Of Monarchs and Spicebushies

A while back I took some pics of a Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in my back yard. I had been trying to save all of the milk weed plants in my yard from the lawnmower. Each summer they would come back, and after a few years I finally got some to flower.

This is probably a female for it has dark, sharp black veins in its wings. I also saw an unidentified moth that shared the flower top with the Monarch.

Anyone know what moth I've got here? Let me know. Then the other day, I saw another beautiful butterfly in the yard. I didn't know what it was right away, but recognized it as a member of the Swallowtails, family Papilionidae.

One of the prettier butterflies that I've seen, I found out that this one was a Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) thanks to Wikipedia (1), and a cool website, Illinois Butterflies (2). Again I think I have a female. Females often sun themselves in the open, while males rarely do. It's thought that females must obtain more heat to warm their thoraxes, while males usually don't exhibit this behavior. Males apparently generate enough heat through vigorous mating displays. But Wow! What a looker. I think I find the Spicebush prettier than Monarchs.

I think she's got a bit of a Goth look to her. Spicebush Swallowtails are the state butterfly of Mississippi, and also exhibit Batesian mimicry in both larval and adult stages. Larva look very snake-like with huge posterior spots that look like huge eyes. Adults mimic another butterfly that tastes awful to predators.

References:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spicebush_Swallowtail#cite_note-Scriber_ecology-4

2. http://www.illinoisbutterflies.com/butterflies.htm