Orchid Swallowtail Butterfly
The Orchid Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilo Aegeus) are large citrus butterflies and are part of the Papiliondae family. They are found in Australia and Papua New Ginea. Both the male and female butterflies have black forewings with a white stripe but the female has more white on her forewing.
The hindwings are black with patches of white running through the middle and the female has rows of red/orange markings with blue crescents adorning the edges. The Orchid Swallowtail butterflies are the largest seen in this range.
Females produce smooth, creamy white spherical eggs measuring approximately 0.5 millimetres which they lay on the underside of host leaves. The eggs hatch one week later.
The larva is initially green, white and brown and the mature caterpillar has a dark brown head, green body with a few pale yellow and brown markings along its back. Caterpillars feed on the leaves of a variety of plants, particularly citrus and native species from the Rutaceae family. The butterflies eat nectar from a few different plants but they prefer lantana.
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