Green Swallowtail Butterfly | Peru | Lepidoptera | Papilio blumei Butterfly Specimen

The green swallowtail or green peacock butterfly is part of the papilionidae family. It is usually only found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The colors on the wings are sometimes metallic and contains rows of very small concave surfaces that reflect light in many ways. Researchers have tried to replicate this effect in an effort to make it more challenging to forge money and credit cards.
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Butterflies are one of the more beautiful insects in our world. They are distinctive in that they (butterflies and moths) are the only species of insects that have scales that cover their wings. According to the Smithsonian Institute, there are somewhere around 17,500 different species of butterflies in the world with 750 species JUST in the United States.
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In terms of classification, butterflies can be put into one of six categories according to how they look: Hesperiidae (Skippers), Lycaenidae (Blues, Hairstreaks, and Coppers), Nymphalidae (Brush-Footed), Papilionidae (Swallowtail), Pieridae (Yellows and Whites), and Riodinidae (Metalmarks- sometimes placed in Lycaenidae).
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Symbolically, butterflies represent rebirth and resurrection for the triumph of the spirit and soul over the physical prison of the material world. Though there are many interpretations in various cultures, most agree that butterflies are a source of change and transformation.