Mrs Dainty Swallowtail : Attending yellow egg . . .
This image is included in a gallery "Natura 23" curated by
Stefano Bacci.
Papilio anactus, the dainty swallowtail, dingy swallowtail or small citrus butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is endemic to Australia. For protection against predators, this non-poisonous butterfly mimics the poisonous male Cressida cressida, another swallowtail butterfly that obtains its toxic properties through its host plant, the Dutchman's pipe. The eggs are relatively large, pale yellow, and roughly spherical.
Females only lay eggs on the newly grown leaves of the host plant. The eggs change to an orange colour when the larvae are almost ready to emerge. They are laid at the edge of larger leaves, either above and beneath. The larvae develop inside the egg immediately after being laid. Eggs normally hatch after approximately 3 or 4 days, but the duration may vary depending on the time at which they are laid. The eggs are prone to small predators that eat the contents of the egg, and are also commonly parasitized by small wasps. Unfertilised eggs are sometimes laid.
Here a female is attending to her freshly laid egg on a lemon tree leaf. This is my first encounter of this species.
Mrs Dainty Swallowtail : Attending yellow egg . . .
This image is included in a gallery "Natura 23" curated by
Stefano Bacci.
Papilio anactus, the dainty swallowtail, dingy swallowtail or small citrus butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is endemic to Australia. For protection against predators, this non-poisonous butterfly mimics the poisonous male Cressida cressida, another swallowtail butterfly that obtains its toxic properties through its host plant, the Dutchman's pipe. The eggs are relatively large, pale yellow, and roughly spherical.
Females only lay eggs on the newly grown leaves of the host plant. The eggs change to an orange colour when the larvae are almost ready to emerge. They are laid at the edge of larger leaves, either above and beneath. The larvae develop inside the egg immediately after being laid. Eggs normally hatch after approximately 3 or 4 days, but the duration may vary depending on the time at which they are laid. The eggs are prone to small predators that eat the contents of the egg, and are also commonly parasitized by small wasps. Unfertilised eggs are sometimes laid.
Here a female is attending to her freshly laid egg on a lemon tree leaf. This is my first encounter of this species.