Battus (butterfly)

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.^[1] Since birds avoid these butterflies, other swallowtail species mimic their coloration. The common North American species are Battus polydamas and Battus philenor.

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

Etymology

In Greek mythology, Battus is a shepherd who witnessed Hermes stealing Apollo's cattle. Because he broke his promise not to reveal this theft, Hermes turned him to stone.

Species

Listed alphabetically within groups:^[2][3]

subgenus: Battuosa Möhn, 1999

species group: belus Möhn, 1999

• Battus belus (Cramer, 1777) – Belus swallowtail
• Battus crassus (Cramer, 1777) – Crassus swallowtail
• Battus eracon (Godman & Salvin, 1897) – west-Mexican swallowtail, Colima swallowtail
• Battus ingenuus (Dyar, 1907) – Dyar's swallowtail, confused swallowtail
• Battus laodamas (C. & R. Felder, 1859) – green-patch swallowtail, yellow-spotted swallowtail
• Battus lycidas (Cramer, [1777]) – Cramer's swallowtail, yellow-trailed swallowtail
• Battus polystictus (Butler, 1874)

species group: madyes Möhn, 1999

• Battus madyes (Doubleday, 1846) – Madyes swallowtail

subgenus: Battus Möhn, 1999

species group: philenor

• Battus devilliersii (Godart, 1823)
• Battus philenor (Linnaeus, 1771) – pipevine swallowtail
• Battus zetides (Munroe, 1971) – Zetides swallowtail

species group: polydamus Möhn, 1999

• Battus polydamas (Linnaeus, 1758) – Polydamas swallowtail, gold rim swallowtail, or tailless swallowtail

• 
  Museum specimen of Battus philenor
• 
  Battus philenor caterpillar, high-temperature red form
• 
  Battus philenor caterpillar, low temperature black form
• 
  Battus philenor pupa