FAMILY NAME: Papilionidae GENUS/SPECIES/RACE: Graphium sarpedon leptocircini COMMON NAMES: Blue Triangle or Blue Fanny
SIZE: Wingspan approx 80mm or 3".
LOCATION: Several races are found in India, Japan, Singapore and Thailand, but the race "leptocircini" is found in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.
LIFE CYCLE: During the larval stage the early instars reach about 10mm and are dark grey in colour, with 4 pairs of feelers, one pair at the rear and three at the head. Mid instars grow to about 20mm and are green in colour and develop a hump at the head, and pale yellow feelers at the rear. In the adult larval stage the caterpillar grows to about 40mm, leaf green in colour with 3 pairs of black feelers at the head and a pair of white feelers at the rear.
The Pupa stage lasts for approx. 3 weeks. The colour of the pupa is green withe pale yellow veins along the length, and coming together at the head. They are about 35mm long and attached to the underside of a food source leaf.
The female adult butterflies lay their eggs on food source plants.
HOST PLANTS:
- Camphor Laurel (Cinnamomum camphora)
- Blush Walnut (Beilschmiedia obtusifolia)
- Olivers Sassafras (Cinnamomum oliveri)
- Three Veined Cryptocaraya (Cryptocaraya triplinervus)
- Umbrella Tree (Endiandra impressicosta)
- Bolly (Litsea reticulata)
- White Bolly Gum (Neolitsea dealbata)
- Glasswood (Geijera salicifolia)
- Coondoo (Planchonella laurifolia)
- Grey Sassafras (Doryphora aromatica)
GENERAL: The adults have black/dark brown wings and body. Each pair of wings has a blue patch on both the top and underside, and when seen together form a triangle. The underside of the rear pair have a series of red spots. Males and females have a similar appearance, but the male has a row of hairs along the inner edge of the rear pair, which exude a scent, and is used to attract females. These butterflies are included in a group referred to as "swallowtails" because of the tailed appearance of the hind pair of wings, but not all swallowtails have this shaped wing.
