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Photo#1041463
Desert Black Swallowtail in LA County - Papilio polyxenes

Desert Black Swallowtail in LA County - Papilio polyxenes
Bernard Field Station, Claremont, Los Angeles County, California, USA
February 17, 2015
This small, dark swallowtail was spotted at the Claremont Colleges' Bernard Field Station in an area of non-native grasses (mostly Avena sp., Bromus diandrus, and Bromus madritensis rubens) mixed with native annuals, perennials, and sage scrub. The butterfly first lit on the grass then flew to a Blue Dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum). We have never seen this butterfly at the field station before, but the yellow spots on the abdomen identify it as a Desert Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes coloro), which is seldom seen in Los Angeles County.

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Desert Black Swallowtail in LA County - Papilio polyxenes Desert Black Swallowtail in LA County - Papilio polyxenes Desert Black Swallowtail in LA County - Papilio polyxenes

Moved
Moved from Papilio.

Moved

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