Papilio canadensis Rothschild & Jordan

On February 13, 2019 By Erik OstrumIn Lepidoptera, papilionidaeLeave a comment

This was one of the most common swallowtail species I saw while growing up in northern Wisconsin. To tell the truth up until I was in about 6th grade I always thought it was the similar Papilio glaucus I was seeing. My mind was blown when I found out it was a different species entirely.

This species is mostly found in the upper Great Lakes states and the northeastern states into Canada and up to Alaska. Because of this most people in the U.S. are outside of the range of this species.

They are in flight from May to about mid-July. Caterpillars can be found feeding on leaves of birch, aspen, and black cherry among others.

All specimens I have in my collection were collected in northern Wisconsin. Eventually I want to add specimens from the northeastern states as well.

Other Online Sources:

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Papilio-canadensis

https://bugguide.net/node/view/7367

Papilio eurymedon Lucas

On February 11, 2019 By Erik OstrumIn Lepidoptera, papilionidaeLeave a comment

This is a pretty and quite striking butterfly species. The creamy white color of the wings contrast sharply with the dense black markings and borders. It looks like the tiger swallowtails but lack the yellow color on the wings.

This species is relatively common and found throughout much of the western U.S. I’ve encountered a good amount of individuals along the Front Range of Colorado.

You can typically find this species on the wing from April-July in much of its range, though it flies longer in southern California. The larvae feed on a variety of woody plants including cherry, and ash among others.

I currently have a few specimens in the collection. Most are from northern Colorado. I’m hoping to get some more specimens from areas throughout the state.

Other Online Sources:

https://bugguide.net/node/view/40208

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Papilio-eurymedon

Parnassius smintheus Doubleday

On February 7, 2019 By Erik OstrumIn Lepidoptera, papilionidaeLeave a comment

Ever since I’ve moved to Colorado I’ve seen some beautiful species and I like them all. One of my favorites though would have to be Parnassius smintheus. I’m actually not entirely sure why I like this species so much, I just do.

Some people think this is the same species as the European Parnassius phoebus, others separate them and other have 3 different species occurring in North America. Needless to say it can get confusing and different depending on who you talk to.

This species can be found in the Rocky Mountains in the summer months. Caterpillars can be found feeding on species of Stonecrop. I haven’t found any caterpillars yet but I’ve seen a few adults, which are quite easy to ID while they are flying (in my opinion). I didn’t realize how large these butterflies actually were until I saw one in person.

As you can see it is a nice crisp white color on the wings with contrasting black and red. The underside of the wings just mirror the top just not as pronounced black and red. I’m hoping to get a couple more specimens from some new locations this summer.