresses, it flies fast, straight and low. In the hotter part of the day, it may be found settling on damp patches where it will remain motionless, except for an occasional flutter of wings, if not disturbed.

It is also a frequent visitor of flowers in gardens, where it shows a preference for flowers of smaller herbs rather than larger plants such as the ubiquitous with its plentiful blooms. While resting, the butterfly closes its wing over its back and draws the forewings between the hindwings.