We came from here:
The thread "July 2014 Butterflies, Moths & Larva" in
Gardening for Butterflies, Birds and Bees forum
Okay guys, I didn't take any pictures today because Mom and I went to see "Guardians of the Galaxy" and it was AWESOME! And then I took a nap. But as we were leaving this morning, that Palamedes Swallowtail was on my plumbagos again! Of course, I didn't have my camera and I didn't run back and get it because I'd already set the alarm and we needed to get good seats at the movies.
So consider this a "Flashback Friday" photo! This is a Palamedes ST that visited back in September 2009. You can tell the difference between them and other Swallowtails because of the stripe on the underside of their wing that runs parallel to their body. Also, they have a striped body (Spicebushes have spots). I also think the top of the Palamedes looks more "air-brushed" whereas the Eastern Black ST has clearly defined yellow cells. See for yourself! FYI, that's a lovebug also on the pentas. May and September are lovebug season in Florida.
Now that we enjoyed that, I'll add that my Butterflies of Florida field guide says this is the most frequently encountered Swallowtail in Florida. And I will say that I think he's full of it. Honestly, how often do you guys see me post this guy? I told my boss at MOSI that same tidbit and she looked at me like I was crazy. Unless you live in or near a swamp, the Palamedes is not a frequent visitor. Their host plants are Red Bay and Swamp Bay (in the Laurel family). The Spicebush Swallowtail will also use those trees as host plants. The Ambrosia Beetle is currently spreading a disease called Laurel Wilt which is killing these trees. It also kills avocados so the farmers are up in arms about it, but I don't like guacamole (salsa con queso for me) so I'm more concerned about the butterflies. Because they live in the swamp, the Palamedes is often found nectaring on Pickerel Weed.
So don't believe everything you read in those butterfly books. Use your own experiences as a guide, too. And please forgive me for using an old photo but my OCD tendencies were telling me I had to make the August thread today. And I wanted the thumbnail to be really pretty!
