Hong Kong Butterflies 31

White Dragontail (Lamproptera curius 燕鳳蝶) is the smallest swallowtail in the whole Papilionidae family. The wings are black with white median band coupled with a large transparent area towards the margin of the forewings. It has a very long tail on each of its hindwing, which give the butterfly its highly distinctive appearance.  

It flies swiftly and restlessly like a tiny dragonfly in flight surrounding its host plants.

It was the first time I came across such a gorgeous creature a few weeks ago when I visited the Fung Yuen, which is a forested ravine behind the village of Fung Yuen Tai Po.  Fung Yuen (鳳園) was listed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1980, as an important breeding site for some butterflies of conservation value.