Papilio capaneus (Capaneus Swallowtail)

Synonyms

This species was previously classified as Papilio fuscus capaneus.

Other Common Names

Fuscous Swallowtail

Notes

I saw a number of Swallowtails on my first trip to Cairns, though I had no idea how many of them were of this species as I rarely saw any of them settled. I was fortunate to get photos of one specimen – it landed for a minute on some shrubs at the side of a path. It probably needed a rest as it had suffered substantial wing damage. Over the years, on many trips to Cairns, I saw plenty of these butterflies around but they never settled for long enough to allow me to take photos, until I finally found a helpful individual in February 2020.

Sightings

Cairns – January 2009, April 2011, September 2012, February 2020

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