Beautfuil Nature

 12 Most Beautiful Butterflies in the World

Papilio ulysses   Ulysses Butterfly 

The Ulysses butterfly (Papilio ulysses), also known as the Blue Mountain Butterfly or the Blue Mountain Swallowtail, is a large swallowtail butterfly, endemic to Australasia.

This butterfly is used as an emblem for Queensland tourism.

The Ulysses butterfly typically has a wingspan of about 14 cm (5.5 in) but depending on subspecies has some variations in size. The upperside of the wings are an iridescent electric blue; the underside is a more subdued black and brown. The colours are produced by the microscopic structure of the scales.

The female of the species is different from the male in that she has little crescents of blue in the back, upside sections of her hind wings, where there is only black for males. When the butterfly is perched the intense blue of its wings is hidden by the plainer brown under side of its wings, helping it to blend in with its surroundings. When in flight, the butterfly can be seen hundreds of metres away as sudden bright blue flashes. Males are strongly attracted to blue objects which they mistake for females.

Purple Spotted Swallowtail, Graphium weiskei

The Purple Spotted Swallowtail, Graphium weiskei, which is found only in the highlands of New Guinea, is a butterfly of the swallowtail (Papilionidae) family. It resembles the related Graphium stresemanni.

Peacock Butterfly Aglais io

The European Peacock (Aglais io), more commonly known simply as the Peacock butterfly, is a colourful butterfly, found in Europe and temperate Asia as far east as Japan. Formerly classified as the only member of the genus Inachis (the name is derived from Greek mythology, meaning Io, the daughter of Inachus). It should not be confused or classified with the "American peacocks" in the genus Anartia; these are not close relatives of the Eurasian species. The Peacock butterfly is resident in much of its range, often wintering in buildings or trees. It therefore often appears quite early in spring. The Peacock butterfly has figured in research where the role of eye-spots as anti-predator mechanism has been investigated.

In the British Isles, the butterfly is found in England, Scotland (including Orkney and Shetland), Wales and Ireland. The Peacock is expanding its range.The butterfly is not known to be threatened.

Metal Mark Butterfly (Apodemia mormo langei)

Apodemia mormo langei, known by the common name Lange's Metalmark Butterfly, is an endangered North American butterfly. It is a subspecies of the Mormon metalmark and belongs to the family Riodinidae. The butterfly is endemic to California, where it is known from one strip of riverbank in the San Francisco Bay Area. A 2008 count estimated the total remaining population at 131 individuals.

Lange's metalmark is a fragile, brightly colored butterfly in the Riodinidae (metalmark) family. Adult wingspan varies from 1-inch (25 mm) to 1.5-inch (38 mm). Dorsal wings are largely black with white spots. Red-orange coloration extends through the inner forward half of the forewing, the hindwing bases, and a small central patch subtended by black. Below, the wings have a more muted pattern of gray, white, black, and orange.

Queen Victoria’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera victoriae)