Papilio anactus

Dainty Swallowtail at Bega, NSW

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Identification history

Unidentified

4 Apr 2020

bensmythology

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User's notes

Another caterpillar on my lemon tree. Beautiful markings very different to the others on the same tree. Formed a chrysalis yesterday

6 comments

JackieMiles wrote:

5 Apr 2020

Hi Ben, Any chance you could bring the chrysalis indoors in some sort of container it could emerge in, and get some shots of the adult once it emerges? We have another sighting of the larva on the website, but no adult sightings as yet. Jackie

bensmythology wrote:

6 Apr 2020

Can do Jackie. Is that okay for its health etc to take it away from the tree?

JackieMiles wrote:

6 Apr 2020

Yeah, not sure on reflection, as it could be a rather long term project. I'm assuming at this time of year it might over-winter as a pupa and not emerge till spring, which is a long time to have it hanging around the house. I'll check with Kerri and Paul who have more experience with insect rearing than me. I've yet to successfully bring anything through from larva to adult.

JackieMiles wrote:

6 Apr 2020

Or you can just do like you said for the Orchard Swallowtail and keep a sharp eye on it in situ. However, there's a pretty good chance that way that it will emerge and sneak off before you see it.

PaulWhitington wrote:

6 Apr 2020

Hi Ben, Certainly take the chrysalis inside on its stem. Put it somewhere you’ll see it everyday so you know when the butterfly ecloses. It will crawl out onto the stem and stay there while its wings unfold. So make sure the stem is standing securely upright. We reared the related species Papilio aegeus through to the adult in this way. It took 3 weeks from when it pupated to eclosion. Have a look at our sighting for the details.