Adults will nectar from a variety of different flowers.
The genus Papilio is Latin for Butterfly. Clytia in Greek mythology was an ocean nymph who was in love with Apollo.
The Common Mime is primarily found in secondary growth as well as urban gardens and areas surrounding cultivated fields. The adults seem to prefer the wetter locations within those areas.
Mated females lay their eggs singly or in small groups on the upper surface of young shoots. Once the caterpillar emerges from its egg the caterpillar, which look like bird droppings, feed on the upper sides of the leaves. After their final molt they form a chrysalis which resembles a broken twig.
There are multiple generations each year which makes it possible to find individuals throughout the year but their highest populations are from May to October.
The Common Mime is sexually dimorphic so the males and females look different than each other. Not only do the Common Mimes mimic the look of the distasteful butterflies, but their behavior deviates from regular swallowtail behavior to match that of the butterfly they are mimicking.
