Butterflies – Tailed Jay – Graphium agamemnon
Photographed at the Carleton University “Live” Butterfly exhibit in the Fall of 2010. (Location)
Not surprisingly, given its wing shape and coloration when opened, the Tailed Jay is often referred to by its other common. more clearly descriptive names – The Green Spotted Triangle or the Spotted Green Kite. It is a large butterfly and its bright green coloration makes it an instant hit in the butterfly conservatory display industry. It also helps when the Tailed Jay comes for a piece of fresh orange held out to it by an excited youngster.
The Tailed Jay is native of Malaysia and south-east Asia where its coloration helps to camouflage it in the rain forest environment that it inhabits. Its range extends southward into northern Queensland.
The Tailed Jay is a member of the Swallowtail family of butterflies (Papilionidae) which includes the Tiger Swallowtail common in Eastern North America.
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