A female Papilio canadensis (Lepidoptera : Papilionidae) puddles with males

摘要

Puddling in female butterflies is rare. When it has been reported in Papilio females they were alone and usually worn, unlike males which cluster and are usually recently eclosed. A fresh female of P. canadensis was found puddling on fresh mammal dung with a group of nine R canadensis males. To my, knowledge, such an observation has never been reported for any species of the swallowtail butterflies (Papilionidae).