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Stripes, Spots and Chequering, Pt. 2 - _TNY_6011

The citrus swallowtail (Papilio demodocus), also known as the Christmas butterfly or lime swallowtail, can be found in the entire sub-Saharan part of Africa, including Madagascar.

 

I have not been there though as I shot this one here in Stockholm, Sweden, at the Haga Ocean butterfly house in Solna on the north side of Stockholm.

 

In parts of Africa, including Kenya, the caterpillars are known as "orange dogs", a name that really puzzled me until I reallized that they lay their eggs on citrus trees, including orange trees so the orange in "orange dog" references the fruit and not the colour. Where the name Christmas butterfly stems from remains a mystery though.

 

Like all my shots from this butterfly house, this one was taken without flash which is a bit of a challenge, but I think the detail came out alright anyway though it obviously would have been way better if flash had been allowed.

 

Part 1 has the same butterfly on a rock instead: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51920733707/

 

For an shot more from the front of the same species taken in the same place back in 2017, please have a look here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50953053308/

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Uploaded on April 25, 2022
Taken on March 3, 2022