Pipevine Swallowtail

November 17, 2024 Post a Comment

Pipevine swallowtail

The butterfly is common in open habitats and gardens, and produces 2-4 broods per year.

How big is a pipevine swallowtail?

Butterfly: Wingspan: 2 - 3 inches (7.0-8.6 cm). Pipevine Swallowtails are large black butterflies with fairly short hindwing tails. The top surface is black with striking blue or blue-green iridescence on the hindwings. Females have less iridescence.

Is pipevine swallowtail native to California?

The California Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor hirsuta) is a native and endemic butterfly to California. A beautiful butterfly with tropical origins, California Pipevine Swallowtails only naturally use native California Pipevine (Aristolochia californica) as its larval host plant.

Who discovered the pipevine swallowtail?

The pipevine swallowtail was originally described by Linnaeus (1771) and placed in the genus Papilio with the other swallowtails. It was later moved to the genus Battus (Scopoli 1777). The name “Battus” is from Battus I, founder of the ancient Greek colony Cyrenaica and its capital, Cyrene, in Africa.

Can you touch a Pipevine Swallowtail?

In an article by the Napa Valley Master Gardeners, we picked up this information on the toxicity of the plant to the pipevine swallowtail. "All parts of the pipevine plant, including the seed pods, are toxic to humans.

What is the rarest butterfly on earth?

They are the bay checkerspot, Fender's blue, crystal skipper, the Miami blue, Saint Francis' satyr, and the rarest butterfly in the world, the Schaus swallowtail, whose habitat is sadly found in the sprawling metropolis of Miami. Of all six species together, only about 3,000 remain.

Is the Pipevine Swallowtail poisonous?

"Don't eat 'em; they're quite poisonous." Both the caterpillar and the adult are poisonous. The caterpillars of the Pipevine Swallowtail feed on the poisonous host plant, Aristolochia, also known as the pipevine, Dutchman's pipe or birthwort. It contains the lethal toxin aristolochic acid.

Can you touch a swallowtail caterpillar?

Most caterpillars are perfectly safe to handle. Painted lady and swallowtail caterpillars are common examples. Even the monarch butterfly caterpillar, though toxic if eaten, does nothing more than tickle you when held.

Can pipevine grow in shade?

Dutchman's pipe thrives in rich, moist, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Plant seeds outdoors as soon as the soil warms in spring. Site this fast-growing vine at the base of a sturdy climbing structure like a well-anchored trellis, a pergola, or even a chain-link fence.

What does a Pipevine Swallowtail turn into?

Like many insects, California pipevine swallowtails display complete metamorphosis: the egg, an active and hungry caterpillar stage, a pupal stage, and the final adult stage as a butterfly.

Why are swallowtails endangered?

Habitat loss, pesticide use, and other human activities limited this beautiful butterfly's range and decimated the population. Now you can find it in just a few Keys, and its main stronghold is in Biscayne National Park. The Schaus swallowtail has been listed under the Endangered Species Act since April 28, 1976.

What is special about swallowtail butterfly?

Swallowtail butterflies practice Batesian mimicry, a behavior in which the butterflies' appearance closely resemble that of distasteful species that prevents predation. Swallowtails differ from many animals that practice mimicry.

Are Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars poisonous to humans?

What eats Pipevine Swallowtail?

What do they eat? Caterpillars (larvae) eat the leaves and seedpods of the pipevine plant. Adult butterflies feed on a variety of plants for their nectar and may also seek out minerals at puddles.

What plants do Pipevine Swallowtail like?

To attract this particular butterfly, you need to grow California pipevine (Aristolochia californica). This plant is the only food that Pipevine Swallowtail larva or caterpillars (also known as cats) eat before they go into the pupa.

Should I remove swallowtail caterpillar?

If you see one in your garden, I encourage you to let it eat whichever plant it's on! You can also (gently) move a swallowtail caterpillar on dill to another host plant, though they don't like to be moved when they're ready to molt.

Should I bring swallowtail caterpillars inside?

Black Swallowtail butterflies are great to raise indoors for several reasons including abundance, plentiful food source, attractive and interesting caterpillars, and of course beautiful butterflies.

Do swallowtail butterflies bite?

They can't hurt you at all they don't even have teeth. They don't even have mouths.

What butterfly is born without a mouth?

The eye-catching critter is easily recognizable because of its wings. But that's not the luna moth's only interesting feature. The insect doesn't have a mouth or a digestive system. That's because it only lives for about a week after leaving the cocoon, and it doesn't ever eat.

Is there a vampire butterfly?

Some butterflies don't only look like horror movie stars, but are horrors in themselves. Milkweed butterflies (Danainae) — the same subfamily that includes the regal monarch — are vampiric cannibals that use clawed feet to tear open their own caterpillars and mercilessly suck the guts out of them.