Leonidas swallowtail (Graphium leonidas)

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Photo by dotun55

Published on Project Noah

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6.45506, 3.39418

Field Notes

Description:

Large butterfly with light blue patches on black wings. Closely resembles, or possibly a mimic of the Dappled Monarch (Tirumala petiverana) which also like this one has no tail. See >> http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/30452019

Habitat:

Wet ground behind the building.

Notes:

Butterfly, puddling and squirting simultaneously.
This is the first time that I would observe this phenomenon in butterflies. It is obvious that some butterflies do not retain all the solution imbibed from puddles, but rather expel some water from the solution as the small quick stream (shown in the video), after the essential nutrients from the solution may have been filtered into the butterfly's system.

Reference Links:

Graphium leonidas, Butterflies of Africa - Graphium leonidas

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