Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? Posted by Karen Taylor on January 13, 2015, 7:38 am I was able to video a butterfly laying eggs in a lime tree outside my back door yesterday, but I don't know what kind it is. If you have an idea, please respond here. This was incredible to watch. Thank you! Karen ------------------------ Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? Posted by Charley on January 13, 2015, 8:27 am, in reply to "Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is?" It is a mexican fly covered with butter hence a butterfly......... ------------------------ Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? Posted by LisaFern on January 13, 2015, 5:56 pm, in reply to "Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is?" Karen, Do you have any photos that show the colors? In the video it looks washed out. I have a butterfly ID book. Lisa ------------------------ Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? Posted by Karen Taylor on January 13, 2015, 7:13 pm, in reply to "Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is?" Hi Lisa, Yes, here is a photo. Thanks,Karen ------------------------ Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? Posted by Pablo on January 13, 2015, 7:55 pm, in reply to "Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is?" 96.50.109.80 Hi Karen. This is almost certainly a papillionid swallowtail and if I had my guess, I think this is the ruby-spotted or red-spotted swallowtail (Papilio anchisiades). A really great video of the female ovipositing her eggs (which is, by the way, the most typical way for butterflies to do so). I was an avid entomologist many years ago - La Manz. is a delight in that department... ------------------------ Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? Posted by Karen Taylor on January 13, 2015, 8:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is?" Thank you Pablo, I so appreciate this information! ------------------------ Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? Posted by Lisa on January 17, 2015, 2:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is?" 189.164.204.172 Hi Karen, Looks to me like a Pink-spotted Swallowtail, Papilio pharnaces. They have 2 rows of spots. This family lays its eggs on citrus, so you may see some caterpillars on your trees! Lisa ------------------------ Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? Posted by Pablo on January 18, 2015, 5:14 am, in reply to "Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is?" 96.50.109.80 Good one, Lisa. You nailed it! I stand happily corrected. Definitely Papilio pharnaces, now that I look at the video again and see other images online. So, a consensus had been reached it seems - mystery solved, Karen... ------------------------ Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? Posted by Karen Taylor on January 18, 2015, 7:31 am, in reply to "Re: Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is?" Thanks Lisa and Pablo. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to figure it out. Great work! ------------------------      « Back to index 484 Post a Response