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University of Tennessee Biological Field Station
August 8-10, 2008
 
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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies (Papilionoidea) » Swallowtails (Papilionidae) » Papilioninae » Battus » Pipevine Swallowtail - Hodges#4157 (Battus philenor)
Photo#182432
blue butterflies - Battus philenor
Copyright © 2008 Melanie Freeman

blue butterflies - Battus philenor
Smoky Mountains National Park ~ Elkmont area, Sevier County, Tennessee, USA
May 13, 2008
There were dozens of butterflies sitting together in groups on the gravel roads, they seemed lethargic. Is something wrong with them or this normal behavior? Also what species are these?

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blue butterflies - Battus philenor blue butterflies - Battus philenor
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Contributed by Melanie Freeman on 13 May, 2008 - 9:05pm
Last updated 14 May, 2008 - 5:55pm

Beautiful!
These are Pipevine Swallowtails. I believe they are "puddling" - sucking up minerals they need from damp soil. I think it's usually, perhaps exclusively, the males that do it - they get minerals they need for mating, if I remember correctly.
… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 14 May, 2008 - 6:50am login or register to post comments

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