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Australian Wildlife

  Fuscous Swallowtail (Papilio fuscus)





Fuscous Swallowtail | Papilio fuscus photo
Fuscous Swallowtail (Papilio fuscus) Portland Roads, Cape York, North Queensland

Image by www.aviceda.org - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)







FUSCOUS SWALLOWTAIL FACTS

Identification
The Fuscous Swallowtail is a large dark brown butterfly with thin white or yellow band on the forewings and a white or yellow band on the hindwings. The female is larger and lighter brown, with a blue, brown and orange patterned border outside the white band on the hindwings. The hindwings have a long lobed tail.

Other Names
Canopus Swallowtail

Size
wingspan: male 85mm; female 91mm

Habitat
rainforest and vine forest

Food
larvae feed on various rainforest plants including Halfordia, Micromelum, Citrus and Murraya.

Range
found along east coast of Australia from Cape York Peninsula to northern ?New South Wales. There is also a subspecies found in top end of Northern Territory and coastal regions of far north Western Australia



Classification
Class:Insecta
Order:Lepidoptera
Family:Papilionidae
Genus:Papilio
Species:fuscus
Common Name:Fuscous Swallowtail

Relatives in same Genus
  Orchard Swallowtail (P. aegeus)
  Dainty Swallowtail (P. anactus)
  Chequered Swallowtail (P. demoleus)
  Christmas Swallowtail (P. memnon)
  Ulysses Swallowtail (P. ulysses)