Butterflies of a Dorrigo Garden - and Moths
  • Home
    • News
  • About Butterflies
    • About Butterflies
    • Interesting facts
  • Butterfly Gallery
    • Butterfly Gallery
    • Swallowtails >
      • Four-barred Swordtail (Protographium leosthenes)
      • Macleay's Swallowtail (Graphium macleayanum)
      • Blue Triangle (Graphium choredon)
      • Pale Triangle (Graphium euryplus)
      • Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus)
      • Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus)
      • Dainty Swallowtail (Papilio anactus)
      • Clearwing Swallowtail (Cressida cressida)
    • Skippers >
      • Narrow-banded Awl (Hasora Khoda)
      • Eastern Dusk-flat (Chaetocneme beata)
      • Bronze Flat (Netrocoryne repanda)
      • Southern Silver Orchre (Trapezites praxedes)
      • Ornate Ochre (Trapezites genevieveae)
      • Splendid Ochre (Trapezites symmomus)
      • Chequered Grass-skipper (Anisynta tillyardi)
      • Two-brand Grass-skipper (Anisynta dominula)
      • Barred Skipper (Dispar compacta)
      • Lilac Grass-skipper (Toxidia doubledayi)
      • White-brand Grass-skipper (Toxidia rietmanni)
      • Dingy Grass-skipper (Toxidia peron)
      • Dark Shield Skipper (Signeta Tymbophora)
      • Spotted Sedge-skipper (Hesperilla ornata)
      • Painted Sedge-skipper (Hesperilla picta)
      • Flame Sedge Skipper (Hesperilla idothea)
      • Orange Swift (Parnara amalia)
      • Grey Swift (Parnara bada)
      • White-banded Grass-dart (Taractrocera papyria)
      • White-margined Grass-dart (Ocybadistes hypomeloma)
      • Narrow-brand Grass Dart (Ocybadistes flavovittata)
      • Green Grass-dart (Ocybadistes walkeri)
    • Whites and Yellows >
      • White Migrant (Catopsilia pyranthe)
      • Lemon Migrant (Catopsilia pomona)
      • Orange Migrant (Catopsilia scylla)
      • Yellow Migrant (Catopsilia gorgophone)
      • Small Grass-yellow (Eurema smilax)
      • Large Grass-yellow (Eurema hecabe)
      • *Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
      • Striated Pearl-white (Elodina parthia)
      • Southern Pearl-white (Elodina angulipennis)
      • Yellow Albatross (Appias paulina)
      • Caper White (Belenois java)
      • Caper Gull (Cepora perimale)
      • Yellow-spotted Jezebel (Delias nysa)
      • Spotted Jezebel (Delias aganippe)
      • Scarlet Jezebel (Delias argenthona)
      • Black Jezebel (Delias nigrina)
    • Nymphs >
      • Common Crow (Euploea core corinna)
      • Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
      • Lesser Wanderer (Danaus chrysippus)
      • Swamp Tiger (Danaus affinis)
      • Blue Tiger (Tirumala hamata)
      • Brown Ringlet (Hypocysta metirius)
      • Evening Brown (Melanitis leda)
      • Bright-eyed Brown (Heteronympha cordace)
      • Shouldered Brown (Heteronympha penelope)
      • Spotted Brown (Heteronympha paradelpha)
      • Common Brown (Heteronympha merope)
      • Banks' Brown (Heteronympha banksii)
      • Wonder Brown (Heteronympha mirifica)
      • Silver Xenica (Oreixenica lathoniella herceus)
      • Ringed Xenica (Geitoneura acantha)
      • Varied Sword Grass Brown (Tisiphone abeona regalis)
      • Tailed Emperor (Charaxes sempronius sempronius)
      • Glasswing (Acraea andromacha)
      • White-banded Plane (Phaedyma shepherdi)
      • Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi)
      • Yellow Admiral (Vanessa itea)
      • Meadow Argus (Junonia villida calybe)
      • Varied Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina)
    • Blues >
      • Chequered Copper (Lucia limbaria)
      • Imperial Hairstreak (Jalmenus evagoras)
      • Glistening Pencil-blue (Candalides absilimis)
      • Dark Pencil-blue (Candalides consimilis)
      • Hairy Line-blue (Erysichton lineata)
      • Small Green-banded Blue (Psychonotis caelius taygetus)
      • Two-spotted Line-blue Nacaduba biocellata
      • Short-tailed Line-blue (Prosotas felderi)
      • Saltbush Blue (Theclinesthes serpentata)
      • Long-tailed Pea-blue (Lampides boeticus)
      • Orange-tipped Pea-blue (Everes lacturnus)
      • Plumbago Blue (Leptotes plinius)
      • Common Grass-blue (Zizina labradus)
    • Caterpillars
    • Plateau Butterflies
  • Butterfly Banquet
    • Butterfly Garden
    • Nectar plants
    • Nectar Plants list
    • Caterpillar Food Plants
  • I.D. Help
  • Moths
    • Moths
    • Hawk Moth introduction
    • Hawk Moths Gallery >
      • Acosmeryx anceus
      • Acosmeryx miskini
      • Agrius convolvuli (Convolvulus Hawk Moth)
      • Agrius godarti
      • Ambulyx dohertyi
      • Angonyx papuana
      • Cephonodes kingii (Gardenia Bee Hawk)
      • Cizara ardeniae (Coprosma Hawk Moth)
      • Coequosa australasiae
      • Coequosa triangularis (Double-headed Hawk Moth)
      • Daphnis moorei (syn. hypothous)
      • Daphnis placida
      • Daphnis protrudens
      • Eupanacra splendens
      • Gnathothlibus erotus eras
      • Hippotion boerhaviae
      • Hippotion brennus
      • Hippotion celerio
      • Hippotion johanna
      • Hippotion rosetta
      • Hippotion scrofa
      • Hippotion velox
      • Hyles livornicoides
      • Macroglossum alcedo
      • Macroglossum corythus
      • Macroglossum hirundo errans
      • Macroglossum insipida papuanum
      • Macroglossum micacea
      • Macroglossum nubilum
      • Macroglossum prometheus
      • Macroglossum vacillans
      • Meganoton rufescens
      • Nephele subvaria
      • Psilogramma overview
      • Psilogramma casuarinae
      • Psilogramma menephron (Privet Hawk Moth)
      • Psilogramma menephron
      • Psilogramma papuensis
      • Tetrachroa edwardsi
      • Theretra celata celata
      • Theretra latreillii
      • Theretra nessus
      • Theretra oldenlandiae (Impatiens Hawk Moth)
      • Theretra queenslandi
      • Theretra silhetensis
      • Theretra tryoni
      • To be identified
      • Draft Page
    • Emperors
    • Day-flying Moths
    • Other Moths
  • About us
  • Contact
Dainty Swallowtail Papilio anactus
Wingspan: 67mm-72mm
 
Picture
This lovely smaller Swallowtail prefers to feed on either native Citrus species or the many introduced Citrus. It also feeds on Geijera parviflora (Native Willow) which mostly grows in the drier country of western NSW. 

The Dainty Swallowtail is similar to the Orchard Swallowtail butterfly but is smaller. They are an infrequent visitor to our garden and are attracted to lay eggs on the new growth on our Citrus trees.
​
Picture
Female Dainty Swallowtail laying an egg on a new lemon tree leaf, 11 Nov 2007 12.00 pm
Picture
A female laying eggs on our mandarin tree, 20 Feb 2017 3.45 pm
Picture
During its brief stop to feed this butterfly kept fluttering its wings, 20 Feb 2017 2.40 pm
Picture
Flying in to lay eggs on lemon tree leaves, 11 Dec 2007 12.02 pm
Picture
Final instar Dainty Swallowtail caterpillar, 16 Nov 2015
Picture
Final instar Dainty Swallowtail caterpillar on Finger Lime in Bellingen, 29 Nov 2015 (Photo Phil Gilmour)
Picture
Dainty Swallowtail preparing to pupate (pre-pupa stage), 2 Apr 2017
Picture
Dainty Swallowtail pupa Bellingen, 26 Mar 2011 (Photo Phil Gilmour)
Picture
Dainty Swallowtail pupa clearly showing the web cremaster (girdle), 15 Apr 2017
Picture
A Dainty Swallowtail second pupa, 15 April 2017
Dainty Swallowtail Papilio anactus
Wingspan: 67mm-72mm

Distribution:  Cooktown, FNQ down the East Coast to Adelaide, SA.

Butterfly Sightings:   
  • CLAIRE COTTAGE:  Oct 2006, 2009, 2012,  Nov 2005, 2006, 2017,  Dec 2007, 2010,  Jan 2004, 2015,  Feb 2001, 2002, 2011, 2017,  Mar 2002, Apr 2001
  • Elsewhere on DORRIGO PLATEAU: Occasional sightings.

Larva Sightings:
  • CLAIRE COTTAGE:   Dec 2007, Jan 2002, 2004, 2008,  Feb 2004,  Mar 2017
  • Elsewhere on DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date

Larval food plants:
  • CLAIRE COTTAGE: 
  • RUTACEAE - Citrus australasica,  C. limon*,   C. sinensis*
  • Elsewhere on DORRIGO PLATEAU: (as for Claire Cottage)

  • ELSEWHERE: (as for Dorrigo Plateau plus)
  • RUTACEAE - - Citrus australis, C. garrawayae, C. glauca, C. inodora, Geijera parviflora, C. paradisi*, C. reticulata*,  Limonia acidissima*, Poncirus trifoliata*
 
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau:  Thought to be October to April

Status Dorrigo Plateau:  uncommon

Flight habit: Throughout the day.

Habitat: Wide distibution in Eastern Australia since the spread of cultivated Citrus trees.

Items of Interest: This species is endemic to Australia.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.