Papilio aegeus

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Orchard swallowtail butterfly
Papilio aegeus 7990.jpg
Female, Cairns, Queensland
Orchard Butterfly - melbourne zoo.jpg
Male, Melbourne Zoo
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Papilio
Species:
P. aegeus
Binomial name
Papilio aegeus
Donovan, 1805
Subspecies
  • P. a. aegeus(Donovan, 1805)
  • P. a. ormenus(Guérin-Méneville, 1830)
Papilio aegeus range.png
Range of orchard swallowtail
  P. a. aegeus;   P. a. ormenus
  P. a. aegeus temporary range
Synonyms
  • Princeps aegeus(Donovan, 1805)
  • Papilio (Princeps) aegeusDonovan, 1805
  • Menelaides aegeus(Donovan, 1805)
  • Papilio (Menelaides) aegeusDonovan 1805
  • Papilio erectheusDonovan, 1805
  • Papilio erectheusBoisduval, 1832
  • Papilio oberonGrose-Smith, 1897
  • Papilio doddiOberthür, 1916

Papilio aegeus, the orchard swallowtail butterfly or large citrus butterfly is a species of butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is found in eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The larvae of this species are sometimes considered a pest, due to their feeding on citrus leaves in suburban gardens. [1]

Description

Illustration of adults NovaraExpZoologischeTheilLepidopteraAtlasTaf16.jpg
Illustration of adults

Both male and female have black forewings with a white stripe, though there is more white overall on the female forewing. The hindwing is again black, and there is a white swath through the middle. Here the markings differ in that the female has chains of red to orange and blue crescents toward the edge. The markings on the underside are similar to those on top. The body is black. [2] The wingspan is about 140 millimetres (5.5 in) in females and 120 millimetres (4.7 in) in males, [3] [4] [5] making it rather large overall and the largest butterfly commonly seen in at least part of its range. [3]

Despite being a swallowtail, which group derives its name from the distinctive tails on the hindwing, this characteristic is entirely absent.

Description in Seitz

Karl Jordan in Seitz . describes the forma (pages 65-67) [6]

Distribution

Papilio aegeus can be found in every state in Australia except Tasmania. Western Australia has well established colonies in the Albany region. Some people are promoting the controlled propagation of eggs and caterpillars in Western Australia, but it is generally found in eastern Australia. It is especially common in Queensland and is the largest butterfly commonly found in Brisbane [3] where there are many citrus trees, on which the larvae feed. [4] During summer, the distribution is temporarily extended to Victoria. Adults are more abundant during late summer and autumn in cc. NSW.

The subspecies P. a. ormenus is found on Papua New Guinea and Thursday Island.

A differentiating feature between males of P. a. aegeus and P. a. ormenus is that P. a. aegeus males have a red spot on the above side of each hindwing, which is absent in the males of P. a. ormenus.

Other subspecies occur on islands in the Banda Sea and the Bismarck Sea.

Variation

Subspecies

Forms

Females of both P. a. aegeus and P. a. ormenus have three forms; regular, pale and dark. The pale form has yellow spots on the hindwings, compared to the usual red spots. The forewings are almost completely white. The front wings of the dark form are almost completely black and the hindwings have a smaller white patch.

Life cycle

Egg

The female lays creamy white, smooth, spherical eggs with an approximate diameter of 0.5 millimetres individually on the upper surface of the leaves and shoots of host plants, [7] primarily tropical to subtropical members of the family Rutaceae, [8] which includes introduced and native citrus. The eggs will hatch about one week later. [8]

Larva

The early instars are brown with three white patches, one the: thorax, above the first pair of prolegs, and one on 8th and 9th segment of the abdomen. It is lined with black and white tubercles. [1] The larva only feed on their food plants, citrus. Feeding usually takes place during the day and resting on the upperside of leaves during the night, resembling fresh bird droppings. [3]

The later instars are green with irregular white, yellow or brown markings that run diagonally up/back from the bottom edge of the thorax to the 4th and 6th segments. After about four weeks, the larva may have reached a length of 60 millimetres (2.4 in) and be ready to pupate. [3]

Male Orchard Swallowtail feeding from Nasturtium flowers. Male Orchard Swallowtail.jpg
Male Orchard Swallowtail feeding from Nasturtium flowers.

The larvae are sometimes parasitised by other parasitic insects. Like other swallowtail butterflies, when disturbed, the caterpillar erects its bright red osmeterium from behind the head, releasing the smell of citrus, to drive predators away. [3]

Pupa

The pupa is coloured in cryptic grey, green or brown, depending on the colour of the stem it is attached to. The chrysalis is fastened to a stem of the host plant by means of a cremaster. A thin girdle of silk keeps the head end of the chrysalis uppermost during pupation. [3] [7] [9] Depending on the season, an imago will emerge from the chrysalis, approximately one to six months later. [1]

Images of life cycle

Larval food plants

The larvae often feed on lemon leaves. Citrus lemon not ripe.jpeg
The larvae often feed on lemon leaves.

Native

The larvae are known to naturally use species the following Australian-native taxa as food plants: Boronia , Citrus , Clausena , Dinosperma , Eriostemon , Flindersia , Geijera , Halfordia , Leionema , Micromelum , Philotheca , Zanthoxylum and Zieria

Introduced

In addition, larvae have also been recorded using introduced species of the following taxa as food plants: Choisya , Citrus , Murraya , Poncirus and Zanthoxylum

Caterpillars also accept leaves from Parsley and Cryptocarya glauscens however female butterflies do not appear to lay eggs on these plants.

Taxonomy

Papilio aegeus is the nominal member of the aegeus species group. The clade members are:

Related Research Articles

<i>Papilio glaucus</i> Species of insect

Papilio glaucus, the eastern tiger swallowtail, is a species of butterfly native to eastern North America. It is one of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern United States, ranging north to southern Ontario, Canada, and is common in many different habitats. It flies from spring until fall, during which it produces two to three broods. Adults feed on the nectar of many species of flowers, mostly from those of the families Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae. P. glaucus has a wingspan measuring 7.9 to 14 cm. The male is yellow with four black "tiger stripes" on each forewing. Females may be either yellow or black, making them dimorphic. The yellow morph is similar to the male, but with a conspicuous band of blue spots along the hindwing, while the dark morph is almost completely black.

<i>Papilio polyxenes</i> Species of insect

Papilio polyxenes, the (eastern) black swallowtail, American swallowtail or parsnip swallowtail, is a butterfly found throughout much of North America. An extremely similar-appearing species, Papilio joanae, occurs in the Ozark Mountains region, but it appears to be closely related to Papilio machaon, rather than P. polyxenes. The species is named after the figure in Greek mythology, Polyxena, who was the youngest daughter of King Priam of Troy. Its caterpillar is called the parsley worm because the caterpillar feeds on parsley.

<i>Papilio demoleus</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio demoleus is a common and widespread swallowtail butterfly. The butterfly is also known as the lime butterfly, lemon butterfly, lime swallowtail, and chequered swallowtail. These common names refer to their host plants, which are usually citrus species such as the cultivated lime. Unlike most swallowtail butterflies, it does not have a prominent tail. When the adult stage is taken into consideration, the lime swallowtail is the shortest-lived butterfly, with male adults dying after four days and females after a week. The butterfly is native to Asia and Australia, and can be considered an invasive pest in other parts of the world. The butterfly has spread to Hispaniola island in the Western Hemisphere, and to Mahé, Seychelles.

<i>Papilio protenor</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio protenor, the spangle, is a butterfly found in India belonging to the swallowtail family.

<i>Papilio cresphontes</i> Species of butterfly

The giant swallowtail is the largest butterfly in North America. It is abundant through many parts of eastern North America; populations from western North America and down into Panama are now considered to belong to a different species, Papilio rumiko. Though it is often valued in gardens for its striking appearance, its larval stage can be a serious pest to citrus farms, which has earned its caterpillars the names orange dog or orange puppy. The giant swallowtail caterpillars possess remarkable camouflage from predators by closely resembling bird droppings. They use this, along with their osmeteria, to defend against predators such as wasps, flies, and vertebrates.

<i>Papilio demodocus</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio demodocus, the citrus swallowtail or Christmas butterfly, is a swallowtail butterfly which commonly occurs over the entirety of sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar, besides the southern Arabian Peninsula. The caterpillars feed on various native plants of especially the family Rutaceae, but have also taken to the leaves of cultivated citrus trees.

<i>Papilio ulysses</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio ulysses, the Ulysses butterfly, is a large swallowtail butterfly of Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Its size varies depending on subspecies, but the wingspan is about 10.5 cm (4.1 in) in Queensland.

<i>Papilio weymeri</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio weymeri is a species of swallowtail butterfly in the Papilioninae subfamily that is endemic to Papua New Guinea where it is found on Los Negros and Manus Islands.

<i>Papilio xuthus</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio xuthus, the Asian swallowtail, Chinese yellow swallowtail, Japanese Swallowtail, or Xuthus swallowtail, is a yellow-colored, medium to large sized swallowtail butterfly found in northeast Asia, northern Myanmar, southern China, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Siberia and the Hawaiian Islands. The butterfly has been observed once in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1996 emerging from a chrysalis in a car yard specializing in Japanese used cars; it is thought the chrysalis arrived through one of the cars. It was also recorded in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, India, in 2014.

<i>Papilio anactus</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio anactus, the dainty swallowtail, dingy swallowtail or small citrus butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is endemic to Australia.

<i>Papilio palamedes</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio palamedes, the Palamedes swallowtail or laurel swallowtail, is a North American butterfly in the family Papilionidae.

<i>Papilio noblei</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio noblei is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Southeast Asia, from Burma to Vietnam. Recently, this species was also sighted in Namdapha National Park, India.

<i>Papilio woodfordi</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio woodfordi, the Woodford's swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly of the Papilioninae subfamily. It is found on various islands in the Pacific Ocean.

<i>Papilio torquatus</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio torquatus, the torquatus swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly in the subfamily Papilioninae. It is found from northern Argentina to Mexico.

<i>Papilio androgeus</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio androgeus, the Androgeus swallowtail, queen page, or queen swallowtail, is a Neotropical butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found from Mexico to Argentina with a small population in southern Florida.

<i>Papilio bridgei</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio bridgei is a swallowtail butterfly of the Papilioninae subfamily. It is found on various islands in the Solomons group. It is not threatened.

<i>Papilio euchenor</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio euchenor is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae.

<i>Parides photinus</i> Species of butterfly

Parides photinus, the pink-spotted cattleheart, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It was first described by Edward Doubleday in 1844.

<i>Papilio gambrisius</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio gambrisius is a species of swallowtail butterfly from the genus Papilio that is found in Serang, Moluccas, Ambon Island, Seram and Buru.

<i>Papilio ptolychus</i> Species of butterfly

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Papilio aegeus".
  2. "Butterflycorner" . Retrieved 2009-06-06.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Witness the Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly while standing in nature - Papilio aegeus".
  4. 1 2 "52. Orchard Butterfly - Australian Butterflies". Archived from the original on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  5. "OzAnimals" . Retrieved 2009-06-06.
  6. Seitz , A. Band 9: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die indo-australischen Tagfalter, 1927, 1197 Seiten 177 Tafeln pdf PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  7. 1 2 "PAPILIONIDAE in Australia" . Retrieved 2009-06-06.[ dead link ]
  8. 1 2 "SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BUTTERFLIES". Archived from the original on 2007-08-27. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
  9. "Pupa or chrysalis". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2009-06-06.

Cited texts

8.Harden, Gwen J.(Ed.) "Flora of New South Wales, Volume 1" New South Wales University Press, 1989.