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Eastern black swallowtail caterpillar

Papilio polyxenes

Description:

This caterpillar has a special gland called an osmeterium that emits a foul odor when the caterpillar is threatened (I did not know at the time so I was not provoking her to get the gland out). The orange osmeterium looks like a forked snake tongue. Caterpillars also ingest oils from the host plants of the carrot family; the foul taste of the chemical in their bodies repels birds and other predators.

Habitat:

Piedras Blancas, CA.

Notes:

http://insects.about.com/od/butterfliesm...

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1 Comment

maplemoth662
maplemoth662 6 years ago

A beautiful caterpillar....

The MnMs
Spotted by
The MnMs

California, USA

Spotted on Sep 24, 2014
Submitted on Feb 1, 2015

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