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Photo#450136
What kind of Swallowtail Butterflies are These? - Papilio - male

What kind of Swallowtail Butterflies are These? - Papilio - Male
Silsbee, within the Big Thicket, Hardin County, Texas, USA
June 27, 2010
Size: Standard Big Butterflies
These 2 swallowtail butterflies flirted with one another and played all over my back yard for about 15 minutes. They ignored me as I sat just mere feet from them and snapped pictures as fast as I could. What kind are they and can these two breed with each other? Thanks guys. I feel like a dork.
T

Images of this individual: tag all
What kind of Swallowtail Butterflies are These? - Papilio - male What kind of Swallowtail Butterflies are These? - Papilio troilus - male What kind of Swallowtail Butterflies are These? - Papilio glaucus - male

Forgot the "can they breed together" part.
Ignoring that these two are both males - - the two species probably never (or only very rarely) mate with one another in nature; however, in the laboratory they can be cross bred. As I recall they will produce fertilized eggs, but most never hatch, and none survive to adulthood (but I'd need to look it up to refresh my memory). So. the two species are genetically different enough that hybrids between them are very unlikely to ever occur. However, they are both in the subgenus Pterourus, and they are fairly closely related (as compared to other species you might see such as the Black Swallowtail or Giant Swallowtial, which are much less related). If you look at the pictures of the caterpillars, you'll see that they are fairly similar.

Boy if you could get a hybrid from them, I'll bet it would be one spectacular butterfly!

 
Thanks!
Thanks David!
I was wondering if anyone was ever going to answer that part ; )
T

They are both males actaully.
A beautiful shot of two very closely related (though very different looking) species.

Moved from ID Request.

 
Thanks!
Thank you David!
I just got lucky.
T

2 different species
On the left, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.
On the right, male Spicebush Swallowtail.
Nice shots!

 
Thanks!
Thanks Kelly!
I just got lucky.
I sat down and they played around me for what seemed like forever - even landing on me once or twice.
I am blessed.
T

Papilio glaucus
I believe both your butterflies are Eastern Tiger Swallowtails. The Eastern Tigers have a dark morph that mimics the Spicebush Swallowtails, and is common in Southeastern U.S.

 
Swallowtails
Thanks Ken!
I'll have to take your word for it since I am a newbie.
: )
Thanks again!
T

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