Dainty Swallowtail showing the upperside of the wings.
Photo: Euan Moore
Dainty Swallowtail showing the underside of the wings. It is feeding on Sweet Bursaria, Bursaria spinosa, at The Monk, Castlemaine. Photo: Euan Moore
Scientific Name: Papilio anactus
Family of Butterflies: Papilionidae (Swallowtails)
Other Common Names: Dingy Swallowtail, Small Citrus Butterfly.
Wingspan: Males 67mm; females 72mm
Museum specimens. Photo: Tony Morton
Note 1: The male is shown on the left and the female on the right.
Note 2: The plant name (bottom right) refers to the plants upon which the butterfly larvae (caterpillars) feed.
Local Records: There are records of this species from Castlemaine/Maldon and nearby areas such as Bendigo, Kyneton and Drummond. Dainty Swallowtails are seen in this area during late summer months when they may be common. They can sometimes be seen ‘hill-topping’ near the rotunda at Kalimna Point. Recent local records can be found on iNaturalist.
Distribution: The Australian distribution is shown by records in the Atlas of Living Australia where you can zoom in on the map to see Victorian and local distributions.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae feed on both native and introduced Citrus spp.
Larval association with ants: None.
Adult Flight Times in Victoria: This species is most frequently seen in Victoria during late summer and early autumn (February/March). Across Australia, flight times peak in January with most sightings from December to April. It is rarely reported during the winter months. Ref: iNaturalist.
Conservation Status:
- The Action plan for Australian Butterflies: No Conservation Significance in Australia
Other Notes: The geographic range for this species has expanded over the past century due to the planting of citrus trees in gardens and orchards. Although there are some earlier records, it is believed to have only become fully established in southern Victoria since the 1970s (Field, 2013).
References and further reading:
Atlas of Living Australia – Papilio anactus, Dainty Swallowtail
iNaturalist – Papilio anactus, Dainty Swallowtail
Braby, Michael F., Second edition 2016. The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia. CSIRO Publishing
Field, Ross P., 2013. Butterflies: Identification and Life History. Museum Victoria