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Papilio glaucus
Maybe a hybrid of appalachiensis and glaucus (eastern tiger shallowtail)? The hook shape on innermost black bands does not seem to match any images I've found perfectly. Wing shape suggests appalachiensis to me. Spotted in northeastern Georgia, close to boundary of appalachiensis range. Probably a male bc it lacks any blue.
My yard, drinking nectar from flowers on this tree (no idea what kind it is), which is a favorite for these butterflies. Suburban area, but almost rural. Surrounded by open grassy fields, deciduous woods, and several streams and ponds nearby.
Hybrid of Eastern and Appalachian Tiger Swallowtails?
Spotted on Apr 3, 2012
Submitted on Apr 9, 2012
1 Comment
Personally (but that's my very personal opinion!) I do not believe in a high frequency of hybrids compared to the native ones (I am refering to some accidental hybridisation and not the hybrid speciation mentioned below!). There may be hybrids, but you need the native specimen and proof with genitals and DNA examination to verify hybrids. In butterfly houses they are more common due to the enclosed environment. In fact or better speculation upon scientific evidence: P. appalachiensis would actually be a hybrid of Papilio glaucus and Papilio canadensis. But this classic hybrid speciation which means there would be a different (!) species is very rare (this process is anyway rare in animals). In Papilio sp. from your area you have different varieties and varibility within the same species and mimic and non-mimic ones which make separation anyway difficult.
To my knowledge P. appalachiensis is "endemic" to the Appalachian Mountains (how "closed area" that would ever be), meaning quite a narrowed area. There is only 1 spring breed and Appalchiensis is larger than the corresponding Glaucus. The from Glaucus is overlapping to the one of Appalachiensis. Maybe the altitude may help for separating.