Australia has more than 400 species of butterfly, the majority of which are continental species, and more than a dozen endemic species from remote islands administered by various Australian territorial governments. The largest butterflies in the world are endemic to the Australasian realm. They are the birdwings—Ornithoptera and other genera—of the tribe Troidini of the swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae.
Papilionidae: swallowtails Family: Papilionidae (swallowtails) – 18+2 species [*2 non-continental species]
Papilioninae
subfamily: Papilioninae tribe: Leptocircini (formerly Graphiini) genus: Protographium Four-barred swordtail, Protographium leosthenes (Doubleday, 1846)Edward Doubleday, John Obadiah Westwood and William Chapman Hewitson. The Genera of Diurnal Lepidoptera: comprising their generic characters, a notice of their habits and transformations, and a catalogue of the species of each genus. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1846–52. – pictured P. l. leosthenes (Doubleday, 1846) P. l. geimbia (Tindale, 1927)Norman Barnett Tindale, "A new butterfly of the genus Papilio from Arnhem Land", Records of the South Australian Museum 3 (1927): 103–134. genus: Graphium (swordtails) Five-barred or chain swordtail, Graphium aristeus (Stoll, 1780)Pieter Cramer and Caspar Stoll, Uitlandische Kapellen: voorkomende in de drei Waereld-Deelen Asia, Africa en America, by een verzameld en bescreeven , Papilions Exotiques des trois parties du monde l'Asie, l'Afrique et l'Amerique , 34 issues in 4 volumes, (Amsterdam: Steven Jacobus Baalde, and Utrecht: Bartholomeus Wild, –1782). Macleay's swordtail, Graphium macleayanus (Leach, 1814)William Elford Leach, Zoological Miscellany, (London: British Museum), 1814. G. m. macleayanus (Leach, 1814) G. m. moggana (Couchman, 1965)Leonard Edgar Couchman, 1965. Blue triangle, Graphium sarpedon (Linnaeus, 1758)Caroli Linnæi, Systema Naturæ: per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, tomus I, editio decima reformata, (Holmiæ: Laurentii Salvii, 1758), pp. 458ff. – pictured Pale triangle, Graphium eurypylus (Linnaeus, 1758) G. e. lycaon (C. & R. Felder, 1865)Cajetan and Rudolf Felder (1865). G. e. nyctimus (Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914)Gustavus Athol Waterhouse and George Lyell (1914), The Butterflies of Australia: a monograph of the Australian Rhopalocera introducing a complete scheme of structural classification, and giving descriptions and illustrations of all the butterflies found in Australia, including a number now recorded for the first time, (Sydney, Angus & Robertson). 239 pp. G. e. lycanoides (Rothschild, 1895)Walter Rothschild, 1895. Green triangle, Graphium macfarlanei (Butler, 1877)Arthur Gardiner Butler, 1877. Green-spotted triangle, Graphium agamemnon (Linnaeus, 1758) tribe: Papilionini (fluted swallowtails) genus: Papilio (Linnaeus, 1758) Dainty swallowtail, Papilio anactus (W. S. Macleay, 1826)William Sharp Macleay, "Annulosa, catalogue of insects, collected by Captain King, RN", Appendix B in Phillip Parker King, Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia, (London: John Murray, 1826): pp. 438–469. Orchard swallowtail, Papilio aegeus (Donovan, 1805)Edward Donovan, An Epitome of the Natural History of the Insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, Otaheite, and other Islands in the Indian, Southern, and Pacific Oceans: including the figures and descriptions of one hundred and fifty-three species of the more splendid, beautiful, and interesting insects, hitherto discovered in those countries, and which for the most part have not appeared in the works of any preceding author, (London: Francis, Charles & John Rivington, 1805). – pictured P. a. aegeus (Donovan, 1805) P. a. ormenus (Guérin-Méneville, 1830)Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville, 1830. Ambrax swallowtail, Papilio ambrax (Boisduval, 1832)Jean Baptiste Alphonse de Chauffour de Boisduval, 1832. Fuscus swallowtail, Papilio fuscus (Goeze, 1779)Goeze, 1779. P. f. canopus (Westwood, 1842)John Obadiah Westwood, 1842. P. f. capaneus (Westwood, 1843)John Obadiah Westwood, 1843. P. f. indicatus (Butler, 1876)Arthur Gardiner Butler, 1876. Ulysses swallowtail, Papilio ulysses (Linnaeus, 1758) – pictured Chequered swallowtail, Papilio demoleus (Linnaeus, 1758) *Christmas swallowtail, Papilio memnon (Linnaeus, 1758) [*native to Christmas Island] *Norfolk swallowtail, Papilio amynthor (Boisduval, 1859)Jean Baptiste Alphonse de Chauffour de Boisduval, 1859. [*native to Norfolk Island] tribe: Troidini (Aristolochia-eating swallowtails) genus: Cressida Clearwing swallowtail, Cressida cressida (Fabricius, 1775)Johan Christian Fabricius, Systema Entomologiae: Sistens insectorum—classes, ordines, genera, species; Adiectis—synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, observationibus, Officina Libraria Kortii, (Flensburgi et Lipsiae, 1775). C. c. cressida (Fabricius, 1775) genus: Ornithoptera (birdwings) Richmond birdwing, Ornithoptera richmondia (Gray, 1853)Gray, 1853. Cairns birdwing, Ornithoptera euphorion (Gray, 1853) – pictured New Guinea or common green birdwing, Ornithoptera priamus (Linnaeus, 1758) O. p. poseidon (Doubleday, 1847)Edward Doubleday, 1847. O. p. pronomus (Gray, 1853) O. p. macalpinei (Moulds, 1974)Max S. Moulds, 1974. genus: Pachliopta Red-bodied swallowtail, Pachliopta polydorus (Linnaeus, 1763)Carl Linnaeus, 1763.
Pieridae: whites and yellows
family: Pieridae (whites and yellows) – 35+2+1 species [†1 introduced species]
Pierinae: whites subfamily: Pierinae (whites) tribe: Elodinini genus: Elodina (pearl-whites) Southern pearl-white, Elodina angulipennis (H. Lucas, 1852)Hippolyte Lucas (1852), "Description de nouvelles espèces de Lépidoptères appartenant aux collections entomologiques du Musée de Paris", Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée (2)4(7): 324–343 . Cape York pearl-white, Elodina claudia (de Baar & Hancock, 1993)M. de Baar and DL Hancock (1993), "The Australian species of Elodina C. & R. Felder (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), Australian Entomological Magazine 20(1): 25–43. M. de Baar and DL Hancock (1993), "Further Notes on the Australian Species of Elodina C. & R. Felder (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)", Entomological Society of Queensland News Bulletin 21(8): 131–135. Narrow-winged pearl-white, Elodina padusa (Hewitson, 1853)William Chapman Hewitson, 1853. Striated pearl-white, Elodina parthia (Hewitson, 1853) Delicate pearl-white, Elodina perdita (Miskin, 1889)William Henry Miskin, 1889. Glistening pearl-white, Elodina queenslandica (de Baar & Hancock, 1993) Small pearl-white, Elodina walkeri (Butler, 1898) tribe: Leptosiaini genus: Leptosia Black-spotted white, Leptosia nina (Fabricius, 1793) – pictured right tribe: Pierini genus: Appias (albatrosses) Orange albatross, Appias ada (Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914) A. a. caria (Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914) White or common albatross, Appias albina (Boisduval, 1836) – pictured right A. a. albina (Boisduval, 1836) Blue albatross, Appias celestina (Boisduval, 1832) Grey albatross, Appias melania (Fabricius, 1775) Yellow albatross, Appias paulina (Cramer, 1777) A. p. ega (Boisduval, 1836) Striped albatross, Appias olferna (Swinhoe, 1890)Swinhoe (1890). genus: Pieris †Small cabbage white, Pieris rapae (Linnaeus, 1758) [†introduced species] – pictured right genus: Belenois (formerly Anaphaeis) Caper white, Belenois java – pictured right B. j. peristhene (Boisduval, 1859) B. j. teutonia (Fabricius, 1775) genus: Cepora Caper gull, Cepora perimale (Donovan, 1805) C. p. scyllara (W. S. Macleay, 1826) genus: Delias (Jezebels) Spotted Jezebel, Delias aganippe (Donovan, 1805) Scarlet Jezebel, Delias argenthona (Fabricius, 1793)Johannes Christophorus Fabricius, Entomologia Systematica: Secundum—classes, ordines, genera, species; Adjectis—synonimis, locis, observationibus, descriptionibus, emendata et aucta, tomus II et III, (Hafniae: Christian Gottlieb Proft, filius et socii, 1793). – pictured right D. a. argenthona (Fabricius, 1793) Golden Jezebel, Delias aruna (Boisduval, 1832) D. a. inferna (Butler, 1871)Arthur Gardiner Butler, 1871. Yellow-banded Jezebel, Delias ennia (Wallace, 1867)Alfred Russel Wallace, "On the Pieridae of the Indian and Australian regions", Transactions of the Entomological Society of London [3rd series] 4 (1867): 301–406. Plates 6–9, p. 328. D. e. nigidius (Miskin, 1884)William Henry Miskin, 1884. D. e. tindalii (Joicey & Talbot, 1926)Joicey & Talbot, 1926. Imperial Jezebel, Delias harpalyce (Donovan, 1805) Red-banded Jezebel, Delias mysis (Fabricius, 1775) – pictured right D. m. mysis (Fabricius, 1775) D. m. aestiva (Butler, 1897)Arthur Gardiner Butler, 1897. D. m. onca (Fruhstorfer, 1910)Hans Fruhstorfer (1910). Black Jezebel, Delias nigrina (Fabricius, 1775) Yellow-spotted Jezebel, Delias nysa (Fabricius, 1775) D. n. nysa (Fabricius, 1775) D. n. nivira (Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914)
Coliadinae: yellows
subfamily: Coliadinae (yellows) genus: Catopsilia (migrants or emigrants) White migrant, Catopsilia pyranthe (Linnaeus, 1758) C. p. crokera (W. S. Macleay, 1826) Lemon migrant, Catopsilia pomona (Fabricius, 1775) – pictured right Orange migrant, Catopsilia scylla (Linnaeus, 1764) C. s. etesia (Hewitson, 1867)William Chapman Hewitson, 1867. Yellow migrant, Catopsilia gorgophone (Boisduval, 1836)Jean Baptiste Alphonse de Chauffour de Boisduval, 1836. C. g. gorgophone (Boisduval, 1836) genus: Eurema (grass-yellows) No-brand grass-yellow, Eurema brigitta (Stoll, 1780) – pictured right E. b. australis (Wallace, 1867) E. b. zoraide (C. & R. Felder, 1865) Lined grass-yellow, Eurema laeta (Boisduval, 1836) E. l. sana (Butler, 1877) Pink grass-yellow, Eurema herla (W. S. Macleay, 1826) Small grass-yellow, Eurema smilax (Donovan, 1805) E. s. smilax (Donovan, 1805) Broad-margined grass-yellow, Eurema puella (Boisduval, 1832) E. p. papuan (Butler, 1898)Arthur Gardiner Butler, 1898. E. p. virgo (Wallace, 1867) Scalloped grass-yellow, Eurema alitha (C. & R. Felder, 1832)Cajetan and Rudolf Felder (1832). Large grass-yellow, Eurema hecabe (Linnaeus, 1758) – pictured right E. h. hecabe (Linnaeus, 1758) E. h. phoebus (Butler, 1886)Arthur Gardiner Butler, 1886. *Three-spot grass yellow, Eurema blanda (Boisduval, 1836) [*native to Christmas and Darnley Islands]
Riodinidae: metalmarks
family: Riodinidae (metalmarks) – 1 species
Nemeobiinae subfamily: Nemeobiinae genus: Praetaxila Harlequin metalmark, Praetaxila segecia (Hewitson, 1861)William Chapman Hewitson, 1861. – pictured right P. s. punctaria (Fruhstorfer, 1914)Fruhstorfer, Hans. "Die Indo-Australischen Tagfalter". [Family Erycinidae]. Pages 767–798 in Adalbert Seitz (ed.), Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde: eine systematische Bearbeitung der bis jetzt bekannten Gross-Schmetterlinge. Volume 9. Stuttgart: Alfred Kernen, 1914.
Lycaenidae: gossamer-winged blues and coppers family: Lycaenidae (gossamer-winged blues and coppers) – 142+7 species
Miletinae: harvesters
subfamily: Miletinae (harvesters) tribe: Liphyrini genus: Liphyra Moth butterfly, Liphyra brassolis (Westwood, 1864)Westwood, 1864. – pictured right L. b. major (Rothschild, 1898)Walter Rothschild, 1898.
Theclinae: hairstreaks
subfamily: Theclinae (hairstreaks) tribe: Luciini genus: Lucia Chequered copper, Lucia limbaria (Swainson, 1833)W Swainson (1833). genus: Paralucia Bright copper, Paralucia aurifera (Blanchard, 1848)CE Blanchard, 1848. Fiery copper, Paralucia pyrodiscus (Doubleday, 1847) P. p. lucida (Crosby, 1951)Crosby, 1951. Purple or Bathurst copper, Paralucia spinifera (Edwards & Common, 1978)ED Edwards & Common, 1978. – pictured right genus: Pseudodipsas Bright forest-blue, Pseudodipsas cephenes (Hewitson, 1874)William Chapman Hewitson, 1874. Dark forest-blue, Pseudodipsas eone (C. & R. Felder, 1865)Cajetan and Rudolf Felder (1860).