Pipevine Swallowtail
- Battus philenor
When in the larval (caterpillar)
stage, these guys eat the leaves of plants in the genus Aristolichea.
In our region this means most often Dutchman's Pipe. Toxic alkaloids
from the plant are stored in the tissues of the caterpillar and
are retained in the adult form. This results in a quite unpleasant
taste and many predators have learned not to eat these butterflies.
Here's another shot
taken the same day.
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