Observation date: June 09, 2024
Submitted by: Dogoszhi
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Wing wear patterns confirm that all photos are same individual (besides, I saw only one and followed it around). Note yellow tegula spots, multiple rows of abdomen spots, centered black spots at hind wing anal angles. Still, the postmedian bands of yellow spots on front wing look more like P. indra. Will be interesting to see the reviewer's ID. Moving from one golden-banner (Thermopsis) flower cluster to the next, in a meadow. Sunny, shirtsleeve temperatures, light breeze.
Status: Resident
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: June 10, 2024
Coordinator notes: Your multiple excellent images show everything we need to see, but it's still a tough call because of wear on the individual and intermediacy in some key characters. The rows of yellow dots on the abdomen narrow it down to polyxenes or (machaon) bairdii (indra is all black except for dab of yellow near the back). Tegulae are intermediate, but more bairdii (yellow) than polyxenes (black); the black pupil in the red eyespot seems centered as in polyxenes; the ventral hindwing postmedian band is more yellow (bairdii) than polyxenes (orange). On a different day the analysis might go the other way. Thanks for submitting!
