Five Bar Swordtail 3

The Swordtails are remarkable for the very long, slender and tapering tail on the hindwing. They are forest butterflies and are very swift on the wing, with an erratic flight. They are often mistaken for a white Pierid butterfly, as the tails are usually not seen during flight.

The species is creamy white above, with a series of black transverse stripes in the costal area of the forewing. On the underside, the basal half of the hindwing is green, with black stripes and spots. The butterfly has a wingspan of 40 - 45 mm.

This species is the only representative of the genus Pathysa in Singapore. It is credited with being one of the few butterflies in the region to bear a local name - itamputi, from the Malay words "hitam", meaning black, and "putih", meaning white.