A behind-the-scenes look at our butterfly collectionPhoto Galleries | Updated 7 years ago Native Australian butterfly; underside of a Belenois java teutonia, family Pieridae; commonly known as Caper WhitePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; upper side of a Belenois java teutonia, family Pieridae; commonly known as Caper WhitePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian swallowtail butterflies; species Papilio demoleus sthenelus, family PapilionidaePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian swallowtail butterfly; species Papilio demoleus sthenelus, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Chequered SwallowtailPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Cressida cressida, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Big GreasyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Papilio fuscus canopus, formerly P. canopus canopus, family PapilionidaePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian swallowtail butterfly; species Papilio aegeus aegeus, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Orchard Swallowtail or Large Citrus ButterflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian swallowtail butterfly; species Papilio aegeus aegeus, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Orchard Swallowtail or Large Citrus ButterflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian swallowtail butterfly; species Papilio aegeus aegeus, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Orchard Swallowtail or Large Citrus ButterflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian swallowtail butterfly; species Papilio anactus, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Dainty SwallowtailPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian swallowtail butterfly; species Graphium sarpedon choredon, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Blue TrianglePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian swallowtail butterfly; species Graphium sarpedon choredon, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Blue TrianglePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterflies; species Catopsilia pomona, family Pieridae; commonly known as Lemon MigrantPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Catopsilia pomona, family Pieridae; commonly known as Lemon MigrantPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Catopsilia scylla etesia, family Pieridae; commonly known as Orange MigrantPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterflies; species Delias aganippe, family Pieridae; commonly known as Red-spotted Jezebel or Wood White ButterflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Delias aganippe, family Pieridae; commonly known as Red-spotted Jezebel or Wood White ButterflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Delias aganippe, family Pieridae; commonly known as Red-spotted Jezebel or Wood White ButterflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterflies; species Delias aganippe, family Pieridae; commonly known as Red-spotted Jezebel or Wood White ButterflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Delias aganippe, family Pieridae; commonly known as Red-spotted Jezebel or Wood White ButterflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Delias aganippe, family Pieridae; commonly known as Red-spotted Jezebel or Wood White ButterflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterflies; species Acraea andromacha andromacha, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as GlasswingPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Acraea andromacha andromacha, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as GlasswingPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Introduced butterflies; species Danaus plexippus plexippus, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as Monarch or WandererPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Introduced butterfly; species Danaus plexippus plexippus, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as Monarch or WandererPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Tirumala hamata hamata, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as Blue TigerPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Introduced and Native Australian butterflies; in the foreground, species Danaus affinis affinis, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as Black and White Tiger or Swamp TigerPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; male specimen from the species Hypolimnas bolina nerina, family Nymphalidae; also known as Common EggflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; male specimen from the species Hypolimnas bolina nerina, family Nymphalidae; also known as Common EggflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterflies; female specimens from the species Hypolimnas bolina nerina, family Nymphalidae; also known as Common EggflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; female specimen from the species Hypolimnas bolina nerina, family Nymphalidae; also known as Common EggflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Junonia villida calybe, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as Meadow ArgusPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterflies; species Oreixenica kershawi kershawi, family NymphalidaePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterflies; in the foreground, species Oreixenica lathoniella, family NymphalidaePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Oreixenica lathoniella, family Nymphalidae; also known as Common Silver XenicaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Arhopala micale amytis, family Lycaenidae; also known as Common Oak-bluePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Arhopala centaurus asopus, family Lycaenidae; commonly known as Purple Oak-bluePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; upper side of a Hypochrysops apelles apelles, family Lycaenidae; commonly known as Copper JewelPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; underside of a Hypochrysops apelles apelles, family Lycaenidae; commonly known as Copper Jewel Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; underside of a Hypochrysops halyaetus, family Lycaenidae; commonly known as Turquoise JewelPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Jalmenus evagoras evagoras, family Lycaenidae; commonly known as Imperial Blue ButterflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Jamides aleuas coelestis, family Lycaenidae; commonly known as Bright Cerulean Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign swallowtail butterflies; species Papilio ulysses autolycus, family PapilionidaePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign swallowtail butterfly; species Papilio ulysses autolycus, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Ulysses Butterfly or Blue Mountain SwallowtailPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; species Papilio paradoxa aenigma, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Great Blue MimePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign swallowtail butterfly; species Papilio nireus, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Green-banded SwallowtailPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; underside of a Papilio peranthus, family PapilionidaePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign giant swallowtail butterfliesPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign swallowtail butterfly; species Papilio zalmoxis, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Giant Blue SwallowtailPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; species Papilio antimachus, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Giant African SwallowtailPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; species Papilio euchenor, family PapilionidaePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign swallowtail butterfly; species Papilio aegeus, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Orchard Swallowtail or Large Citrus ButterflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign swallowtail butterfly; species Papilio xuthus, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Asian SwallowtailPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign birdwing butterfly; male specimen from the species Ornithoptera priamus poseidon, family Papilionidae; also known as Common Green BirdwingPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign birdwing butterfly; female specimen from the species Ornithoptera priamus poseidon, family Papilionidae; also known as Common Green BirdwingPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign birdwing butterfly; male specimen from the species Ornithoptera paradisea paradisea, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Paradise BirdwingPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign birdwing butterfly; male specimen from the species Troides darsius, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Sri Lankan BirdwingPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign swallowtail butterflies; species Atrophaneura coon coon, family Papilionidae; also known as Common ClubtailPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign swallowtail butterfly; species Pachliopta hector, family Papilionidae; commonly known as Crimson RosePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Butterflies storage in the insect collectionPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterflies; species Ideopsis gaura daos, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as Smaller Wood NymphPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; species Ideopsis gaura daos, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as Smaller Wood Nymph Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; species Ideopsis gaura anapis, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as Smaller Wood Nymph Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterflies; species Euploea phaenareta callithoe, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as Giant CrowPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; species Euploea phaenareta callithoe, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as Giant Crow Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterflies; species Moduza procris milonia, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as The Commander Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; species Moduza procris milonia, family Nymphalidae; commonly known as The CommanderPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; species Cyrestis telamon buruensis, family NymphalidaePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterflies; in the foreground, species Cyrestis acilia gades, family NymphalidaePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; Cyrestis acilia gades, family NymphalidaePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; Hebomoia glaucippe aturia, family Pieridae; commonly known as Great Orange TipPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterflies; species Arhopala micale amytis, family Lycaenidae; also known as Common Oak-bluePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Foreign butterfly; species Loxura atymnus, family Lycaenidae; commonly known as YamflyPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Native Australian butterfly; species Arhopala micale amytis, family Lycaenidae; also known as Common Oak-bluePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Butterflies are a group of insects which belong to the order Lepidoptera and include about 17,950 species. Of the 400 butterfly species distributed in Australia, approximately half are endemic, found nowhere else in the world. Butterflies’ wings are covered by minute scales giving them their beautiful colours. In some butterflies scales are pigmented with melanin that gives them black and brown colours, or with pteridines, which give other colours. However, some blues, greens, reds and iridescence are not due to pigmentation but due to light scattering caused by the microstructure of the scales. Through this photo gallery, we invite you to explore our butterfly collection and note the diversity in shape and colours of this large group of insects. But be careful, there are fewer species than it seems! Indeed, in some species males and females are indistinguishable while in other species, such as Hypolimnas bolina nerina, the colours and ornamentation are so different that it would be easy to identify them as two separate species. Further Information The Australian Museum’s website provides additional information about the Wanderer Butterfly in a fact sheet that you can read here. To learn more about native butterflies you also can purchase The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia edited by the Western Australian Museum.