Alice Springs Desert Park

ASDP Butterflies & MothsBanksia Moth – Caterpillar Caper White Butterfly Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp sthenelus) Day Flying Moth / Mistletoe Moth Heliotrope Moth (Utetheisa pulchelloides) Noctuinae (Caterpillar) Processionary Caterpillar Southern Moon Moth (Dasypodia selenophora)

The Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp. sthenelus) is the subspecies that occurs from the northern part of the Northern Territory down through the arid regions of Australia.

As seen here and like most swallowtail species, they usually feed from flowers while on the wing. They can often be seen at the edges of water sources on a hot day. They imbibe the water up through their proboscis, remove any water soluble nutrients in their stomach, then squirt out the remaining water from their rear ends.

Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp. sthenelus), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp. sthenelus), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp. sthenelus), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp. sthenelus), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp. sthenelus), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp. sthenelus), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp. sthenelus), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp. sthenelus), Alice Springs Desert Park NT

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Subclass: Pterygota
  • Order: Lepidoptera
  • Superfamily: Papilionoidea
  • Family: Papilionidae
  • Subfamily: Papilioninae
  • Tribe: Papilionini
  • Genus: Papilio
  • Subgenus: Princeps
  • Species: Papilio demoleus
  • Subspecies: Papilio demoleus sthenelus

Footnote & References

  1. Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp. sthenelus), ausemade, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/189948744

ASDP Butterflies & MothsBanksia Moth – Caterpillar Caper White Butterfly Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp sthenelus) Day Flying Moth / Mistletoe Moth Heliotrope Moth (Utetheisa pulchelloides) Noctuinae (Caterpillar) Processionary Caterpillar Southern Moon Moth (Dasypodia selenophora)

ASDP InsectsASDP Insects Index ASDP Ants ASDP Camponotus denticulatus ASDP Opisthopsis sp ASDP Bees Amegilla chlorocyanea Bee Braunsapis sp Exoneurella eremophila Bee Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) Mating Lasioglossum (Homalictus) ASDP Beetles Blessed Leaf Beetle (Paropsisterna beata) Bush Cockroach (Ellipsidion humarale) Snout Beetle (Lixus) Transverse Ladybird ASDP Butterflies & Moths Banksia Moth – Caterpillar Caper White Butterfly Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp sthenelus) Day Flying Moth / Mistletoe Moth Heliotrope Moth (Utetheisa pulchelloides) Noctuinae (Caterpillar) Processionary Caterpillar Southern Moon Moth (Dasypodia selenophora) ASDP Diptera Bee Fly (Australiphthiria sp) Bee Fly (Ligyra cingulata) ASDP Gyromantis ASDP Hemiptera / Heteroptera Crusader Bug (Mictis profana) Ground Shield Bug Podsucking Bug (Melanacanthus scutellaris) ASDP Orthoptera ASDP Katydid (Taeniomenae) Variable Stropis Grasshopper ASDP Tropidoderus gracilifemur ASDP Wasps Bembicinae and Bembix Chrysididae Cuckoo Wasp Potter Wasp Delta latreillei (Potter Wasp) Delta philantes Radumeris radula (Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp) Torymus Chalcid Wasp

ASDP FaunaASDP Arachnida ASDP Spiders ASDP Birds ASDP Insects ASDP Marsupials ASDP Mammals ASDP Reptiles Monotreme – Short-beaked Echidna

Alice Springs Desert ParkFauna Flora Nature Theatre Nocturnal House