Pachliopta polydorus

Pachliopta polydorus (Linnaeus, 1763)
Red-bodied Swallowtail
(previously known as Papilio polydorus)
PAPILIONIDAE, PAPILIONOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Pachliopta polydorus
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

This species was probably named after one of the significant figures in Greek mythology named Polydorus.

The Caterpillar of this species is a mottled brown colour, with rows of red and yellow fleshy tubercles. It feeds on vines from the family ARISTOLOCHIACEAE, including :

Chalmer's Birthwort ( Aristolochia chalmersii ),

Indian Birthwort ( Aristolochia indica ),

Cape York Birthwort ( Aristolochia peninsulensis ),

Birthwort ( Aristolochia tagala ),

Australian Native Dutchman's Pipe ( Aristolochia thozetii ),

Cairns Birdwing Butterfly Vine ( Pararistolochia australopithecurus ),

Mountain Aristolochia ( Pararistolochia deltantha ), and

Heathlands Aristolochia ( Pararistolochia linearifolia ).

egg, magnified
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

The eggs are laid on a leaf of a foodplant, and also sadly on the introduced

Dutchman's Pipe ( Aristolochia elegans ),

Caterpillars feeding on the leaves of this plant die, because it is poisonous to them, as it is to caterpillars of Troides richmondia and Cressida cressida.

caterpillar about to pupate
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

It is now an important project in the conservation of these Australian butterfly species to try to eliminate occurrences of

Dutchman's Pipe ( Aristolochia elegans ), in the bush along the east coast of Australia, and to encourage people to grow in their gardens :

Richmond Birdwing Vine ( Aristolochia praevenosa ).

pupa
(Specimen: courtesy of Tony Craft, Coffs Harbour Butterfly House)

The pupa is white mottled with brown. It has a concave back, and a row of flanges along each side. The pupa has a length of about 3 cms.

(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The wings of the adults are black with white patches, and have a span of about 9 cms. The hind wings have some red spots near the margin. These spots appear to mimic other Australian Swallowtails.

underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The underside is similar, except that the underside of the abdomen is scarlet.

The species occurs as several subspecies over the south-west Pacific, and has been reported in

New Ireland,

New Guinea, and

New Zealand.

The subspecies queenslandicus (Rothschild, 1895) occurs in Australia in

Queensland along the north-east coast.