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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Swallowtails, Parnassians (Papilionidae) » Papilioninae » Birdwings, Cattlehearts and Aristolochia Swallowtails (Troidini) » Battus » Pipevine Swallowtail - Hodges#4157 (Battus philenor)
Photo#1441796
Butterfly with fungus - Battus philenor
Copyright © 2017 larry thompson

Butterfly with fungus - Battus philenor
Jackson County, North Carolina, USA
August 6, 2017
What are the structures on the face of this butterfly? There were at least two butterflies with the same structures in the same location.
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Contributed by larry thompson on 17 September, 2017 - 2:41pm
Last updated 17 December, 2017 - 5:20pm

Moved
Moved from Butterflies and Skippers.
… David J. Ferguson, 17 December, 2017 - 5:20pm login or register to post comments

perhaps pollen
Looking at this, my first impression is that this butterfly visited a flower with rather sticky pollinaria. If correct, this butterfly was quite greedy and didn't learn quickly...;-)
… Cor Zonneveld, 17 September, 2017 - 3:29pm login or register to post comments

 
The butterfly was feeding on
The butterfly was feeding on a yellow-fringed orchid.
… larry thompson, 17 September, 2017 - 3:59pm login or register to post comments

 
Orchid pollinia
Well, that seems to confirm my initial suspicion, as the structures you see are typical orchid pollinia! So I think this puzzle is solved. The orchid must be v e r y attractive if the butterlfy is to collect that many pollinia (a flower has only two of them).
… Cor Zonneveld, 18 September, 2017 - 11:19am login or register to post comments

 
Thank you. I'll look at the f
Thank you. I'll look at the flower closer next time. :-)

Larry
… larry thompson, 18 September, 2017 - 11:54am login or register to post comments

 
Looks really cool ...
"If you go to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair?
… Robert Lord Zimlich, 17 September, 2017 - 4:43pm login or register to post comments

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