Range:
This Swallowtail ranges from Alaska and the Yukon Territory south through British
Columbia and east across Canada to the east coast. It extends into the extreme
northern U.S. from northeastern Washington to central Michigan, and from northern
New York into New England. It occurs in the panhandle of Idaho.
Habitat:
It can be found in and along deciduous and mixed forests.
Diet:
Caterpillar:
Caterpillars feed on the leaves of several species of trees: birches (Betula
spp.), aspen (Populus spp.), crabapple (Malus spp.), and black
cherry (Prunus serotina.).
Adult:
Butterflies drink flower nectar.
Ecology:
Caterpillars construct small feeding structures from folded leaves tied
and lined with silk.
There is only one generation of caterpillars each year. Pupae overwinter in a physiological state called
diapause, with
the adults generally emerging to fly from May to mid-August. Males may often
be observed puddling.
This species may hybridize
with Papilio rutulus, the Western Tiger Swallowtail, but such pairings
are rare.
Reproduction:
Males actively patrol
in search of receptive females. Females lay eggs singly on the leaves of host plants
.
Conservation:
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Global Rank: | G5; populations are widespread, abundant, and secure. |
Opler, P. A., H. Pavulaan, and R. E. Stanford. 1995. Butterflies of North America. Jamestown, North Dakota, USA: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Home Page. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/bflyusa.htm (Version 05Nov98).
Opler, P. A. and A. B.Wright. 1999. A Field Guide to the Western Butterflies. Second Edition. Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, New York, USA, 540 pp.
Pyle, R. M. 1981. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, New York, USA, 924 pp.
Scott, J. A. 1986. The Butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, USA, 583 pp.
Stanford, R. E. and P. A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western U.S.A. Butterflies (Including Adjacent Parts of Canada and Mexico). Published by authors, Denver, Colorado, USA, 275 pp.