Insects
Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera)
Swallowtails (Papilionidae)
Sighting 3386784

Graphium macleayanum

Macleay's Swallowtail at Cotter River, ACT

Graphium macleayanum at Cotter River, ACT - 7 Dec 2017 01:11 PM
Graphium macleayanum at Cotter River, ACT - 7 Dec 2017 01:11 PM
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Identification history

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

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User'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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Location information

Sighting information

Additional information

  • 25mm to 50mm Animal size
  • Breeding behaviour Breeding behaviour

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