Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly

The poisonous pipevine swallowtail is a popular model for other butterflies to mimic. Several palatable lepidopterans, such as the spicebush swallowtail, the red spotted purple, and the female Diana fritillary, all take advantage of the toxicity of the species. In an instance of Müllerian mimicry, the pipevine swallowtail also shares its appearance with the noxious viceroy butterfly.