Chequered Swallowtail Papilio demoleus
Wingspan: 72mm-75mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: Sep to Apr
Wingspan: 72mm-75mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: Sep to Apr
Chequered Swallowtails are uncommon visitors to Claire Cottage. However they have bred in our garden on native Cullen tenax plants that we introduced some years ago.
This lovely butterfly is migratory, flying from its main western NSW breeding grounds and dispersing widely along the coastal strip. We only see them when a migration is occurring, normally late September or October and only in small numbers, the exception being Oct 2009 when many arrived and stayed in our garden for several days. If a migration occurs we generally see them no more than once or twice in that summer. Having their food plant growing in our garden encourages them to linger longer on these infrequent visits and we hope they may deposit eggs on the Cullen tenax.
The red spots on the wings may exist to startle predators. Regardless they add striking colour.
This lovely butterfly is migratory, flying from its main western NSW breeding grounds and dispersing widely along the coastal strip. We only see them when a migration is occurring, normally late September or October and only in small numbers, the exception being Oct 2009 when many arrived and stayed in our garden for several days. If a migration occurs we generally see them no more than once or twice in that summer. Having their food plant growing in our garden encourages them to linger longer on these infrequent visits and we hope they may deposit eggs on the Cullen tenax.
The red spots on the wings may exist to startle predators. Regardless they add striking colour.
Chequered Swallowtail Papilio demoleus
Wingspan: 72mm-75mm
Distribution: Found over much of Australia
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval food plants:
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to March
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Habitat: May be found in many habitats across Australia.
Items of Interest: This species is found in many warm countries from the Middle East across Asia to the far East (including Australia).
Wingspan: 72mm-75mm
Distribution: Found over much of Australia
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE:
- Sept 2007, 2013, 2023,
- Oct 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014,
- Nov 2004, 2016,
- Dec 2019,
- Jan 2017,
- Feb 2004, 2012,
- Mar 2015, 2023,
- Apr 2022 (3rd & 4th)
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: A few random sightings.
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Eggs deposited late Oct 2014, larva hatched Nov 2014
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date
Larval food plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: FABACEAE - Cullen tenax (Emu Foot); RUTACEAE - Citrus australasica
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: (as for Dorrigo Plateau plus) FABACEAE - Cullen spp. Psoralea pinnata; RUTACEAE - Citrus spp*.
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to March
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Habitat: May be found in many habitats across Australia.
Items of Interest: This species is found in many warm countries from the Middle East across Asia to the far East (including Australia).