photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
larose forest photos | all galleries >> INSECTS (INSECTA) (28 Galleries) >> Butterflies (Lepidoptera) (8 Galleries) >> Swallowtails (Papilionidae) > Black swallowtail (Papillio polyxenes), female and male
previous | next
Christine Hanrahan

Black swallowtail (Papillio polyxenes), female and male

The lighting for each photo is, unfortunately, different, but you can see that the female, L, has a much wider blue band, while the male, R, has more intense yellow dots. These butterflies measure about 4 inches across, give or take 1/2 an inch. Both of these are freshly emerged, but a week apart, from chrysalises I kept over the winter.


other sizes: small medium large original auto
PauloCGama29-May-2012 14:00
Nicely presented, Christine - beautiful details!!
Difference can be perfectly seen!
Patrick Goossens29-May-2012 09:31
Great idea for this comparison! I find the female more beautiful(mostly an exeption in nature)
Karen Stuebing28-May-2012 21:48
Super comparison of the female and male. Both are beautiful. V.
Margot W28-May-2012 01:28
What lovely ones they are. Thanks for pointing out the differences.
globalgadabout28-May-2012 00:59
interesting the genders are so clearly demarcated by colour...both seem to like the scent of cedar though..
Guest 28-May-2012 00:52
Excellent view of the differences - a beautiful butterfly
Commenting on this page requires a PBase account.
Please login or register.