Cressida cressida

Cressida cressida (Fabricius, 1775)
Clearwing Swallowtail
PAPILIONIDAE, PAPILIONOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@outlook.com)
and
Peter Samson & Stella Crossley

Cressida cressida
(Photo: courtesy of Jessica May, Cairns)

This Caterpillar is covered in tubercles, and is mottled with dark brown and white.

(Photo copyright: Peter Samson)

It feeds on various species of the genus Aristolochia ( family: ARISTOLOCHIACEAE ), including :

Chalmer's Birthwort ( Aristolochia chalmersii ),

Holtze's Birthwort ( Aristolochia holtzei ),

Hairy Birthwort ( Aristolochia pubera ),

Birthwort ( Aristolochia tagala ), and

Australian Native Dutchman's Pipe ( Aristolochia thozetii ),.

(Photo copyright: Peter Samson)

Eggs are yellow, spherical,and ribbed, with a diameter of about 0.5 mm. They are laid on a foodplant, and also sadly on the introduced

Dutchman's Pipe ( Aristolochia elegans ),

but larvae feeding on the leaves of this plant do not survive. Curiously, they can survive if they feed only on its flowers!

(Photo copyright: Peter Samson)

The pupa is brown with white markings. It has a length of about 2.5 cms.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Russell Yates, Bundaberg)

The forewings of the adult butterflies have black veins, with a black area around the base. The females have a black spot on each forewing. The males have two black spots on each forewing. The forewings are otherwise transparent. The hind wings are black with a white band across each one. They each have a red spot on top, and an arc of red spots underneath. In this way the species mimics other Australian Swallowtails. The wingspan is up to 8 cms.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Karen Doyle, Townsville)

Initially the forewings are white, but the scales are very loose, and soon fall off leaving the wings transparent. The body is black except for a red tip to the abdomen.

mating pair
(Photo: courtesy of Karen Doyle, Townsville)

Various races of this species have been recognised in

and in Australia in:

Queensland, and

( Australia Post, 1997)

( Australia Post, 1981)