Macleay's Swallowtail

The eye-catching Macleay’s Swallowtail, Graphium macleayanum, is found in the cooler coastal and mountain parts of south-east Australia. In West Gippsland, I have seen this butterfly in the foothills and near the summits of Mt Baw Baw and Mt St Gwinnear.

Adult males can sometimes be seen flying above the tree canopy and like some other species, often congregate near hilltops.

When they are probing flowerheads for nectar, Macleay’s Swallowtails are very restless, wing-quivering feeders. Their relatively short proboscis limits them to flowers with short corolla tubes. In garden situations, they appear to be attracted particularly to buddleia and verbena flowers. In the high country, adult Macleay’s Swallowtails can be seen feeding on Trigger Plants and alpine daisy species.

Mountain Pepper is a favourite host plant of the Macleay's Swallowtail.