Butterflies of Indiana: A Field Guide

Swallowtails

2 Swallowtails Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus glaucus) Identification: 1 Male yellow with black stripes 2 Female similar, but more extensive blue on hindwing 3 Forewing with row of yellow spots 4 Underside pale yellow with dark stripes (sexes similar) Habitat: Woodlands, fields, yards, gardens Larval hosts: Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) [159], Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) [163], and many other trees Notes: Common. Females occur in two color forms. Yellow form “turnus” is more common in northern Indiana than dark form “glaucus” [7,9]. Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio appalachiensis) Identification: 1 Males striped similar to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, but wings much larger 2 Females similar but with more blue (but less blue than female Eastern Tiger) 3 Hindwing longer and more angular than Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 4 Forewing underside yellow spots merge to form a continuous band 5 Hindwing spots rectangular, less crescent-shaped than Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 6 Hindwing scallops angular, less curved than Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Habitat: Woodlands and woodland openings Larval hosts: Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) [163], and possibly other trees Notes: A recently described species from the southern Appalachians (Pavulaan and Wright 2002, 2004) that may occur in southern Indiana. Eastern Tigers have several flights per year, including one in spring, from April to early May. Appalachian Tigers have only one, emerging in mid to late May as the first flight of Eastern Tigers disappears. Although the heart of the Appalachian Tigers ’ range is in the Appalachians, recent sightings suggest its range may be similar to Dusky Azure [25], an Appalachian species which occurs in Indiana. I have seen swallowtails with some of the above traits in Perry County, but whether a population of Appalachian Tigers exists there or if they are variants of Eastern Tiger needs further study. Emergence times and pattern variations within a swallowtail population must be known before identifying Appalachian Tigers. As with Eastern Tiger, there is a dark form female [7,9]. Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) Identification: 1 White with black stripes 2 Hindwing with red spots (size of spots varies by season) 3 Tails long (length of tail and amount of white on tail varies by season) Habitat: Woodlands, woodland edges Larval hosts: Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) [159] Notes: Adults appear in three successive flights, marked by slight differences in Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus glaucus) Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D ) [163], and possibly other trees A recently described species from the southern Appalachians (Pavulaan and Wright 2002, 2004) that may occur in southern Indiana. Eastern Tigers C 2-11 Swallowtails.indd 2 8/7/12 1:29 PM 3 Large, striped half life size 3 life size life size Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail Zebra Swallowtail female, yellow form “turnus” female, yellow form male male Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail female, yellow form 1 1 female, yellow form female, 4 3 3 5 6 2 4 2 “marcellus” “telamonides” “telamonides” 1 1 3 2 2 “telamonides” “telamonides” Zebra Swallowtail Zebra Swallowtail “telamonides” “telamonides” 3 Zebra Swallowtail 3 3 Zebra Swallowtail Zebra Swallowtail Zebra Swallowtail Zebra Swallowtail Zebra Swallowtail Zebra Swallowtail Zebra Swallowtail 3 2 “lecontei” C 2-11 Swallowtails.indd 3 8/7/12 1:29 PM 4 Swallowtails size and pattern. The first, form “marcellus,” with comparatively short tails and large red spots on the upperside hindwing, are some of the first butterflies to appear in spring, usually in early to mid-April. The second, form “telamonides ,” fly in May and have longer tails and less red. Form “lecontei,” flying in June through August, have even longer tails and little, if any, red. Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius) Identification, upperside: (underside, see page 9) 1 Black, with two rows of yellow spots 2 Female similar to male but with smaller yellow spots 3 Female similar to male but with more blue on hindwing 4 Underside orange band not broken by blue (see also page 9) Habitat: Old fields, roadsides, gardens Larval hosts: Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) [153], Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), and other carrots (Apiaceae) Notes: Females (and the underside of males) mimic the Pipevine Swallowtail (Poulton 1909; Codella and Lederhouse 1989). Often found in gardens, where the larvae eat parsley, fennel, dill, and other carrots. Many plants in the carrot family (Apiaceae) possess toxic compounds which inhibit growth and are lethal to most...