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Butterflies and SkippersTiger Swallowtail?
Dear Bugman,
I found this in my front yard this morning. I thought it had been hit by a car and was dead, but upon closer inspection, I saw that it was just moving very slowly. I noticed that it was an unsually cold morning here in El Paso. I scooped it up and saved it in a box. Don’t worry, I didn’t touch it. When the day was warmer, and my kids were home from school, we opened up the box. It stayed long enough for a good look from the kids and flew away. I think I identified it as a Tiger Swallowtail, but is it a two tailed Swallowtail? Is the any way to tell the sex just by looking? Thanks,
Erica H.
El Paso, TX
Hi Erica,
We believe this is a Two-Tailed Swallowtail, Papilio multicaudata. According to BugGuide and some other sources, the stripes on the forewings are generally thinner than this, though this might also be an indication that this is a female.
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