Bug FAQDainty Swallowtail
Papilio anactus · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Papilionidae
Also called: Dingy Swallowtail, Small Dingy Swallowtail
Source: Wikipedia
Papilio anactus is a medium-sized swallowtail native to Australia that has spread to other regions with citrus cultivation. Its larvae eat native and introduced citrus as well as Geijera parviflora, and can become a pest in citrus orchards.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
First-instar larvae are dark with two rows of short bristles; later stages develop a white upside-down V on the front.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The species is medium-sized for a swallowtail butterfly.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Besides Australia, it is also found in New Caledonia, where it may be introduced or a vagrant.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed almost exclusively on citrus species and also on Geijera parviflora.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Eggs are large, pale yellow and become orange just before the larvae hatch. In warm areas the larvae pass through five instars; in cooler areas they may have six before pupating.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is endemic to Australia, originally limited to New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland before spreading southward with citrus orchards.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It mimics the poisonous male Cressida cressida for protection, though it is not poisonous itself.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does the dainty swallowtail feed on?
Its larvae feed mainly on citrus trees and also on Geijera parviflora.
Source: Wikipedia
Why has the dainty swallowtail spread beyond its original range?
The spread of citrus orchards provided new food plants, allowing it to move into South Australia in the 1920s.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell a dainty swallowtail caterpillar from similar species?
Early instars are dark with two rows of short bristles, and later instars show a distinctive white upside-down V on the front.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Papilionidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_anactus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.