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Orchard Swallowtail (mating)

Papilio aegeus

Description:

Papilio aegeus, commonly known as the Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly or Large Citrus Butterfly is a species of butterfly from the Papilionidae family, that is found in eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea. The male Orchard Swallowtail has black forewings with an arc of white spots near the tip. The hindwings have a white panel and single small red spot above. The underside of the male wings are black with red and blue spots. The female has black and white forewings and hindwings. The hindwings have blue and white markings. They are the largest butterflies commonly seen in Brisbane.

Habitat:

Their habitat is usually lowland rainforest, dry eucalypt woodland, gardens and orchards. The food plants of Orchard Swallowtails are Citrus trees, include the orange and lemon trees, Boronia and Murraya. Adults are commonly seen in in garden feeding on flowers. Caterpillars sometimes cause minor damage in orchards and gardens.

Notes:

This male and female were found under a frangipani tree.

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1 Comment

ShannaB
ShannaB 10 years ago

Great shots Neil. They are SO hard to catch at rest.

Neil Ross
Spotted by
Neil Ross

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Spotted on Jan 31, 2011
Submitted on May 10, 2013

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