Swallowtails Pupating in Ground Litter

[James Hanlon]

Other than in James Scott's Butterflies of North America, I had never heard
of swallowtails pupating in ground litter. Then sure enough, one of two
Papilio glaucus (Eastern Tiger Swallowtail) larvas recently pupated inside
of a folded-up piece of paper towel that was placed at the bottom of a brown
paper bag. The other pupated on the side of the bag near the top. The two
were kept in separate bags during the prepupa and pupation stages.

The two pupas are also quite variable in markings and coloring.

Jim Hanlon


The Amazon basin is like a magnet, and I just a happy spec of iron.