My spindly Buddleias can’t be called bushes because they never get bushy enough, despite my annual pruning. But the stems that do shoot and flower each year affirm the plant’s common name of ‘Butterfly Bush’ nevertheless, because those creatures love it.
These are white buddleias, rather than the more common purple, and mostly I have seen my local Wanderer butterflies dashing over them in between their ongoing intensive love affair with my lavender bushes.
But this day, I saw a different, most beautiful and elegant butterfly, who could not leave the buddleia spires alone and was not interested in the lavender.
It was a very active butterfly and a very windy day, so the long stems were swishing about most inconveniently for my weaving camera.
As usual, my books were inadequate; I actually only have children’s butterfly I.D. books. But a Blackle online search introduced me to the wonderful world of Martin Purvis and his Australian butterflies website.
Thanks to Martin, I think my butterlfy is Macleays Swallowtail (Graphium macleayanus).
Hi Martin, thanks for confirming that, and thanks for your great website resource. Unfortunately I’ll see no more of this lovely butterfly as the wallabies have eaten the buddleia!
It’s definitely a Macleay’s Swallowtail – fairly unusual for it to sit with its wings open. I’ve noticed many times that they mainly seem attracted to white flowers. Generally I find that the lilac/purple buddleias are best for butterflies, but not for Macleay’s……..
I’m not so sure about answers to everything on the net, DWG, and sometimes it’s much more frustratingly slow than being able to flick through a book. If I could afford it I’d buy a comprehensive reference book on butterflies and moths – and many other things!!
A beautiful butterfly!! I don’t know what we did before internet and the ability to find answers so quickly on any and everything!!
Thanks for sharing it!! DWG