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Pipevine Swallowtail (female)
Battus philenor
29.7252, -99.0742
Field Notes
Description:
AKA Blue Swallowtail - Butterflies of America lists 5 subspecies, of which 2 are native to our area: philenor (Linnaeus, 1771): hirsuta (Skinner, 1908) - Wingspan 70-130 mm. - Iridescent blue/black pattern on upper surface is distinctive when fresh. Can be confused with other members of its mimicry complex--see comments below. The Pipevine flutters its wings incessantly while nectaring--I suspect this is part of its mechanisms for advertising distastefulness. (This is original speculation by the author--PC.) Some others in its complex, notably the Black Swallowtail, seem to do this too. - Male has very iridescent upper surfaces of hindwings. Female has less striking iridescence. Underside has a single median row of orange spots which do not touch each other. - Caterpillar is quite distinctive, may be a mimic of the tropical onychophorans, called velvet worms. Dark brownish black (occasionally smoky red) with soft fleshy tentacle-like projections, usually red-orange dorsal warts over abdomen. Tentacles on T1 twice as long as those on following segments. (I did find a caterpillar in another post. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/15907249 )
Habitat:
Range Southern United States, to southern Mexico. - In eastern US, old fields, etc. near woodlands with hostplant. Mid-summer in eastern United States. Does not fly as late into fall as other swallowtails. Caterpillars present from June into fall in temperate areas. (here in my area, they are present even throughout winter.) - Larvae feed on Aristolochia species. These include "Pipevine" or "Dutchman's Pipe", Aristolochia species (tomentosa, durior, reticulata, californica), as well as Virginia Snakeroot, Aristolochia serpentaria. Larvae presumably take up toxic secondary compounds (including Aristolochic acid) from their hostplant. Both larvae and adults are believed toxic to vertebrate predators, and both have aposematic (warning) coloration. - Adults nectar on a variety of flowers, including asteraceae. Males take fluids from damp sand.
Notes:
Found in my garden waterfall. Ever since I planted these, the Swallow tails actually stick around.
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