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Large Dark Butterflies
Do you struggle to identify the big dark butterflies you see?

There are five big dark butterflies that look very similar here in Central Illinois: four swallowtails and one without tails. Read on to learn what they are, why they look so similar, and how to tell them apart!
Five Very Similar-looking Butterflies That Often Fool Us (and their predators), and How to Tell Them Apart
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The Five Confusing Large Dark Butterflies
Pipevine Swallowtail
(Battus philenor)
This is the species the other four butterflies are mimicking.
Black Swallowtail
(Papilio polyxenes)
Spicebush Swallowtail
(Papilio troilus)
Red-spotted Purple
(Limenitis arthemis)
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How to Tell Them Apart
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Five Very Similar-looking Butterflies That Often Fool Us and How to Tell Them Apart 1. Pipevine Swallowtail
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Five Very Similar-looking Butterflies That Often Fool Us and How to Tell Them Apart 2. Spicebush Swallowtail
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Five Very Similar-looking Butterflies That Often Fool Us and How to Tell Them Apart 3. Black Swallowtail
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Five Very Similar-looking Butterflies That Often Fool Us and How to Tell Them Apart 4. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (dark form female)
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Five Very Similar-looking Butterflies That Often Fool Us and How to Tell Them Apart 5. Red-spotted Purple
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