Lime Swallowtail

Papilio demoleus

Papilio demoleus is a common and widespread swallowtail butterfly. The butterfly is also known as the lemon butterfly and chequered swallowtail. These common names refer to their host plants, which are usually citrus species such as the cultivated lime. Unlike most swallowtail butterflies, it does not have a prominent tail. When the adult stage is taken into consideration, the lime swallowtail is the shortest-lived butterfly, with male adults dying after four days and females after a week. The butterfly is native to Asia and Australia, and can be considered an invasive pest in other parts of the world. The butterfly has spread to Hispaniola and the rest of the Antilles in the Western Hemisphere, and to Mahé, Seychelles. Source

Where is the Lime Swallowtail now?

In the last 8 weeks this insect was recorded 18 times across 4 areas (each area is a 5 degree square).

See the Lime Swallowtail on the live map

Related species

• Swallowtail Papilio machaon
• Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulus
• Canadian Tiger Swallowtail Papilio canadensis
• Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon

Figures are effort corrected and come from automatic sound identification, which makes mistakes. How this is measured and how it compares with human observers.