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Luminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Graphium sarpedon
Lepidoptera / Papilionidae
The common bluebottle has dark wings crossed by a blue-green band. Studies of the Japanese subspecies examine both its wing pigments and a visual system containing fifteen measured photoreceptor spectral sensitivity types.
Read the species account
The Singapore account of G. sarpedon luctatius describes a blue to blue-green band extending from the forewing apex toward the inner hindwing, with additional blue marginal spots. The underside bears red spotting and a red basal hindwing mark. These characters describe the regional luctatius form. [3]
Singapore’s luctatius account records adults in forests, gardens and urban settings. [3]
Singapore’s luctatius account records Cinnamomum iners as a larval host and females visiting flowering bushes. [3]
The Singapore account records gatherings of numerous G. sarpedon luctatius adults. [3]
Research on Japanese male Graphium sarpedon nipponum identified at least fifteen spectral classes of photoreceptor, spanning ultraviolet to red sensitivity. The researchers found five opsin messenger-RNA types; some ventral receptors coexpressed two or three long-wavelength opsins. Opsin coexpression and filtering by pigments contribute to the diversity of spectral responses. [6]
In G. sarpedon nipponum, sarpedobilin colours the wing membrane blue-green; local addition of lutein shifts patches toward green. Transparent ventral scales strengthen the visible colour by reflection and produce polarized iridescence under oblique illumination. The authors proposed an intraspecific signalling function for this polarized reflection. [7]
Singapore’s third-edition Red Data Book lists Graphium sarpedon luctatius as Least Concern nationally. [2]
The dorsal view shows the blue-green band and marginal spots; the underside reveals red spotting and the basal hindwing mark. [3]
Scott Schubr’s Luminary Oddities illustration emphasizes the blue-green band against dark wings. The band’s course, marginal markings and wing outline retain the pattern of the illustrated species.
Keep physical specimens enclosed and handle the frame rather than the insect. Avoid direct sunlight, persistent damp and concentrated heat; inspect periodically for loose fragments, moisture or pest damage. Do not brush or wet wing surfaces. [1]
How can five opsin types contribute to fifteen spectral classes? Some receptors coexpress multiple long-wavelength opsins, and pigments filter the light reaching them, producing different sensitivity curves. [6]
What produces the blue-green band? The bile pigment sarpedobilin produces blue-green colour, with lutein contributing to greener areas; transparent scales on the underside add reflective effects. [7]
The taxonomic revision defines the species boundary. Singapore sources document luctatius habitat, hosts and national status. The eye study reports receptor sensitivities, while the wing study examines pigments, scales and polarization in nipponum.
Canadian Conservation Institute · Accessed 2026-10-09
NParks Singapore · Accessed 2026-10-09
NParks Singapore · Accessed 2026-10-09
Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde A · Accessed 2026-10-04
Author-posted copy of taxonomic revision · Accessed 2026-10-04
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · Accessed 2026-10-09
Journal of Experimental Biology via PubMed · Accessed 2026-10-04
Framed and digital artworks featuring this species. Current options and prices are listed on Etsy.
Sources checked 2026-10-09. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
Return to the Entomological Atlas ↑Smithsonian Gardens · Accessed 2026-10-09
