Atrophaneura polydorus

Atrophaneura polydorus (Linnaeus, 1763)
(previously known as : Pachliopta polydorus)
PAPILIONIDAE
Red-Bodied Swallowtail

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

(updated 30 August 2006)

Atrophaneura polydorus
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

This species was probably named after one of the famous ancient Greeks named Polydorus.

The Caterpillar of this species is a mottled brown colour, with rows of red and yellow fleshy tubercles. It feeds on vines from the family ARISTOLOCHIACEAE, including :

Aristolochia chalmersii,

Birthwort ( Aristolochia indica ),

Indian Birthwort ( Aristolochia tagala ),

Australian Native Dutchman's Pipe ( Aristolochia thozetii ),

Pararistolochia australopithecurus,

Mountain Aristolochia ( Pararistolochia deltantha ),

Heathlands Aristolochia ( Pararistolochia linearifolia ), and

Pararistolochia peninsulensis.

The eggs are laid on a leaf of a foodplant, and also sadly on the introduced

Dutchman's Pipe ( Aristolochia elegans ),

Caterpillars feeding on the leaves of this plant die, because it is poisonous to them, as it is to caterpillars of Troides richmondia and Cressida cressida. It is now an important project in the conservation of these Australian butterfly species to try to eliminate occurrences of

Aristolochia elegans

in the bush along the east coast of Australia, and to encourage people to grow in their gardens :

Pararistolochia praevenosa.

(Specimen: courtesy of Tony Craft, Coffs Harbour Butterfly House)

The pupa is white mottled with brown. It has a concave back, and a row of flanges along each side. The pupa has a length of about 3 cms.

The wings of the adults are black with white patches, and have a span of about 9 cms. The hind wings have some red spots near the margin. These spots appear to mimic other Australian Swallowtails. The underside is similar, except that the underside of the abdomen is scarlet.

(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The species occurs as several subspecies over south-east Asia, from Indonesia to the Solomons. The subspecies queenslandicus occurs along the north-east coast of Queensland. It is frequently seen mounted in decorative wall plaques.