-------------------------- Susan Shimeld
----------- ---_Wildlife Artist and Natural History Illustrator


-----------------------
------------------------------------------------------------Blue Mountain Butterfly

--------------------------------------------© Susan Shimeld

Scientific Name:	Papillio Ulysses
Region:	Indonesia, Australia

-------------- ------- ---
--------------------

The Blue Mountain Butterfly lives in the tropical rain forests of Indonesia and Australia.

The Blue Mountain Butterfly caterpillar is green in colour with a white underside and rows of large white spots along its back. It also has a white and impressive spike on its rear. The pupae is crescent shaped and a pale green in colour.

The Blue Mountain Butterfly is also known as the Mountain Blue, the Blue Emperor and Blue Mountain Swallowtail. With a wingspan of about 5.5 inches (14 cm) it is a large and stunningly beautiful, bright blue and black swallowtail butterfly . Both the male and female have a long 'swallowtail' but the females, though very pretty, are more subdued in colour. Males will often be attracted to blue objects - mistaking them for females.

As I child I can remember being mesmerised as I watched butterflies feeding on a buddleia in our garden. They looked so fragile and beautiful as they fluttered from one flower to another, probing their probosces (a thin tubular tongue) delicately and precisely into each tiny flower head as they searched for nectar.

I have since learned that they are in fact quite tough little creatures. Some species fly 1,000s of miles, across mountains and oceans - treacherous terrain, in order to reach breeding and feeding grounds. The seed for my fascination with butterflies had been sown. It never ceases to amaze me that a plump hairy caterpillar tucked inside a hard chrysalis, will emerge months later transformed into a large, colourful, exquisitely patterned butterfly or moth. It is an incredible process.

Whilst preparing for my butterfly painting I read a number of books on butterflies and their habitats and was amazed at the number of butterfly species in the world. I was also intrigued by the range of shapes, sizes, variety of markings and rainbow of colours that each species of butterfly uses; either for display, warning, camouflage or disguise.

In order to portray my butterfly artwork accurately I visited Worldwide Butterflies in Sherborne, Dorset. With the help of the proprietor, Mr. Robert Goodden, I learned a great deal, including how to hand-rear certain species. During my studies I also learned that throughout the world, due to habitat destruction and changing farming methods, butterflies and moths are becoming scarce. In my spare time during the summer months, I am involved in 'moth counts' and 'butterfly surveys'. These 'surveys' help to ascertain the numbers of certain species and record rarities that may occur.

I thoroughly enjoyed my adventure into the butterfly world and painting such colourful, delicate creatures was a joy. At some point in the not too distant future I hope to portray moths in a similar style to complement my 'Tropical Butterflies of the World' painting. My painting 'Butterflies of the World' was painted onto canvas using oils. Greetings cards and Fine Art Prints with my tropical butterflies design are available from my Gallery Shop. My cards are also available from Larmer Tree Studio, Tollard Royal.