The habitat of zebra swallowtails includes those regions where pawpaw trees grow abundantly. Such a butterfly, after emergence, may live up to six months in their natural habitat. Once they emerge, there is no growth stage for these butterflies and they will start reproducing. Some pupae spend the entire winter in hibernation, before emerging as butterflies. A period of around one month is required for the eggs to develop into zebra swallowtail butterflies. They also have a silk ring around their thorax. They hang with their heads upwards, binding to a stem or leaf with the tail. ![]() The pupa is usually green or brown in color, and is small and compact as compared to that of the other swallowtails. These caterpillars live and pupate underneath the leaves of pawpaw trees. The second type, which is rarely seen, is black with white and orange stripes. ![]() They have a band of three colors (yellow, black and bluish-white) between the thorax and the abdomen. The most common form is green with white and yellow horizontal stripes. There are two types of stripe patterns in older larvae, which are hairless. The larvae are black in color on hatching, but as they grow, stripes develop. The color of the eggs changes from light green to golden brown, after three to four days. After mating, the female butterflies lay spherical eggs on the leaves of the pawpaw trees. Male zebra swallowtail butterflies fly around the host plants (pawpaws) in search of females. It is the official state butterfly of Tennessee. The zebra swallowtail butterfly ( Protographium marcellus) is mainly found in the southeast parts of the United States and certain regions of Canada. In spring forms, the tails are small and black, with white tips, whereas summer forms have longer tails with a prominent white color. It has been observed that the spring forms are smaller and whiter when compared to the summer forms. There are two seasonal forms of zebra swallowtail butterflies – spring forms and summer forms (adult butterflies emerging from the pupa stage during spring or summer). The wingspan of these butterflies range between 7 to 11 centimeters. The margins of the hind wings are scalloped. Their hind wings may also have two blue markings at the base, and a red spot close to the body. This butterfly has tail-like extensions on its hind wings, and hence the name, swallowtail. The proboscis of the zebra swallowtail is much shorter than other swallowtail butterflies, so they are attracted to shorter, flatter flowers rather than long, tube-shaped blooms.As the name rightly suggests, the characteristic feature of a zebra swallowtail butterfly is the black and white stripes on its wings.They obtain salt and other nutrients this way. Small groups of males often congregate on moist sand and soil.Zebra swallowtails are also known as the pawpaw butterfly, kite swallowtail and ajax.It takes about one month for a zebra swallowtail to mature from egg to adult. Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar morphs into an adult butterfly. It sheds its skin and forms a cocoon called a chrysalis. Once it is fully grown, the caterpillar uses silk to attach itself to a stem or leaf. After hatching, caterpillars live on the paw paw leaves as they eat and grow. After mating, females lay single green eggs on the underside of paw paw leaves or on paw paw trunks. Males patrol the understory to find a mate. Reproduction and Life Cycleīreeds in moist, wooded areas where paw paws grow. The zebra swallowtail flies erratically and low to the ground with shallow wingbeats. PredatorsĮggs are sometimes parasitized by trichogramma wasps and larvae are parasitized by tachinid flies. FeedingĪdults feed on nectar from flowers such as redbud, milkweed and verbena. They have two color stages: green with yellow and black bands, and dark brown with orange and white bands. Zebra swallowtails have reddish antennae.Ĭaterpillars are hairless. The wings are smaller and lighter-colored in early spring. Its wingspan grows to approximately 2 to 4 inches. Two blue spots and long, thin tails appear at the ends of the wings, and red spots appear on the wings near the lower part of the body. Zebra swallowtails have long, triangular wings with black, zebra-like stripes on a whitish background. ![]() It lives in moist, low woodlands where its host plant, the paw paw tree, grows. The zebra swallowtail is a butterfly with thick, black stripes on its white wings.
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