It is a very striking tailed butterfly with prominent white bands on its forewings. The crimson rose is very fond of flowers especially
Lantana.
Nectar appears to be essential for the butterfly and a higher nectar intake is thought to increase
egg production. Close to the ground, the flight of the crimson rose is slow and fluttering but steady. At greater heights, it flies faster and stronger. It basks with its wings spread flat, sometimes in small congregations at heights of 10 to 15 metres up in the trees. The butterfly often roosts for the night in large companies on the twigs and branches of trees and shrubs, sometimes accompanied by a few
common Mormons. When resting the butterfly draws its forewings halfway between the hindwings. The butterfly sleeps on slanting outstretched branches or twigs of trees or bushes.
Aposematism and mimicry The red body, slow peculiar flight, bright colouration and pattern of the wings are meant to indicate to predators that this butterfly is inedible, being well protected by the poisons it has sequestered from its larval food plant. Its flight and behaviour is much like that of the common Mormon. Like that butterfly, it too is inedible and rarely attacked by predators. This has led to this butterfly also being mimicked by a female morph of the common Mormon (
Papilio polytes), in this case, the female form
romulus.
Migration The most striking aspect of the butterfly's behaviour is its strong
migratory tendencies. During the peak of its season, several thousand crimson roses can be found congregating and then they begin migrating to other areas. In the ''
Entomologist's Monthly Magazine'', 1880, p. 276, Mr. R. S. Eaton notes that in Bombay this butterfly roosted in great numbers together, however
Charles Thomas Bingham notes that in the
Western Ghats between
Vengurla and
Belgaum, where the butterfly occurred in some numbers and had the habit of roosting in company on twigs of some thorny shrub, but never saw more than "a score or so together". ==Life cycle==