Papilio cresphontes
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| Cramer , 1777 |
Papilio cresphontes , sometimes Big swallowtail , means Tiger Swallowtail or Brazilian dovetail called, is a butterfly ( butterfly ) from the family of the swallowtail butterfly (Papilionidae).
description
butterfly
The moths reach a wingspan of 100 to 160 millimeters, making them the largest day butterfly species in North America. The forewings are elongated and of a blackish-brown basic color. A yellow band formed from spots runs from the apex , which widens towards the root field and continues on the hind wings. There are yellow spots on the outer edge of the forewings. The hind wings are also black-brown, slightly toothed and have a long tail. This contains a yellow eye spot that is usually elongated. Near the edge of the hind wings there is a series of yellow arc spots, some of which run into each other and thus act like a bandage. At the lower inner edge there is a black eye spot, above which a reddish, upwardly bluish, crescent-shaped spot becomes clear.
Caterpillar
The caterpillars have an alternating black-brown and whitish color and resemble bird droppings, which means they are well camouflaged from predators. In case of danger they can also turn out a red osmaterium .
Caterpillar
egg
Doll
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Similar species
The butterfly is very similar to the king swallowtail ( Papilio thoas ), which is, however, usually somewhat smaller (maximum wingspan 140 millimeters). Some authors state that P. cresphontes has only three yellow spots on the outer edge of the forewings towards Thomus , while P. thoas shows four of them. Specialists should nevertheless be consulted for a reliable determination.
distribution and habitat
Papilio cresphontes is widespread mainly in the east and south of the USA and is also found on the Bermuda Islands, on Cuba , in Central America and as far as Venezuela and Colombia . The species colonizes very different habitats, for example sandy or rocky hilly landscapes, riparian zones or orchards.
Way of life
The moths form two generations per year in the northern parts of the range and fly from May to September. In Florida they can be seen all year round. They like to visit different flowers to take in nectar. These include lantana ( Lantana ), azaleas and bougainvillea .
The caterpillars feed polyphagously on various diamond plants (Rutaceae), such as citrus plants ( Citrus ), Zanthoxylum and clover elm ( Ptelea trifoliata ). In orange plantations , they sometimes appear as an agricultural pest and are then referred to as "Orange Dogs" in the USA. Pupation takes place as a belt doll . This is often attached to thin trunks and then gives it the appearance of a dry, broken branch.
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ Elizabeth Balmer: Butterflies: Recognize and Determine. Parragon Books Ltd., 2007, ISBN 9781407512037 , p. 37
- ↑ how-can-you-tell-a-king-swallowtailthoas-swallowtail-papilio-thoas-from-a-giant-swallowtail-papilio ( Memento of the original from August 17, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ orange-dog-caterpillar ( Memento of the original from September 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 335 kB)
- ↑ butterfliesofamerica.com
literature
- James A. Scott: The Butterflies of North America , Stanford University Press, Stanford CA., 1992, ISBN 0-8047-2013-4
- Kenn Kaufman, Jim P. Brock: "Swallowtails and Parnassians". Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America, Houghton Mifflin Books, 2003, ISBN 978-0-618-76826-4 .
Web links
- papilio_cresphontes_live Photos Falter
- www.nic.funet.fi occurrence