Battus (butterfly)
| Battus | |
|---|---|
| Pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) | |
| Polydamas swallowtail (Battus polydamas) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Papilionidae |
| Tribe: | Troidini |
| Genus: | Battus Scopoli, 1777 |
| Type species | |
| Papilio polydamas Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
Battus is a New World genus of butterflies that are usually found around pipevine (genus Aristolochia) plants. The caterpillars feed off the poisonous pipevines, making the insects poisonous themselves; they taste very bad to ward off predators. Since birds avoid these butterflies, other swallowtail species mimic their coloration. The common North American species are Battus polydamas and Battus philenor.
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