The (badly-photographed) dark butterfly in the earlier post has been identified as a GOLD RIM SWALLOWTAIL / POLYDAMAS SWALLOWTAIL     (Battus Polydamas Lucaeus) 

Thanks to PM for his butterfly ID suggestion (comments on the BUTTERFLIES page). I was cautious about it because the butterfly in question did not seem to have anything that could be described as a wing-tail. However some more research came up with the information that the Polydamus is the only ‘tailless’ swallowtail in the United States. I then found the excellent butterfly section of the website of the Conservancy of South West Florida, where there is a clear photo of the butterfly that wouldn’t keep still for me. Due credits to the site and photographer (see BUTTERFLIES page) and see LINK added to the Blogroll. Grudging credit to PM also.  

16.05.11 Peter Wesley Brown has provided 2 excellent images of this butterfly, now uploaded to the CONTRIBUTIONS / PHOTOGRAPHS page.