Subject: Butterfly ID
Location: Tom McCall Preserve
June 1, 2014 8:24 am
These photos were all taken near Hood River, Oregon.
Signature: Randy Weatherford
Hi Randy,
Two of your butterflies are Swallowtails in the genus Papilio, and we are relatively certain one of them is a male Oregon Swallowtail, Papilio machaon oregonius, a subspecies of the Old World Swallowtail, Papilio machaon, based on this and other images on BugGuide. According to BugGuide: “Distinguised from yellow form P. bairdii by having more extensive yellow, and by more northwesterly distribution.” The other Swallowtail appears to be a female, and it is most likely also an Oregon Swallowtail.
Daniel,
Could it be possible that the photo of the black and white butterfly be a “White Admiral”, or an admiral sub species. I have seen many of the swallowtails, only one of the Admiral look a likes.
Thank you,
Randy
Hi Randy,
She is definitely a Swallowtail. She is missing its tails, which might be throwing your perception off. See this image on BugGuide of a female Old World Swallowtail, which is similar but not exactly like your individual. The shape of the wings and the coloration of the body and wings is distinctly different from the White Admiral, though superficially similar. She may be an Indra Swallowtail, also pictured on BugGuide.