Appearance
The caterpillar grows to a length of 4 cm. The pupa is green with thin yellow lines.The adult female Macleay's swallowtail has a wingspan of 59 mm, whilst the adult male has a wingspan of 53 mm. The upperside of the wing is green with white markings and black edges. The lower surface is a deeper green with black, brown and white markings. The lower wings are strongly tailed.
Distribution
The Macleay's swallowtail is one of the most widely distributed swallowtail butterflies in Australia. It is found in eastern Australia including the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania. It is the only swallowtail found in Tasmania. The species has also been found on Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island, but not since 1893. The habitat of the species includes urban areas, forests, woodlands and heath.
Behavior
The caterpillars are green, with small white dots all over the body and a humped thorax. They feed on the foliage of members in the ''Atherosperma'', ''Cinnamomum'', ''Cryptocarya'', ''Daphnandra'', ''Doryphora'', ''Endiandra'' and ''Tasmannia'' genera.The adults feed on nectar from flowers, including the genera ''Leptospermum'', ''Lantana'' and ''Buddleia''. The flight period is from August to March.
Habitat
The Macleay's swallowtail is one of the most widely distributed swallowtail butterflies in Australia. It is found in eastern Australia including the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania. It is the only swallowtail found in Tasmania. The species has also been found on Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island, but not since 1893. The habitat of the species includes urban areas, forests, woodlands and heath.References:
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