Heaven sent

A sure sign that I have been busy is two Macwake posts in a row on this blog. In a desperate attempt to write a post I was sitting at my computer staring out of my office window when a swallowtail butterfly appeared to drop from the heavens, gracefully float past outside the window and land on the lemon tree. The butterfly (pictured left) was a Dainty Swallowtail (Papilio anactus) alternatively known as the Small Citrus Butterfly. Existing along the east coast of Australia the range of this butterfly has probably been extended into central and southern Victoria by the planting of citrus trees, the larval food source. And sure enough a single, pale yellow spherical egg was laid on the tip of a young lemon leaf (pictured right). The ongoing life-cycle will be the topic of another post but until then I’d better find something to write about for next week.