Graphium eurypylus

Graphium eurypylus (Linnaeus,1758)
PAPILIONIDAE
Pale Green Triangle Butterfly

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

Graphium eurypylus

This species is probably named after Eurypylus of Ancient Greece, quoted in the Aeneid as bringing a dire message to the Greeks in their war with Troy. Subsequently, he was murdered by Odysseus.

These Caterpillars start life as white, yellow, or greenish round eggs which are laid singly on the new shoots of a food plant. They are often found feeding on plants in the family ANNONACEAE, such as:

Custard Apple ( Annona reticulata ), and

Soursop ( Annona muricata ),

although the Caterpillar only seems to flourish on the Soursop. Other foodplants reported are :

Sugar Apple ( Annona squamosa ),

Pond Apple ( Annona glabra ),

Canary Beech ( Polyalthia nitidissima ),

Zig Zag Vine ( Melodorum leichhardtii ),

Yellowwood ( Pseuduvaria froggattii ),

Polyalthia australis,

Fitzalania heteropetala,

Uvaria rufa,

Uvaria concava,

Melodorum rupestrum, and

Desmos goezeanus,

as well as

Australian Tamarind ( Diploglottis australis, SAPINDACEAE ).

The Caterpillars are black at first with a pale yellow forked tail. They are rather kite-shaped, being hump-backed in the thoracic region, and tapering from the metathorax rearward.

As they grow they become brown and later green.

(Photo: courtesy of Ric Nattrass, Driving You Wild, Ipswich)

The metathorax develops a spike each side, which in later instars is dark blue. A pair of dark spikes also develop on the head. A white set of flaps develop along the sides, like a white skirt. When disturbed, the Caterpillar everts a transparent pale yellow osmeterium, and produces a strong aromatic odour. The Caterpillar grows to a length of about 4 cms.