We show you the Orchard Butterfly, Papelio aegeus.
The Female is shown as the male has more black on the hind wings.
This butterfly is our largest butterfly in East Gippsland and I first recorded it in 1994, both male and female.

Last March, Barry Gyatt ( a fellow Islander ) gave me a very pristine female which at the time I felt had just pupated

The larvae feed on citrus trees, usually lemon trees.
I found the caterpillar of the butterfly resting on the leaf of Grapefruit tree and placed it in a breeding cage to watch it develop.
The caterpillar is about 50mm in length and will mature at around 65mm.
They pupate on the host plant.
When disturbed the caterpillar emits a strong distasteful smell and protrudes out from its head a forked element to frighten away predators.
This is the first time I have recorded the larvae of this species of butterfly and hope to see this one pupate and hatch.

Regards Andrew.

Orchard Butterfly

Long time resident JACK PEARCE shares this butterfly with us

On the subject of butterflies.
It must be a rare to rarish year for butterflies, first Andrew’s little blue beauty and, as many people may have by now noticed, this relatively rare and noticeably large (about 10cm; 4 inches) Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly.

Orchard Swallowtail - Museum Victoria

http://museumvictoria.com.au/bioinformatics/butter/images/comaegelive.htm

Female Orchard Butterfly
http://museumvictoria.com.au/bioinformatics/butter/images/aegelive3.htm

Male Orchard Butterfly

http://museumvictoria.com.au/bioinformatics/butter/images/aegelive4.htm

A contribution by Andrew Bould

Males and females have appeared on Raymond Island over the last couple of summers (it is also known as Large Citrus Butterfly or Orchard Butterfly) - here are the links to Museum Victoria and a couple of pics of a female resting with her wings folded taken on Raymond Island taken 1^st January 2012 in our front yard.
If you want to see one first hand better keep your peepers peeled people for a big flappy flutterby.