Wisley swallowtail ID problem
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:39 pm
As mentioned on my post on the Wisley Butterflies in the Glasshouse thread on the field trips and events board, some of the swallowtail butterflies proved difficult to identify. This issue was commented upon by both Guy and Mark in relation to the great variation displayed by the Asian Swallowtail and Great Mormon and others belonging to that group. As I like to name things correctly I thought I'd post my pictures with names for (hopefully) ID confirmation.
Initially I used the identification hand-outs as a guide for naming them, but after seeking further help on the net it soon became clear that species which looked superficially the same, were being given different names. In the event, my 'research' simply involved looking at dozens of pictures on google in various websites before making my mind up. My thought at the time was that many on the web were named incorrectly but now I not sure
. The Great Mormon female it seems, is highly variable and able to mimic other species. Factor in interbreeding and naming them on appearance alone, becomes an impossible task?
Anyway, lets see how I do with these:- Thanks
Phil
Initially I used the identification hand-outs as a guide for naming them, but after seeking further help on the net it soon became clear that species which looked superficially the same, were being given different names. In the event, my 'research' simply involved looking at dozens of pictures on google in various websites before making my mind up. My thought at the time was that many on the web were named incorrectly but now I not sure
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
Anyway, lets see how I do with these:- Thanks
Phil