Blue Triangle Butterfly
Click to enlarge image
© R.Jessop
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Graphium
- Species
- sarpedon choredon
- Subfamily
- Papilioninae
- Family
- Papilionidae
- Super Family
- Papilionoidea
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Class
- Insecta
- Subphylum
- Uniramia
- Phylum
- Arthopoda
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 6.6-7.5 cm
The Blue Triangle Butterfly is an active butterfly moving quickly from flower to flower.
Identification
Commonly seen in Sydney gardens, the Blue Triangle Butterfly's triangular-shaped wings are vibrant turquoise-blue with black around the margins.
Blue Triangle Butterfly, Graphium sarpedon choredon
Image: Debbie Keen© Debbie L. Keen
Habitat
The Blue Triangle Butterfly is found in urban areas, forests and woodlands. Although preferring moist rainforest habitats, this species has survived well in Sydney's suburbs.
Distribution
The Blue Triangle Butterfly is found in Eastern Australia, from Torres Strait and Cape York in Queensland to about 160 km south of Sydney.
Feeding and diet
The caterpillars of the Blue Triangle Butterfly have adapted to feed on a variety of plants including the introduced Camphor Laurel, Cinnamomum camphora.
Other behaviours and adaptations
The green Blue Triangle Butterfly larvae rest on the upperside of the leaves and can be difficult to see. If the plant is disturbed, you are more likely to smell them before you see them. Many caterpillars in this family (Papilionidae) have an 'osmeterium', which looks like a fleshy horn that pops up from a slit behind their head and emits a strong smell. In this species the osmeterium is yellow, but in other species it may be red.
