Black Swallowtail Caterpillar
When provoked, the larvae of this species sprout eversible orange horns called osmeterium, which release a foul odor in order to deter predators. The osmeterium is a defensive, glandular organ that is coated in stinky chemicals, and is located at the base of the caterpillar's head. The osmeterial odor changes between species and within the life stages of the caterpillars. This particular caterpillar's osmeterium smelled like rancid citrus. The larvae of this species changes color quite dramatically with each molt. This caterpillar was mostly black with white stripes and yellow dots.
The Black Swallowtail is a butterfly found throughout much of North America. It is the state butterfly of Oklahoma. An extremely similar-appearing species, "Papilio joanae", occurs in the Ozark Mountains region, but it appears to be closely related to "Papilio machaon", rather than "P. polyxenes".
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Posted 5 years ago, modified 5 years ago