Papilio zelicaon

Resident in western North America (Scott 1986). Habitats are MOUNTAINS. Host plants include many mostly herbaceous species family of UMBELLIFERAE, and trees and herbs in family RUTACEAE. Eggs are laid on the host plant singly. Individuals overwinter as pupae. There are a variable number of flights based on latitude each year with the approximate flight time MAY1-JUN15 in the northern part of the range and MAR1-SEP30 in the southern part of their range (Scott 1986).

This species is similar to subspecies of the Old World Swallowtail (P. machaon). The Anise Swallowtail occurs together with P. machaon throughout most of Alberta, and the following characters will distinguish these two species in most cases: the black pupil of the hindwing eyespot is centered and unconnected in P. zelicaon, while in P. machaon it is connected to the wing margin or positioned below the red scales. Differences in the mitchondrial DNA also distinguish these species (Sperling & Harrison 1994). Hybrid individuals displaying characters intermediate between P. machaon and P. zelicaon are occasionally found where the range of these species overlap, and can be common in some regions, such as the central Alberta foothills (Sperling 1987, Sperling 1990). To add to the challenge in identifying members of this confusing group, a black colour form of P. zelicaon, P. m. dodi and zelicaon X machaon hybrids occurs, in which adults have most of the yellow colouration replaced by black (Sperling 1987). The black form of P. zelicaon was once thought to be a separate species, P. nitra.

Distributed from northern BC and Alberta south to Baja California, Mexico and New Mexico (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

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) Pacific coast from British Columbia to Baja California and Mexico, east to eastern edge of Rockies. Scarce in most California deserts.

Occurs in a wide variety of habitats, from alpine meadows to grasslands and forest clearings.

Comments: Almost everywhere except dense forest, from sea level to alpine meadows. Most open to lightly wooded situations that contain foodplant umbellifers are suitable breeding habitats.

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 various umbellifers (Umbelliferae) in Alberta, depending on habitat and geographic location. Confirmed hosts include Cow Parsnip (Heracleum lanatum), several species of Angelica (Angelica arguta, A. dawsoni, A. genuflexa), wild parsleys (Lomatium dissectum, L. triternatum), Water Parsnip (Sium suave), and Heart-leaved Alexanders (Zizia aptera) (Sperling 1987).

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Males both perch and patrol for females (Scott, 1986).

One brood annually, with adults most common between early June and early July.

The immature stages are very similar to the Old World Swallowtail. Eggs are pale yellow and round, with visible reddish areas on the top and sides as the larva develops (Guppy & Shepard 2001). Eggs are laid on the flower heads and leaves of the hostplant (Bird et al. 1995). The first three larval instars resemble bird droppings, coloured black with a white saddle, and later instars are green with black bands and yellow to orange spots (Sperling 1987). The pupa has a projection on each side and a row of projections along the dorsum; it varies in colour from yellow-green to brown (Guppy & Shepard 2001). Adults commonly nectar at Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), and males fly to hilltops to await females (Bird et al. 1995).

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

There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank.   Below is the 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.  Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 36
Species With Barcodes: 1

Not of concern.

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Other Considerations: In San Joaqiun Valley of California, an economic pest of citrus.

Degree of Threat: D : Unthreatened throughout its range, communities may be threatened in minor portions of the range or degree of variation falls within natural variation

Biological Research Needs: None.

Global Protection: Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed

Needs: None.