Papilio demodocus

Citrus swallowtail
At iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Final instar larva, osmeterium extended, applying repugnatorial secretion with one "horn"
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Papilio
Species:	P. demodocus
Binomial name
Papilio demodocus Esper, 1798
Synonyms
Papilio demodocus var. nubila Capronnier, 1881 Papilio demodocus decusdemo Suffert, 1904 Papilio demodocus albicans Suffert, 1904 Papilio demodocus ab. karema Strand, 1911 Papilio demodocus ab. cariei Le Cerf, 1913 Papilio demodocus ab. tessmanni Schultze, 1914 Papilio demodocus ab. conflua Strand, 1914 Papilio demodocus f. epunctatus Le Cerf, 1927 Papilio demodocus demodocus ab. minor Dufrane, 1936 Papilio demodocus demodocus ab. juncta Dufrane, 1936 Papilio demodocus demodocus ab. semijuncta Dufrane, 1936 Papilio demodocus demodocus ab. mathieui Dufrane, 1936 Papilio demodocus demodocus ab. houzeaui Dufrane, 1936 Papilio demodocus f. longsdoni Krüger, 1937 Papilio demodocus f. oblongula Berio, 1941 Papilio demodocus f. viginta Berio, 1941 Papilio demodocus f. adla Berio, 1941 Papilio demodocus demodocus ab. vreuricki Dufrane, 1946 Papilio demodocus demodocus ab. duboisi Dufrane, 1946 Papilio demodocus demodocus ab. aurantiaca Dufrane, 1946 Papilio demodocus demodocus ab. ochrea Dufrane, 1946 Papilio demodocus ab. dufranei Berger, 1950 Papilio demodocus ab. overlaeti Berger, 1950 Papilio demodocus f. confluens Storace, 1963 Papilio demodocus f. bennettoides Storace, 1963 Papilio demodocus f. atromaculatus Storace, 1963 Papilio demodocus f. continua Storace, 1963 Papilio demodocus f. deminuta Storace, 1963 Papilio demodocus f. flavocincta Storace, 1963 Papilio demodocus f. latevittata Storace, 1963 Papilio demodocus f. pseudopraeses Storace, 1963 Papilio demodocus ab. belonota Vári, 1976 Papilio bennetti Dixey, 1898

Papilio demodocus, the citrus swallowtail or Christmas butterfly, is a large swallowtail butterfly common to Sub-Saharan Africa. After hatching from their egg, the caterpillar feeds on a few leaves on citrus trees before pupation.

Citrus swallowtails pass through approximately three generations per year. Eggs are laid singly on citrus tree leaves.

Female butterflies lay their eggs singly on citrus leaves. After about six days, the egg hatches into an immature larva.

The immature larvae are black, yellow, and white with spikes. Their coloration provides effective camouflage, as they resemble bird droppings. They grow to a length of 10 or 15 mm before changing into mature larvae.

Mature larvae are green with white or pink markings and eyespots. They grow to a maximum length of about 45 mm.

Mature caterpillars lack the camouflage of their immature state. Instead, when threatened by a bird or other predator, they produce a forked, orange-coloured organ known as an osmeterium. The organ emits a strong smell which acts as a discouragement to the predator. The larvae are sometimes known as 'orange dogs'.

The caterpillars attach themselves to branches with silk, transforming into pupae. They remain in the pupal form for two to three weeks before emerging as adults.

Adult butterflies have black and yellow markings with red and blue eyespots. Female butterflies tend to be larger than males.

As with most butterflies, various predators, parasitoids and diseases attack Papilio demodocus, so that integrated pest management is generally the most rational approach to control of infestations, paying due attention to avoiding destruction of the populations of enemies. In particular parasitic wasps in the family Encyrtidae, such as some species of the genus Ooencyrtus develop in Papilio eggs. Other parasitoidal wasps in families such as Chalcidae and Braconidae (for example genus Apanteles) attack the larvae, and Pteromalidae (for example genus Pteromalus) are parasitoids of the pupae. Predatory insects such as certain Heteroptera, in particular Reduviidae known as assassin bugs, and some Pentatomidae attack the larvae, and certain Mantodea such as genus Sphodromantis attack both larvae and adults.

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Wikipedia