Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Do we have time for one more butterfly? Just one, maybe? Okay. Here’s Jesse Moore again, this time with another tiger swallowtail butterfly.
No, really.
Yes, seriously.
This is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus. (”Glaucus” is latin for “That doesn’t look like a tiger at all, Jonathan.”) Actually—and this is pretty cool when you think about it—tiger swallowtail butterflies are a bit like people: the same species can come in different colors.
Papilio glaucus also comes in the classic yellow-and-black striped variety, which scientists call a “phase”. As pictured here, they can have a black “phase” as well. Perhaps they’re moody and angsty and listen to The Cure a lot. Oh, and they write bad poetry about how nobody understands them. (But they don’t cut themselves. That’s Papilio emosi.)
I did a bit of digging, and it looks like, in spite of the term “phase”, they’re the same color their whole lives; some of them are just black and some of them are striped yellow.
Thanks, Jesse!
Slowly getting the site back onto an even keel. It's nice to get back into the old posting rhythm.
Beth said,
August 27, 2008 @ 10:21 am
I think you’re going to have to start putting spoot warnings up — “But they don’t cut themselves. That’s Papilio emosi.” left me wiping my drink off the monitor!
And Jesse? GORGEOUS photo! You even caught the proboscis in the flowers
AJ said,
August 27, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
As a bit of a Goth (who does not listen to The Cure, thankyouverymuch ;)), I like black butterflies the best of all!
Great photo, Jesse
ziyda said,
August 27, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
I saw one of these just yesterday, and … I kid you not … it was playing dead.
Pretty photo! Buddleia is a cool flowering shrub to have : )