Paxton Gate: Insect Spreading Class: The Purple Spotted Swallowtail

The Purple Spotted Swallowtail (Graphium weiskei) looks like it flew straight out of a fantasy novel. Native to the cool, misty rainforests of Papua New Guinea, this butterfly is a true endemic wonder—velvety black wings dusted with luminous purple spots and streaks that catch the light like gemstones. With slender tails and a gliding flight, it’s equal parts elegance and enchantment. Its caterpillars, masters of camouflage, feed on plants in the Lauraceae family before transforming inside chrysalises that vanish into the forest. Rare, radiant, and undeniably magical, this butterfly is what happens when nature goes full sparkle mode.