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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Swallowtails, Parnassians (Papilionidae) » Papilioninae » Fluted Swallowtails (Papilionini) » Papilio » Black Swallowtail - Hodges#4159 (Papilio polyxenes) » Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius-fm-pseudoamericus)
Photo#447495
Papilio (?) Swallowtail - Papilio polyxenes - female
Copyright © 2010 JB Sherrick

Papilio (?) Swallowtail - Papilio polyxenes - Female
Chambers County, Texas, USA
August 19, 2010
Size: ~8.5 cm
This looks like a Desert Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes coloro) or Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) to me, but I am in east Texas near the coast, so that is way out of their ranges. Can someone provide a definitive ID? I know the photo is quite blurry, but many significant markings are visible.
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Contributed by JB Sherrick on 26 August, 2010 - 11:18pm
Last updated 6 October, 2010 - 12:20pm

An interesting thought,
but it's probably been way to long now. If this gal layed any eggs in your yard, the offspring would have been carrying the genes for this color form. It would be interesting to raise them out, breed them for a couple of generations, and see what comes of them.

I photographed a similar male in my yard a few years ago, but never thought to actually try and use him for breeding. Next time - I will.

:0)

Moved from Black Swallowtail.
… David J. Ferguson, 6 October, 2010 - 12:20pm login or register to post comments

It's a yellow form Black Swallowtail
They pop up now and then, most often in the Southwest, and are much more common in Mexico and the Deserts further south and west where other subspecies occur.

Moved from Papilio.
… David J. Ferguson, 25 September, 2010 - 8:45pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Ken Schneider, 23 September, 2010 - 6:17pm login or register to post comments

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