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Photo#1731561
Swallowtail on Zenias - Papilio glaucus - female

Swallowtail on Zenias - Papilio glaucus - Female
Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, USA
September 24, 2019
Black or Eastern Tiger?

Images of this individual: tag all
Swallowtail on Zenias - Papilio glaucus - female Swallowtail on Zenias - Papilio glaucus Swallowtail on Zenias - Papilio glaucus

Moved to Papilio glaucus.
Moved from ID Request.

I had looked at this one and was very puzzled but never thought of dark Eastern Tiger. Once Kurt suggested it, I completely agree with his identification. I'll also mark it as a female.

I vote for...
Dark Tiger Swallowtail. More blue on hind wing that on Black Swallowtail. I believe the Black Swallowtail also has two rows of light spots (or yellow patches) where present specimen only has one.

I saw a very similar dark Tiger nectaring this past summer, and the only "ghost" of the tiger pattern I could see was on the outside of the hind wing. I think I might see a "ghost" of the tiger stripes in the present subject.

Luckily, the Tiger Swallowtails -- both yellow and dark -- I've seen nectaring, usually keep their wings fairly still once they've landed. But in my experience Black Swallowtails hardy ever stop moving their wings when they are nectaring -- their wings keep "jittering."

 
Thanks, Kurt
I've seen a yellow but this is my first dark
Z

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