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Pipevine swallowtails at Alley Spring Mill

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Pipevine swallowtails, Battus philenor, appear to be holding a meeting in this photo snapped at Alley Spring Mill in Shannon County, gathered in the shade and possibly drinking from wet sand through their proboscis, a long “tongue” that is rolled up when not in use. As caterpillars these butterflies, also known as blue swallowtails, feed on several types of pipevine plants, and acids in the plant cause caterpillars and adults to be distasteful to predators, according to Karen Sime, Paul Feeny and Meena Haribal, authors of a 2000 study published in the Chemoecology journal dedicated to research in chemistry and evolution or ecology. The Missouri Department of Conservation notes that several other butterflies benefit from mimicking the colors of the pipevine swallowtail, including red-spotted purple, female eastern tiger, female black, Ozark and spicebush swallowtails.

West Plains, West Plains Daily Quill, Quill, butterflies, butterfly, Pipevine Swallowtails, Shannon County, Alley Spring Mill, outdoor, wildlife


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