Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
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Almost rivaling the giant swallowtail in size, the tiger swallowtail is another favorite butterfly here in Austin. The usual color is predominantly yellow with black markings. Many females in our area, though, are of the black color form. This is believed to be a mimicry of the pipevine swallowtails, which are distasteful to birds.
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Tiger swallowtails are often seen courting and mating. They spiral around each other as they fly up into the air, eventually settling into a tree to mate. The faint stripes on the underside of the female can be seen at this angle.
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class: Insecta / order: Lepidoptera / family: Papilionidae / genus: Papilio / species: glaucus
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