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Butterfly populations are a very good indicator of the health of an area's ecosystem !!
Also known as the Large Citrus Butterfly or the Orchard Butterfly.
They are presumed to be named after King Aegeus in Ancient Greek mythology.
They are endemic to Australia, and can be found in every state in except Tasmania.
Both males and females have black forewings with a white stripe, although there is more white on the female forewing.
The hindwings are also black, and there is a white swath through the middle. Here the markings differ in that the females have chains of red to orange and blue crescents toward the edges.
The markings on the ventral side are similar to those on top.
The body of males and females is black.
Females have three forms.
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.
They are somewhat unusual in that as swallowtails, they do not have the characteristic tails.
Their preferred terrain is citrus fruit orchards, sunny lands, forests, and forest edges.
Their flight tends to be slow and erratic.
When roosting, their wings are held open widely, as a way to maintain their preferred temperature.
They have life spans of between two weeks and three months depending on a variety of factors.
Diet: caterpillars feed on citrus leaves such as Murraya paniculata, Citrus limon, Citrus aurantium, Citrus aurantifolia, causing them to be seen as pests when they invade citrus gardens.
Diet: adults take nectar from flowering plants such as Lantana, Buddleja, Hibiscus, Grevillea and Lavandula
Avg. Wingspan: 12 - 14 cm / 4.7 – 5.5 ”
Family: Papilionidae
The single biggest threat to butterfly survival is habitat destruction!!
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