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Papilio Coloro
This butterfly comes from an extremely hardy family and as a species flourishes in the arid deserts of North America where the habitat is rough. I found this specimen while out collecting insects last weekend. This butterfly in particular I did not keep because of it's age and how worn it's wings are but he did decide to pose for me just long enough to snap this shot.
Eastern Mojave Desert, dry, arid, Joshua tree forests
Found April 6th, 2013 in the Beaver Dam Mountains in southern Utah. Caterpillars feed on Thamnosma Montana, a plant in the citrus family.
Thanks, ivannawhitz. Interesting one. Sometimes (or updated?) Coloro is considered as a subspecies of Papilio polyxenes, so it might be helpful if you add this in the description section.
http://butterfliesofamerica.com/papilio_...
And, please, do not forget to add the scientific name if you already know it.
You do make a solid point, however i can confirm that this is Coloro because 1) i have hunted and raised this species before and 2) The habitat that these were found in is an uncanny match to the species. Also, it helps when you have a professional entomologist as a father haha. This would be the best reference to double check my find.
http://www.utahlepsociety.org/pcoloro.ht...
Papilionidae, Papilio machaon. Yours is probably too old and worn to get down to the subspecies. Closest guess might be Papilio machaon bairdi, but there is also a Brucei and Oregonia found in Utah. But the species is enough, since it is also very variable, just look at this link...
http://butterfliesofamerica.com/papilio_...
Spotted on Apr 6, 2013
Submitted on Apr 12, 2013
+1
