Zebra Swallowtail: Elegant swordtail of the Eastern U.S.
Aug 20, 2019 18:35:01 GMT
deliasfanatic, Adam Cotton, and 3 more like this
Post by trehopr1 on Aug 20, 2019 18:35:01 GMT
The color combination of black/white periodically turns up in nature. Generally speaking, it's an eye catching mix and rather exotic in appeal. Well known examples of this effect are Panda's, Zebra's, and of coarse Penguin's. Together, the two colors work as a play on light and shadows; breaking up a creatures appearance against the background of its surroundings. In effect helping it to blend in -- in plain view.
Amongst insects (particularly butterflies) this color theme is also re-played. A number of our Swallowtail butterflies, some Milkweed butterflies (Idea), and of coarse a fair number of Pieridae butterflies exhibit this wonderful mix of color.
Here, in the eastern United States the Zebra Swallowtail (Protographium marcellus) is our native "delight" on this play of color. It's distinctive wing shape and long tails make it easy to identify. The "tails" on this elegant beauty are 2-3 times the length of any swallowtail in the region. It's preferred food plant is Pawpaw.
These are two examples, which I recently picked up in a Southern Illinois clover field. These are tough fellows to find in this condition when wild collecting them. Where I live I have to travel at least 3 hours just to potentially find them as they are not in my immediate area. These are rather fast flying butterflies with a somewhat erratic flight so, catching them on the wing is near impossible. Therefore, best to find yourself a clover field and wait for them to refuel where they can be captured far more easily as their attention is on pollinating.
They do become damaged in no time after emergence so finding yourself good ones can be quite the challenge in it's own right...
Amongst insects (particularly butterflies) this color theme is also re-played. A number of our Swallowtail butterflies, some Milkweed butterflies (Idea), and of coarse a fair number of Pieridae butterflies exhibit this wonderful mix of color.
Here, in the eastern United States the Zebra Swallowtail (Protographium marcellus) is our native "delight" on this play of color. It's distinctive wing shape and long tails make it easy to identify. The "tails" on this elegant beauty are 2-3 times the length of any swallowtail in the region. It's preferred food plant is Pawpaw.
These are two examples, which I recently picked up in a Southern Illinois clover field. These are tough fellows to find in this condition when wild collecting them. Where I live I have to travel at least 3 hours just to potentially find them as they are not in my immediate area. These are rather fast flying butterflies with a somewhat erratic flight so, catching them on the wing is near impossible. Therefore, best to find yourself a clover field and wait for them to refuel where they can be captured far more easily as their attention is on pollinating.
They do become damaged in no time after emergence so finding yourself good ones can be quite the challenge in it's own right...
