Checkered Swallowtail

Papilio demolius     NT, Northern Territory, Top End, butterfly
 
Swallowtail butterflies are renown throughout the world for their elegance and beauty. Though ever present in the north, the checkered swallowtail is a nomadic species whose population cycles and movements make its local abundance hard to predict. These fast fliers are also extremely wary of approach, making photography a serious challenge.