Lime or Chequered Butterfly

Description:

The Lime or Chequered Swallowtail - Papilio demoleus subsp. sthenelus - has a very distinctively marked body, continuing the black wing stripes down the thorax and abdomen. The inside of the wings displays a dense chequered pattern across the shoulders, and two distinctive eye spots on each hind wing - an upper blue one, often hidden by the top wing, and the lower more obvious eye spot a rusty orange. It is a very restless, constantly moving butterfly.

Habitat:

First sighting at this location. Seems to be attracted to the Duranta repens Geisha Girl flowers upon which it was feeding at some length.

Notes:

Uses various citrus as larval food sources, so may have been attracted by the small mixed citrus orchard we have been trying to establish. The Duranta repens Geisha Girl flowers were also abuzz with native Australian Blue Banded Bees.