Citrus swallowtail
Papilio demodocus
Butterfly
The citrus swallowtail, or Christmas butterfly, is a large, strong-flying swallowtail widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, and parts of the southern Arabian Peninsula. Its caterpillars feed on plants in the citrus family (Rutaceae) — native trees such as Clausena and Zanthoxylum as well as cultivated citrus and garden rue — passing through several generations a year. Adults visit a wide range of garden flowers for nectar and thrive in cultivated and disturbed habitats, including suburban gardens, wherever Rutaceae host plants grow.
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: the species is abundant throughout its range and adapts readily to cultivated and disturbed habitats.
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 1
Common rue is in Rutaceae, the documented larval host family; rue is a confirmed host of the related Asian P. demoleus, and African sources describe the host family as the citrus and rue family, so a species-level record for P. demodocus on rue is plausible by family membership.
Range
Occurs throughout sub-Saharan Africa, including the Cape Verde Islands and Madagascar, and into the moister parts of the southern Arabian Peninsula; island records in the western Indian Ocean are considered likely introductions tied to citrus cultivation.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife page. The source cards below show the upstream references behind the taxonomy, range, conservation, host, forage, and habitat claims.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Citrus swallowtail (Papilio demodocus). Retrieved 2026, June 30, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/citrus-swallowtail
Sources for wildlife facts
6 cited fact fields are backed by the source cards below.
Papilio demodocus — Wikipedia
Identification, African range, Rutaceae larval hosts (including citrus and rue family), generations per year, and Least Concern status.
Backs 5 fields
Taxonomy
Range
Host plants
Lifecycle
Conservation status
Papilio demodocus — Animal Diversity Web
Taxonomic account for the citrus swallowtail.
Backs 1 field
Taxonomy