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Dainty swallowtail

Papilio anactus

Photo by MartinL
Published on Project Noah
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-37.7941, 145.01

Field Notes

Description:

Medium to large butterfly with white markings and a row of red dots along the hindwing.

Habitat:

Hilltop of native vegetation in inner Melbourne.

Notes:

This male butterfly was circling the hilltop chasing away other flying insects including many common brown butterflies and a dragonfly. It landed very briefly for a photo opportunity. These lay eggs on citrus and are frequently seen in back yards and nurseries.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (2)

This butterfly was circling to guard its territory and had a predictable flight path, however, I'm not admitting to how many photos I took to select that one from.

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