| Macleay's Swallowtail | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Papilionidae |
| Genus: | Graphium |
| Species: | G. macleayanus |
| Binomial name | |
| Graphium macleayanus Leach, 1814[1] |
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| Range of Macleay's Swallowtail
G. m. moggana; G. m. macleayanus
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The Macleay's Swallowtail (Graphium macleayanus) is a butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae. The species was named after Alexander Macleay.[2][3]
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Macleay's swallowtail was first described by William Elford Leach in 1814. Two subspecies are recorded in Australia[1], the nominate form, G. m. macleayanus and G. m. moggana, which was first described by Leonard Edgar Couchman in 1965.[4] The name is synonymous with Papilio macleayanus.
The caterpillar grows to a length of 4 cm. The pupa is green with thin yellow lines.
The adult female Macleay's swallowtail has a wingspan of 59mm, whilst the adult male has a wingspan of 53mm.[5] The upside of the wings is green with white markings and black edges.[6] The lower surface is a deeper green with black, brown and white markings.[6] The lower wings are strongly tailed.[7]
The Macleay's swallowtail is one of the most widely distributed swallowtail butterflies in Australia.[8] It is found in Eastern Australia including the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania. It is the only swallowtail found in Tasmania.[9] The species has also been found on Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island, but not since 1893.[1] The habitat of the species includes urban areas, forests, woodlands and heath.[10]
The caterpillars are green, with small white dots all over the body and a humped thorax. They feed on the foliage of members in the Atherosperma, Cinnamomum, Cryptocarya, Daphnandra, Doryphora, Endiandra and Tasmannia genera.[11]
The adults feed on nectar from flowers, including the genera Leptospermum, Lantana and Buddleia.[5] The flight period is from November to March.[12]