Butterfly of the Month - November 2023

The Dainty Swallowtail (Papilio anactus) is an elegant looking butterfly with a wingspan of 67mm for the male and 72mm for the female. Upper and underside are very similar looking, with a black base colour and elongated as well as small white and light grey (forewing only) spots. The hindwings are adorned with five red spots near the rounded tail end. Obscure, barely visible blue spots occur above those red spots.

Like others in the family Papilionidae, this butterfly starts its life cycle with a tiny globular yellow egg, laid mostly on the underside of its host plant. The subsequent larvae change colour somewhat with the first instar exhibiting predominantly brown and orange, gradually changing as the images show. The instars are equipped with fleshy black spines. The pupa may vary in colour, but the depicted green one is common.

Papilio anactus deserves its other common names of Small Citrus or Orange butterfly because it favours native and introduced Citrus species. Among its local native host plants are Citrus australis (Round Lime) and Citrus australasica (Finger Lime), also Geijera parviflora (Wilga) a little further inland.

The butterfly is known to seek mating partners at hill topping sites.

Images: DM – Deborah Metters; IM – Ian D B Moodie CC BY-NC; JD – JKDw CC BY-SA 4.0;  YP – Ypna CC BY-SA 3.O; PC – Peter Chew, Brisbane Insects;