ENT532: Image of swallowtail (Papilionidae) on joe-pye weed (Eutrochium sp.)
This photo of a swallowtail (Papilionidae) on joe-pye weed (Eutrochium sp.) was taken at Powdermill Nature Reserve in Rector, PA. I observed a patch of flowers in a meadow for approximately one hour (2024-09-01T10:57:00/2024-00-01T12:00:00). I noticed several butterflies, including this swallowtail, visiting exclusively joe-pye weed, despite other flower species nearby, including goldenrod (Solidago sp.) and ironweed (Vernonia sp.). The butterflies often visited a flower soon after another butterfly left or at the same time as another butterfly. This made me wonder whether butterflies can spread pathogens by foraging from the same flowers-- I know that this has been shown to be possible in bees. There were several bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) visiting the same flowers as well. Are there common pathogens between bees and butterflies? Seeing all of the butterflies land on the same few flowers of the same species made me curious whether generalists or specialists are more likely to acquire pathogens while foraging. I would hypothesize that specialists are more likely to forage in close proximity to individuals of the same species who are more likely to harbor pathogens that could be harmful to them, while generalists may encounter a greater diversity of insects and thus a greater diversity of pathogens. Regardless, I would predict that when there are fewer floral resources, pathogens are more likely to be spread, both because more individuals must visit the same flowers and nutritional stress weakens immune response.
This image was deposited for ENT 532: Insect Biodiversity and Evolution in Fall 2024.
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| Work Title | ENT532: Image of swallowtail (Papilionidae) on joe-pye weed (Eutrochium sp.) |
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| License | CC0 1.0 (Public Domain Dedication) |
| Work Type | Image |
| Publication Date | September 3, 2024 |
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| DOI | doi:10.26207/d5g8-az56 |
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| Deposited | September 03, 2024 |
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