Saturday, July 3, 2010

Pipevine and Gold Rim (Polydamas) Swallowtail Eggs


Both Pipevine and Gold Rim Swallowtail butterflies lay eggs on pipevine - but there aren't many species of pipevine that they can both eat.  What one eats normally kills the other. 

Gold/yellow/greenish eggs are Gold Rim eggs. Burgundy/rust eggs are Pipevine eggs.

We grow Aristolochia tomentosa for Pipevine Swallowtails and Aristolochia elegans for Gold Rim (also called Polydamas) Swallowtails.  From what we understand, Aristolochia triloba feeds both.

The top photo is of a Gold Rim (Polydamas) Swallowtail, a tail-less swallowtail butterfly.  The bottom photo is of a male Pipevine Swallowtail.

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