Color Quantification of Lepidoptera

The purpose of this study was to quantify the color patterns among different species of tiger swallowtail butterflies. It was hypothesized that the more southern species (Papilio multicaudatus) would have wing coloration with more orange, which was based on the geographical coloration patterns of other butterfly species. Three species were studied, the eastern tiger swallowtail (P. glaucus), western tiger swallowtail (P. rutulus), and the two-tailed tiger swallowtail (P. multicaudatus). In this experiment, LensEye™ was used to color quantify approximately 1,100 individuals. The hypothesis was supported, however, it is unclear at this time of the adaptive value of having orange coloration at lower latitudes.