PAPILIONIDAE
Lime or Chequered Swallowtail
Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
and
Peter R. Samson
&
Stella Crossley
(updated 7 July 2007)
(Photo copyright: Peter Samson)
Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
and
Peter R. Samson
&
Stella Crossley
(updated 7 July 2007)
(Photo copyright: Peter Samson)
The Caterpillars of this species are varied in their colouring, but often are green, with black between the segments, and with orange feet. They often have a white line each side just above the legs, and short spines on the thorax and ninth abdominal segment. In Australia they feed on various plants in FABACEAE such as
and plants in RUTACEAE such as :
THe Caterpillar grows to a length of about 4 cms. The pupa is greenish-brown and attached to a stem of the foodplant by cremaster and girdle. It has two projections on the head and one on the thorax. Its length is about 3 cms.
The adult butterflies have buff coloured wings with wide black edges containing buff spots. The hind wings also have two eyespots: one red and one blue.
The underside is similar with narrower and paler black markings. The butterflies have a wingspan of about 10 cms. Usually seen rapidly flying in one direction at a constant height, they only occasionally land, and catching one is a real thrill.
The eggs are pale yellow and spherical. They are usuallly laid singly on the upper surfaces of leaves of a foodplant.
The species Papilio demoleus occurs as a number of subspecies over much of tropical Asia, including :
It has recently been reported in the Caribbean in
The subspecies sthenelus is found in New Guinea and the whole of mainland Australia including Victoria, and South Australia.
Butterflies of this species may be purchased for release at weddings etc.
Further reading :
Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia,
CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 1, pp. 274-276.
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