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Are pipevine swallowtail butterflies rare?
Although the Pipevine Swallowtail is not listed as a rare butterfly, native stands of pipevine are becoming less and less common. There are many locations where the local pipevine population has dropped so low that the Pipevine Swallowtail is no longer sighted.
What does a pipevine swallowtail turn into?
So when the caterpillar goes through metamorphosis, the resulting butterfly has the toxin. Even the eggs have the toxin! In butterfly form, the pipevine swallowtail deters predators by secreting the liquid through a gland on its abdomen.
Why are pipevine swallowtails 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.
What is the meaning of a swallowtail?
Definition of swallowtail 1 : a deeply forked and tapering tail (as of a swallow) 2 : tailcoat. 3 : any of various usually large brightly marked butterflies (family Papilionidae, especially genus Papilio) with each hind wing typically having an elongated process.
What does a pipevine look like?
Pipevine or Dutchman’s pipe is a picturesque, deciduous vine, climbing 20-35 ft. by means of twining stems. Fast-growing, green stems bear large (12 in.), heart-shaped leaves, dark-green above and pale-gray beneath.
What does a pipevine butterfly look like?
Females are a fairly uniform black on top, with a row of white spots along the lower wing edge. Males display that distinctive iridescent blue. Both have a row of orange and white spots on their underwings, backed by blue. Check out 6 common swallowtail butterflies you should know.
Is Dutchman’s pipe poisonous to humans?
All members of Aristolochia macrophylla contain the natural substance aristolochic acid. This acid is toxic to humans.
Can you touch pipevine swallowtail caterpillars?
One more note about the Black Swallowtail caterpillar: it is safe to humans to hold and touch the caterpillar. It is not always safe for the caterpillar, however. The smaller they are, the more delicate they are. Also, they will molt as they grow (see life cycle of a butterfly for more information).
What do monarch butterflies mean?
Monarch Butterfly Symbolism “The monarch butterfly considered to be the king of butterflies and the most beautiful of all butterflies in the world,” Panescu says. “They represent strength, endurance, spirituality, trust, sustaining what they believe, transformation, and evolution.”
What does hairstreak mean?
Definition of hairstreak : any of a subfamily (Theclinae of the family Lycaenidae) of small butterflies usually having striped markings on the underside of the wings and thin filamentous projections from the hind wings.
How do you identify pipevine?
What is a pipevine swallowtail?
The pipevine swallowtail, Battus philenor (L.), is one of our most beautiful swallowtails. It is also known as the blue swallowtail (e.g., Howe 1988, Iftner et al. 1992).
What is a mimic swallowtail caterpillar?
All the mimics have white on wing edges, in parallel with their dots or bars. Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars feed exclusively on plants in the genus Aristolochia (a group of plants known as Dutchman’s pipes).
What is male-specific iridescent coloration in the pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor)?
Male-specific iridescent coloration in the pipevine swallowtail butterfly ( Battus philenor) is used in mate choice by females but not sexual discrimination by males. Journal of Insect Behavior 26: 200-211. Rutowski RL, Nahm AC, Macedonia JM. 2010.
Why is it called a blue swallowtail?
The Pipevine swallowtail’s lovely blue hindwings inspired its other common name, the Blue swallowtail. Pipevine swallowtails rely on plants in the genus Aristolochia as their host plants. Plants in this genus are commonly called pipevines since flowers of some species resemble tobacco pipes.