Graphium macleayanum at Namadgi National Park

Macleay's Swallowtail at Namadgi National Park

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Identification history

Graphium macleayanum	15 Dec 2017	SuziBond
Graphium macleayanum	12 Dec 2017	JudithRoach
Unidentified	7 Dec 2017	JudithRoach

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Author's notes

I hope I've put it properly on the map. It was on the Mount Aggie track. Up along the walking track, away from the carpark, where it was higher. I think these might be Macleay's Swallowtails. They were a bit smaller I thought than the ones I see in East Gippsland. Their behaviour which I hadn't seen before also made photographing and counting them hard. One only settled once for a very bad photo. The rest of the time they were engaging in what seemed to be tussles on the wing, where they would rush together, and spiral, and then break off. One would then fly away, but then either it or another one would appear, and they would tussle again. I've put it down as breeding behaviour. Maybe defending their high patch.

3 comments

SuziBond wrote:

16 Dec 2017

Well done getting this image, they can be tough butterflies to get photos of!

JudithRoach wrote:

16 Dec 2017

Thanks, there is another sort of butterfly hill-topping on Mt Macdonald too, which is driving me nuts because it won't stay still for a piccie and ID. Hopefully I'll see it again when it's not so busy brawling with the other butterflies.

SuziBond wrote:

16 Dec 2017

Good luck!

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