Papilio canadensis

Resident throughout North America (Scott 1986), except in the Western United States south of British Columbia and West of the Rocky Mountains. Habitats are DECIDUOUS WOODED AREAS. Host plants include species from many families. Hosts are usually shrubs or trees. Eggs are laid on the host plant singly. Individuals overwinter as pupae. There is one flight each year with the approximate flight time JUN1-JUL31 depending on latitude (Scott 1986). Some authors consider P. canadiensis a subspecies of P. glaucus (Scott 1986).

Throughout most of Alberta, there are no species that can be confused with the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail. The large size (85 - 100mm wingspan) and black stripe through the middle of the hindwing distinguish it from the Old World and Anise Swallowtails (P. machaon and P. zelicaon). In the extreme southern part of the province, from the Crowsnest region south and east to the Saskatchewan border, three other Swallowtails could be encountered that are superficially similar. The Two-tailed Swallowtail (P. multicaudatus) is larger (wingspan usually over 100mm), has narrower black stripes, and has two rather than one tail per hindwing. Pale or faded female P. canadensis are similar to the Pale Swallowtail (P. eurymedon), but the black stripes of P. eurymedon are much broader, and the ground colour of eurymedon is white or creamy white, never pale yellow. A third species may be present in the Waterton - Crowsnest area, the Western Tiger Swallowtail (P. rutulus), which has yellow rather than red spots along the margin of the hindwing underside. No subspecies are currently recognized. Royal Alberta Museum page

The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail occurs through most of Canada and Alaska (but not in the high arctic), south to the northern tier of the U.S. (Opler 1999).

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Boreal forests and parkland aspen groves, local in the prairie grasslands.

Comments: A forest and woodland species including openings, trails and roadsides, but probably not regularly occurring in open habitat away from woods in most of range. Occasionally shrubby tundra.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Larvae feed on willows (Salix spp.), Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) and cultivated crab apple (Malus spp.). Adults nectar at a wide variety of flowers, particularly dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), cultivated lilacs, dogbane (Apocynum spp.) and Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlandicum) (Hooper 1973).

Adults feed mainly from nectar or carrion. Males patrol for females (Scott, 1986).

One brood per year, the peak flight period occurring from early June to early July.

The eggs are smooth, green and round (Bird et al. 1995). Early instar larvae resemble bird droppings, while mature larvae are velvety green with a pair of eyespots and a yellow and black stripe on the mid-thoracic segment (Guppy & Shepard 2001). Pupae overwinter, and are light brown with a darker brown lateral stripe (Guppy & Shepard 2001). Males patrol along forest edges to search for females, often along the canopy or subcanopy of aspen woods, and sip moisture at mud and sand.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 27
Specimens with Barcodes: 71
Species With Barcodes: 1

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 26 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Not of concern, a widespread, usually common species.

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure