Error message
Unable to fetch location details at this time.
Citrus Swallowtail butterfly
papilio anactus
-37.7046, 145.103
Field Notes
Description:
Brightly coloured plump caterpillar that can grow to three inches long. Young caterpillars appear orange. Characteristic features of the mature caterpillar include white and yellow spots covering a dark charcoal body. There are two black setae (spines) per segment, these are visible in two rows along the back of the caterpillar. The abdominal prolegs are pronounced and the crochets are visible in the fourth photo. A bright yellow osmeterium is everted from the prothoracic segment when the caterpillar is threatened. This bright yellow organ omits pheromones with a pungent citrus odour.
Habitat:
Citrus trees, Eastern Australia.
Notes:
I save them from dad's citrus trees and put them in a glass house where they stay safe and feed on freshly picked citrus leaves. They then form pupae and emerge as dainty Swallowtail butterflies. If winter sets in, I place the glasshouse outside so the pupae can hibernate during winter and they don't emerge only to freeze to death. That way they sense the warmth of summer and emerge at the right time.
Comments (2)