Landscaping - The Swallowtail -- A Beautiful Butterfly

The Swallowtail -- A Beautiful Butterfly

Swallowtail butterflies are some of the most beautiful butterflies found anywhere. The North American species are large, brightly colored butterflies with tailed, rear wings. There are more than 600 species worldwide with only about 30 of those living in North America. They have wingspans of 2 to 5 ½ inches long.

Most swallowtails belong to four general subgroups. These groups are the Black Swallowtails ( Papilio spp.), Giant Swallowtails ( Heraclides spp.), Tiger Swallowtails(Pterourus spp.), and Pipevine Swallowtails ( Battus spp.).The Zebra Swallowtails belong to another group, Eurytides.

The Black Swallowtails are black with yellow spots or broad yellow bands. Their caterpillars usually feed on plants in the carrot family such as Queen Anne's lace, parsley, or cow parsnip. North American members of this family include Eastern Black, Desert, Short-tailed, Western Black, Oregon, and Anise.

Giant Swallowtails are brown and yellow in color. Their caterpillars prefer citrus plants and trees, torchwood, prickly ash, and pepper plants, In North America you can find Thoas, Giant or Orange Dog, Schaus', and Ruby-spotted members of this group.

The Tiger Swallowtails are colored just as their name suggests, yellow with black stripes. You will find their caterpillars feeding on deciduous trees. They probably have the greatest variety of host plants, but their favorites include willow, cottonwood, birch, ash, poplar, sycamore and cherry trees. The Tiger, Western Tiger, Two-tailed Tiger, Pale Tiger, Spicebush or Green Cloud, and Palamedes all live in North America.

Pipevine Swallowtails are usually blackish in color. Their caterpillars eat pipe vines, aristolochias, which are woody vines with sharp smelling roots. This food makes most of these butterflies not very tasty to most predators. North American species include the Blue Swallowtail and the Gold Rim.

Zebra Swallowtails are aptly named for their color, which resembles that of a zebra, white with black stripes. There are only two members of this group in North America the Zebra and the Dark Zebra Swallowtail. You'll find their caterpillars on pawpaws and other members of the Asimina species. Because of this very specialized host plant, the Zebra numbers have dropped rapidly in recent years.

Have you seen a swallowtail recently?

Christi Vega is the author of "The Joy and Serenity of Creating A Butterfly Garden". Go to http://www.abutterflygarden.com to learn how you can create a beautiful garden that attracts these marvel winged creatures to your home.

You may reprint this article in its entirety as long as the resource box is included.

Car Insurance Rates | Dental Insurance | Health Insurance | Home Owner Insurance | Life Insurance Quote

| 1 | 2 |

Canopy Swings - Escape The Weather With One
Do you love to sit outdoors and swing for hours but have to cut your relaxing excursions short due to the intense sun or brief summ...(related: Landscaping)

Feed The Birds
Elaborate and decorative or simple and functional, birdhouses and birdfeeders are lovingly coveted by many people (and birds)!The collector seeking a new piece for the den or study need only consider personal taste and aesthetics- many who enjoy the careful art and craftsmanship of a beautiful birdhouse or feeder would never think of placing their precious gift outside in the rain and other elements.The serious or novice birder, on the other hand, has just a bit more to consider. With a minimal amount of work and some forethought, anyone interested can enjoy observing and identifying birds from their own urban or ru...(related: Landscaping)

Planning Permission Tips Uk - Landscaping Schemes - Do They Add Value-is It The Chicken Or The Egg?
Have you noticed how everything looks great at the moment - in the garden and parks I mean. Everything seems in bloom, full of colour and life. This is a great time of year for biking as well but that's another story.Can you remember last years new development along your street that now seems a little more integrated into the landscape or street scene?Planting....Its all about planting and using plants and trees to soften new buildings into their environment. In the seventies and eighties this was a very low priority for residential development schemes & even today, poorly landscaped developments look just that unless their new owners have had a sympathetic hand.Landscaping normally falls into two distinct categories - hard ...(related: Landscaping)

Patio Swings Spruce Up Your Outdoor Space With Comfort And Style
Are you looking for a way to spruce up your patio while providing additional seating at the same time? Are you tired and bored of the same old stationary patio seating that can be purchased in most stores? If so, maybe you should consider furnishing your patio with a unique patio swing.In addition to c...(related: Landscaping)

Furniture Benches Are Perfect For Every Outdoor Space
The task of selecting outdoor furniture for your natural spaces can seem daunting at times. There are just so many options to choose from that many people get confused browsing through the large collections that can be found in catalogues, s...(related: Landscaping)

Metal Garden Furniture
Since Victorian times metal garden furniture has become a popular way to decorate gardens. In fact, since this furniture can easily last for many years with the proper maintenance, some people are still using pieces in their gardens that were made in the Victorian era. Metal garden furniture adds both a classic style and durability, which demand that it should be considered as the preferred choice of garden furniture...(related: Landscaping)

Ecological Landscape Design And Organic Lawn Care
There is a growing recognition, that the expanding suburban landscape is having a negative environmental impact. Suburban development often includes vast energy dependant monocultures (perfect, grass lawns). They consume a significant amount of natural resources, (water to keep them green and gasoline to keep them trimmed), and they reduce the amount of habitat available for native wildlife. Over use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides can leach into water supplies and be harmful to children and pets. Trends toward eco...(related: Landscaping)

Tips On How To Plant Roses
When spring comes and the ground is thawed, it is time to start planting your rose garden. Roses have been a cherished aphrodisiac since biblical times. They have been around for over 3000 years, yet they still hold a particular mystery and fascination, not to mention the fact that they just look and smell good!One of the most important rules of growing roses is to plant the rose bush in an area that receives around 4 to 6 hours of sunlight every day.It is preferable not to plant too many trees or other plants around the rose bush because most of these are likely to either mix with the rose or stifle it's growth. If you are replacing an old rose bush, approximately 1 1/2 cubic feet of old soil should be removed, and fres...(related: Landscaping)

Fun, Funky Garden Plants
I have a love for funky, fun and unique garden plants. Here's one to try. It's called Sea Holly, and it's actually in the thistle family. Sea Holly is a perennial garden plant, which means you plant it once and it comes up year after year, somewhat depending on your climate.This plant never did fail to bring attention And comments from people seeing my garden. It grows About 3-4 feet high, very branchy and the b...(related: Landscaping)

Gardening With Bamboo
Myths and factsA misconception about bamboo is that they spread like wildfire. This is not entirely true as only a some species of bamboo will be invasive. Spreading, however, can easily be controlled if it becomes a problem. Many people also think that bamboos will die when the temperature falls below freezing. This myth is also false.Designing with bambooBamboos can create a wall or screen to provide privacy...(related: Landscaping)

Ecological Landscape Design And Organic Lawn Care
There is a growing recognition, that the expanding suburban landscape is having a negative environmental impact. Suburban development often includes vast energy dependant monocultures (perfect, grass lawns). They consume a significant amount of natural resources, (water to keep them green and gasoline to keep them trimmed), and they reduce the amount of habitat available for native wildlife. Over use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides can leach into water supplies and be harmful to children and pets. Trends toward eco...(related: Landscaping)

Growing Orchids As House Plants
One of the long standing myths that I still hear is that orchid house plants are difficult and finicky to grow. Well, plain and simple, the answer is No. In fact, orchids as house plants are easy to grow and will continue to bloom for years. Some orchid plants have been around for centuries.WateringOrchid house plants and orchid plants in general will need watering periodically, usually you can water once a week. Remember, most orchids are air plants and this means you will see their roots. Their root system is very efficie...(related: Landscaping)