Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden

Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden

116 shots- Enlarge the image to see individual wing scales

143 shots

43 shots 3x magnification

13 shots 4.5x magnification

lepidoptera is latin for = scale wings 

At 3 1/2– 5 1/2 inches it is considered one of the largest butterflies in North America. The newest idea is this species used to called cresphontes but is now called rumiko. The theory is that the tails on the large wings along with the colorful eye dots allow these butterflies to fool predators into thinking that the rear of the insect  looks like the head with the tail resembling antennas and the brightly colored spots which often have dark pupils resemble eyes. It’s also noted that the lines or bands lead the predators’ eyes towards its rear. The predator will attack the tail allowing the butterfly to escape relatively left intact.

Of the 24 species of swallowtail that occur in the United States, 13 have been found in Arizona.

Front porch light

The males of the species display a unique territorial behavior, in which they stake out a territory typically 15 meters in diameter that contains larval host plants. They perch in this area and aggressively protect it from other insects and other male white peacocks 

Adults feed on rotting fruit and often are perched facing down helping them to be camouflaged. The males are territorial and makes a cracking sound in response to another male.

 Named for the green colored mineral malachite, because of the green on the butterfly's wings. Adults feed on flower nectar, rotting fruit, dead animals, and bat dung (yum yum). 

Found dead on the street. It was partially eaten

Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden

Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden