The common name is an allusion to the polygamy formerly practiced by members of the Mormon sect according to Harish Gaonkar, of the Natural History Museum in London:[4] ... the origins of giving common English names to organisms, particularly butterflies for tropical species started in India around the mid 19th century ...

I think the first to get such a name was the Common Mormon (Papilio polytes), because it had three different females, a fact that could only have been observed in the field, and this they did in India.

[5] Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, southern and western China (including Hainan and Guangdong provinces), Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Andamans, Nicobars, eastern and Peninsular Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia (except Moluccas and Irian Jaya), Philippines, and Northern Marianas (Saipan).

Both male and all forms of the female of P. polytes can vary considerably in size depending on climatic region.

[6] Karl Jordan gives a full account of polytes forma in Seitz (pages 60–63).

This allows first time predators a much greater chance of preying upon the unpalatable model in the first instance and thus learning of their inedibility.

A single gene, doublesex, regulates the complex wing patterns, colors and structures required for this mimicry.

[9][10][11] The common Mormon prefers lightly wooded country, but is present everywhere and high up into the hills.

In the forests, the common Mormon remains low keeping within ten feet off the floor and its prefer to visit Asystasia, Peristrophe, and Jasminum for nectar.

It is a restless insect, zigzagging fast and straight close to the ground, settling down only when it halts to feed.

However, lacking the protection of inedibility, they tend to be more easily disturbed than the roses and fly off erratically.

The forewing is lowered to cover part of the hindwing and is a typical stance of the common Mormon.

Common Mormons spend the night settled on vegetation with their wings held open, usually quite close to the ground.

It closely resembles the lime butterfly caterpillar but can be distinguished by: The larvae breed on various species of family Rutaceae including: