The ‘Blue Triangle’ butterfly

 (Graphium sarpedon choredon)

The Blue Triangle butterfly is also commonly known as Blue Fanny, Peacock, and Wanderer.  It was first described by Linnaeus in 1758.  This species ranges from India, China, Japan through Indonesia to mainland New Guinea, the Torres Strait islands and Eastern Australia. 

Life cycle:

The egg is pale green or greenish yellow, and spherical.  It is laid singly on the new shoots of various laurels.  The femail will spend some time flying around a suitable site before she lays.  The egg then sits there for 6 to 10 days before hatching.  The newly emerged caterpillar consumes the eggshell as its first meal and rests for a day or two before consuming plant material.  Larval development takes 13 - 38 days depending on temperature and day length.  The warmer it is and the longer the day, the faster the development and vice-versa.

In Australia the larvae feed on several species of trees in the Lauraceae family, but most commonly on Cinnamomom camphora (Camphor Laurel).  Others include Cinnamomom oliveri, Belshmedia obtusifolia, Cryptocaria corrugatta, C.densiflora, C. hypospodia, C. mackinnonniana, C. murrayi, C. triplinervis, Endiandra impressicosta, Litsea bindeniana, L. reviumbellata, L. glutinosa, L. australia, L. reticulata, Neolitsea australiensis, N. dealbata.  They also feed on various other families: Doryphora aromatica (Monimiaceae), Geijera salicifolia (Rutaceae), Planchonella laurifolia (Sapotaceae), Clerodendron sp. (Verbenaceae), Annona reticulata (Annonaceae) - the introduced custard apple. 

written by Justin Armstrong, Entomologist.