Observation date: May 05, 2020
Submitted by: dbrudin
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Feeding on flowering Golden Currant in my backyard. Very forgiving and easy to approach. (How can I eliminate Indra as a possibility?)
Status: Resident
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: May 23, 2020
Coordinator notes: Your suggested ID is correct, a (most likely) male Eastern Black Swallowtail. The Eastern Black Swallowtail has a dotted abdomen, while the Indra Swallowtail does not. The closest look-alike, though, is probably the Western Black Swallowtail, Papilio machaon bairdii. However, P. m. bairdii is extremely rare east of the Continental Divide, so I probably wouldn’t even worry about it as a possibility. Thanks for submitting your sighting!
