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floridafrass

Swallowtail ID Please..

floridafrass
10 years ago

If anyone could be so kind as to ID this swallowtail I would be much appreciative!! More than likely a severely worn Black Swallowtail but I am not sure... Thx,,,Fred

Comments (7)

  • MissSherry
    10 years ago

    It's a female spicebush swallowtail, Fred. Note the mint green lunules along her hindwings, one of the keys to IDing spicebush swallowtails. The limited, true blue coloring, though faded, on her hindwings shows her to be a female. Males have more extensive coloring there, and it's a different shade of blue or blue green or gray.

    She may still have eggs. In Florida, I think they use camphor tree as well as sassafras and spicebush.

    Sherry

  • bandjzmom
    10 years ago

    She sure is pretty Fred. I would have guessed male because of the lack of much of that true blue coloring that Sherry mentions. Good thing I have Sherry to help me to learn to properly ID them. :o) I have LOTS of them here now. I currently have 14 Spicebush caterpillars and 5 eggs. If you have any host plants, you should check them.
    Angie

  • floridafrass
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you so much for the rapid response on this Sherry and Angie! I believe that the picture I have posted to this post is the of the underside of the same butterfly...I say believe because I took this shot after my first post. I think this same butterfly has been stopping by for a few hours every day now for a few days. I have a good number of Gold Rims, Monarchs, Gulf Fritillary and Zebra LWs that continually cruise my garden, but not many butterflies that could be confused with this one.

    I am now questioning identifications I have made of other butterflies...I would never have figured this out from the books I have on this topic.

    This forum is a great resource. I have wondered why my parsley has gone wanting for eggs as of late. Now I know why. Thanks again...Fred

  • bandjzmom
    10 years ago

    Yes Fred, the butterfly pictured above on the beautiful red Pentas is a Spicebush Swallowtail.
    The only host plant that I have for the Spicebush Swallowtails in my yard is Spicebush. (Lindera benzoin) I bought the 2 Spicebush plants from a seller who goes by the name dogwooderitternet on eBay. It took me awhile to find a good spot for them in my yard, and the sweet spot ended up being one that gets only morning sun. You can grow Camphor Tree where you are, and it is also a host plant. I really like doing business with Mail Order Natives located in Lee, Florida. You might check their website too.
    Angie

  • floridafrass
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the information Angie.

  • MissSherry
    10 years ago

    For what it's worth, hoping not to complicate things, your female spicebush swallowtail is undoubtedly the subspecies found in Florida and the southernmost parts of Mississippi and I'm sure Alabama, maybe South Carolina and Georgia. Most of my spicebush swallowtails have the typical look - extensive ice blue on the hindwings for the males and deep, those less extensive, true blue on the females. As I recall, from what Larry the lep specialist and I discussed several years ago, this would be the 'nominate' type. In the Florida subspecies - I can't remember the name - the hindwings of males are greener and the females have only minimal true blue coloring on their hindwings. I raised a female that looked like yours a few years ago - I think she was the Florida subspecies - and the males in my area (35 miles inland from the Gulf) vary considerably. Although most have the extensive ice blue coloring, many are gray, gray green, or green, these undoubtedly being the Florida types. In my area, they probably mate with each other, creating hybrid types.

    Regardless, they're beauties!

    Sherry

  • floridafrass
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the great information Sherry.. I am going to set about trying to find some Spicebush! Fred

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