Showing posts with label Butterfly: Dainty Swallowtail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Butterfly: Dainty Swallowtail. Show all posts

Saturday, 11 April 2020

Dainty or Dingy

Lots of butterflies still around and today managed to get a photo of one that I see at times but it is not as common as its relative, the Orchard Butterfly.


Looking up references for this species I found two common names one seems appropriate, "Dainty Swallowtail"  and I couldn't work out how the other fitted "Little Dingy Swallowtail" given the beautiful colours and markings. It is a member of the PAPILIONIDAE family species named  Papilio anactus and it is found throughout Australia where the caterpillars feed on native citrus, finger limes, desert limes, wild orange as well as cultivated citrus.
Like their large relative they are not a problem in the orchard other than on young plants but I just move them to a larger tree.