Hi, all -- I'm new here. I have been seeing lots of butterflies this summer visiting my Buddleia, and this one has me stumped. It was rather large, and looks to me like a spicebush swallowtail -- but except for the pale blue, you have pale yellow. It almost seems like a cross between a spicebush and either a tiger swallowtail or an Eastern black. Anyone have any ideas? Here are a couple of photos: Thanks! --Jody
It appears to be a Spicebush Swallowtail. The coloring difference could be from the way the light is showing thru the wings, the angle you are seeing them from and sometimes whether the wings are fully open or not. The first photo looks like green spots to me which would be a male, the female has blue. I don't see yellow on either of them. I think butterflies stick with their own kind when it comes to breeding tho. Take a look at this Site The Spicebush at the top is blue but the one near the bottom is a cream or white color.
Okay -- thanks! I'm so excited this year -- been seeing so many different species. I've watched tons of silver-spotted skippers, some fiery skippers, tawny-edged skippers, Eastern black swallowtails, tiger swallowtails (and possibly the dark female form, too), monarchs, American painted lady, the usual cabbage whites, and even what I think is a red-spotted purple/white admiral hybrid. Here's a photo of that one: It's the orange spots on the hindwings that lead me to believe this isn't just a regular red-spotted purple. --Jody
Dark female form tiger swallowtail? Here are a couple of photos of the butterfly I think is the dark female form of the tiger swallowtail, for anyone to confirm or deny. It's a little scraggly, especially where the "tails" would be. Plus, in the first photo, there's a piece of butterfly bush out of focus in the foreground, and the second photo is a little washed out from the angle of the sun, but these are the best I got. Thanks!
