Wednesday, November 17, 2021

November 17, 2021


Black Swallowtail - Papilio polyxenes
I am a Black Swallowtail butterfly
I am indirectly associated with Socrates
We both consumed poison hemlock
I'm alive due to my different biology.

(To quote the UFL article below, "Black swallowtail caterpillars are able to detoxify the furanocoumarin chemicals (particularly the linear forms) in these and other toxic Apiaceae (Berenbaum 1981)." Read also the other linked articles for information on furanocoumarin and how it can affect humans.)

Location: Kissimmee Prairie State Park

Sources: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN906

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