Mother's Favorite

The Pipevine Swallowtail happens to be my Mom's favorite butterfly. A shame as it is a rare sight in southeast Florida but less so in the Butterfly Rainforest. I have continued to have a difficult time properly capturing the iridescence of the wings but for now this is the best I can do! The orange spots combines with the iridescence make foe a excellent warning sign to predators to stay away as this one is toxic. As a result this pattern is often mimic by other native species such as the Spicebush Swallowtail and the Red-Spotted Purple.

Scientific Name: Battus philenor
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Tribe: Troidini