Stats

Lifespan

A few weeks

Size

Medium

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Tropical rainforest

Range

Australia

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Speed

Status

Rare

About

This butterfly lives in the tropical forests and coastal woodlands of Australia. Its hindwings feature long, thin tails that vibrate rapidly to confuse predators during flight.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A tiny ribbed egg laid on the underside of a host-plant leaf, hatching within days.
2. 2.
   caterpillar

   A voracious caterpillar feeds and molts through several instars, growing rapidly.
3. 3.
   chrysalis

   A chrysalis hangs sealed and still while the body remodels into a winged adult.
4. 4.
   butterfly

   A winged adult with full scales and coloration, ready to fly and mate.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Papilionidae

Genus

Protographium

Species

Protographium leosthenes