The Queensland Naturalist. 
47 
October, 1927 
BRISBANE BUTTERFLIES OF THE FAMILY 
PAPILIONIDAE, 
(By li. Illidge.) 
SERIES II. 
Papilio sarpedon choredon, Felder. 
This wide ranging butterfly is found from N.S. Wales 
as far north as Japan, with a westerly expansion through 
Malay Archipelago and Peninsula to N. India. Our 
form differs but little from the Indian ; the latter in speci- 
mens received from Assam has the blue-green triangular 
area slightly narrower. 
Its earliest appearance on the wing is in September, 
and from that time onward to end of April it is usually 
more or less abundant. It is a very beautiful insect, 
deep glossy brownish black with broad oblique blue-green 
bands triangular in shape, hence the common name of 
n The Blue Triangle. ” The bands are broken into spots 
by the nervures,* the lower wings having in addition 
sub-marginal rows of blue lunate spots, and a short tail- 
like process. The under surface is varied with red. It is 
the commonest of the papilios seen in the gardens of 
Brisbane, especially where the camphor laurel is grown, 
and is frequently seen in the principal streets of the city. 
Being a very active creature, it is not easily cap- 
tured, and specimens bred from the caterpillar found on 
the camphor laurel very rarely if ever attain the rich hues 
of the butterfly born in the sunshine of the open and free 
to roam at large unrestricted. It is easy to obtain, how- 
ever, after sunset in gardens facing the setting sun and 
sheltered from winds. Here they come to rest for the 
night and may be caught with the fingers or in a net 
with little trouble. In the early mornings the larvae 
may be discovered on the trees by the slight snipping 
sound made by the mandibles whilst feeding on the leaves. 
The original native food plant of this butterfly is 
very obscure. The camphor laurel, as before-mentioned, 
is an introduced plant, and in Queensland was spread from 
our Botanic Gardens as an ornamental tree, and as such 
proved its value. However, in the early sixties as a boy 
Sarpedon was a favourite object of pursuit, and was abun- 
*Most of these nervures between the bands are whitish in 
colour, but the three or four apical spots are quite distinct. 
