10 Most Beautiful Butterflies Of India

Here are 10 of the most beautiful butterfly species found in India, with photos and a little about each:

Malabar banded peacock. Image credit: Uajith via Wikimedia Commons.

Southern Birdwing (Troides minos)

The Southern birdwing butterfly. Image credit: Uajith via Wikimedia Commons.

• One of India’s largest butterflies (wingspan ~140-190 mm).
• Found in the Western Ghats, endemic to Southern India.
• It is the state butterfly of Karnataka.
• Bold yellow and black colouring – male and female differ in size and subtle patterns.
• Best seen in evergreen or deciduous forests of southern India, especially post-monsoon.

Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor)

The blue Mormon butterfly. Image credit: Subhash Pulikkal via Wikimedia Commons.

• Striking, shimmering blue patches on black wings.
• Found in the Western Ghats and some parts of eastern India.
• It is the state butterfly of Maharashtra.
• Attracted to citrus plants and gardens; good for butterfly watchers in the monsoon season.

Common Jezebel (Delias eucharis)

Common jezebel. Image credit: © 2010 Jee & Rani Nature Photography (License: CC BY-SA 4.0), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

• Very colourful: patterns of white, yellow, red, and black like stained glass. 
• Found in forests and gardens across India (except very arid regions).
• Because of its vibrant colours, it is a popular butterfly for photography.

Krishna Peacock (Papilio krishna)

A Krishna peacock. Image credit: Alka Vaidya <chitralka(at)yahoo.co.in> via Wikimedia Commons.

• Beautiful green-blue iridescent patches on dark wings.
• Found in the Himalayan foothill forests and some adjoining regions.
• Very rare.

Common Rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae)

 A common rose butterfly. Image credit: Peellden via Wikimedia Commons.

• Black with white and red patches and spots. 
• Found across a wide variety of habitats in the Western Ghats region in southern India.
• More commonly seen during and just after the monsoon season.

Malabar Banded Peacock (Papilio buddha)

A Malabar banded peacock. Image credit: Uajith via Wikimedia Commons.

• Very striking: dark wings with blue-green banded markings. 
• Lives in the Western Ghats, especially the misty evergreen hills & coastal slopes.
• It is the state butterfly of Kerala.
• Swift flight makes it exciting to spot in the wild.

Paris Peacock (Papilio paris)

A beautiful Paris peacock butterfly. Image credit: 57Andrew via Flickr.com.

• Elegant black wings with metallic green scales – very eye-catching.
• Found in rainforest/evergreen areas in India (Himalayan foothills, NE India, Western Ghats).
• A good indicator species for healthy forest habitats.

Orange Oakleaf (Kallima inachus)

A basking orange oakleaf butterfly. Image credit: Gayatri Dutta via Wikimedia Commons

• On the upperside: deep blue/blue-green sheen and an orange band; underside: looks exactly like a dried leaf — amazing camouflage.
• Found in the moist forests of central, northern & northeast India.
• Great species to observe how butterflies use camouflage for survival.

Common Tiger (Danaus genutia)

A mating pair of common tiger butterflies. Image credit: Jaiprakashsingh via Wikimedia Commons..

• Closely resembles the monarch butterfly of the Americas and has "tiger" in its common name due to the black stripes on orange wings.
• Found in a wide variety of habitats across India.

Northern Junglequeen (Stichophthalma camadeva)

The Northern Junglequeen. Image credit: Sandipoutsider, via Wikimedia Commons.

• Large-sized butterfly with a beautiful cerulean-blue upper side and distinctive red eyespots on the underside. 
• Found in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh and other Northeast regions.

📌 Notes & Tips

Many of these species prefer forest habitats (evergreen, deciduous, hill forests) rather than urban gardens.

Some are seasonal: post-monsoon or during certain months offer better sightings.

If you go butterfly-watching: carry a good camera/zoom lens, wear muted colours so you don’t spook them, and visit early morning when butterflies are basking.

Respect nature: don’t trap or harm them — photography and observation only.