Tres Marias Firefly vs Mocker Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tres Marias Firefly Mocker Swallowtail
Scientific Name Photinus knabi Papilio dardanus
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Lampyridae Papilionidae
Size 7-10 mm 80-105 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions North America, Mexico Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Tres Marias Firefly

A small firefly native to Mexico with a yellowish-green flash. It has a dark body with a pale-bordered pronotum and is found in tropical deciduous forests.

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Did You Know?

Many Photinus species in Mexico remain poorly studied, with their flash patterns and mating behaviors largely undocumented.

Mocker Swallowtail

A remarkable swallowtail where females mimic several different toxic butterfly species while males look completely different. Males are yellow and black with tails.

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Did You Know?

Females can occur in over a dozen different color forms, each mimicking a different toxic butterfly species.