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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies (excluding skippers) (Papilionoidea) » Swallowtails, Parnassians (Papilionidae) » Papilioninae » Papilio » Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) » Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterias)
Photo#28634
Black Swallowtail Caterpillar - Papilio polyxenes
Copyright © 2005 Lynette Schimming

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar - Papilio polyxenes
Fort Bragg, Cumberland County, North Carolina, USA
August 16, 2005
The neighbors have a huge hanging planter of parsley where they discovered 30 or more of these caterpillars in different stages of development. When I tried to pick this one off so the kids could hold it, it's osmeterium, or scent gland, popped out.

These shots were not easy to get....I was holding the hanging planter still while standing on a toddler slide. I'm surprised they turned out this well.

Images of this individual: tag all
Black Swallowtail Caterpillar - Papilio polyxenes Black Swallowtail Caterpillar - Papilio polyxenes
Contributed by Lynette Schimming on 17 August, 2005 - 10:36am
Last updated 8 July, 2009 - 6:14pm

Moved
Moved from Black Swallowtail.
… David J. Ferguson, 8 July, 2009 - 6:14pm

Very nice
these shots are gorgeous, congrats under the difficult conditions :)
… Kyle Pias, 17 August, 2005 - 3:27pm

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