SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BUTTERFLIES

Papilio anactus W.S. Macleay  (Dingy Swallowtail)

anactus_pu_girdling.jpg (31806 bytes)

Larva in the process of girdling, one day before pupating.
Left photo shows it putting the finishing touches to the silk girdle.
Middle photo shows it manoeuvring the girdle above its head, and with a deft nod and a shrug the
girdle is soon around its waist (right photo).  The girdle anchor points are clearly visible on the twig

anactus_pupating.jpg (46115 bytes)

Larva in process of pupating. Photo 1 to left shows the prepupa one day before pupation.
Photo 2 at the start of pupation (0 minutes); photo 3 one minute later showing the outer larval skin
(almost transparent) splitting from the head down along the back (dorsal surface) visible as the yellow V;
photo 4 after 3 minutes shows the skin about two thirds the way down on the backside with the larva
pulsating all the time forcing the skin to its posterior end (bottom of photo)

anactus_pupating2.jpg (51016 bytes)

Photo 5 after 5 minutes showing the skin has been completely forced down to the bottom;
photo 6 after 8 minutes shows the (now) pupa having discarded the outer larval skin and attached itself to
the white silken pad on the twig by its cremaster and settled comfortably into its girdle; photo 7 after 18 minutes
and photo 8 after 30 minutes show the pupa in the process of contracting its abdomen and elongating its wings

anactus_pupating3.jpg (44680 bytes)

Photo 9 after 42 minutes show the pupa nearly completely formed but still soft and green coloured;
photos 10, 11, 12 two days later showing the pupa fully formed and hardened,
and in this case a brown coloured form

anactus_pu.jpg (15365 bytes)anactus_pu2.jpg (17518 bytes)

Green coloured form of pupa

Photography by R. Grund