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Swallowtail


Swallowtail
Photo Information
Copyright: Stephane Ballestraz (Steffleu) Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 31 W: 3 N: 55] (497)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-07-24
Categories: Insects
Camera: Konica-Minolta Dynax 7D, Sigma 105 Macro EX, Digital RAW 200
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/800 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2005-07-31 6:55
Viewed: 1298
Points: 14
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
Characteristics: Dorsal wing with black and yellow markings, but with more black and less yellow than Papilio rutulus.

Similar Species: Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus).

Habitats, Behavior: Often found in proximity of foodplant; hilltops on the higher peaks (Modjeska and Santiago) of the Santa Ana Mountains. Pyle (1974) lists other behavior: remaining in one area prior to mating, and frequently visiting mud puddles.

Distribution: This swallowtail occurs primarily in semidisturbed land areas at low elevations. It is occasionally encountered hilltopping on our mountain peaks.

Flight Period: Multiple brooded in Orange County. Our records extend from February to September, although the species may occur throughout the year. It appears to be particularly abundant from April to June.

Larval Foodplants: Sweet Fennel, sometimes called Wild anise (Foeniculum vulgare) is probably the most frequently utilized foodplant in Orange County. In the Santa Ana Mountains, additional umbelliferous foodplants may be utilized: Tauschia arguta, Lomatium dasycarpum, L. utriculatum and Oenanthe sarmentosa. Citrus is also utilized (which is a member of the plant family Rutaceae, rather than Umbelliferae) and larvae have been known to cause economic damage in citrus groves. The Anise Swallowtail may utilize plants of these two rather unrelated families because of similar compounds found in both. Anise aldehyde (see below) is found in some umbelliferous plants whereas citrus contains a similar substance, methyl clavicol. Both may function as behavioral attractants, i.e. substances which may hold no nutritive value, but whose presence is necessary, either to stimulate egg-laying by the adult on the plant or to stimulate feeding by the larvae.

Other Remarks: The Anise Swallowtail has apparently under gone general fluctuations in population number in Orange County since the early 20th Century. In 1918 it was occasionally found although not abundant (Kerr, 1918). However, as land became semi-disturbed through agriculture and grazing use, creating favorable habitats for the growth of Sweet Fennel, the Swallowtail evidently also became more abundant. During the late 1960's, the populations appear to have undergone reduction, possibly a direct result of the rapidly disappearing "vacant lots" (a typical foodplant habitat). Today, it is occasionally encountered in the county, and is almost never seen in the city. Fluctuations over several years are often explained by pupal diapause, which may last as long as seven or more years (Erich Walter, personal communication). During the last three years we have consistently located larvae in the San Joaquin Marsh and Arboretum area (U. C. Irvine) during July and/or August.

Source : http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/lepidopt/papilio/anise.htm
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • phlr Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1276 W: 133 N: 874] (2804)
  • [2005-07-31 10:50]

Always a very beautiful butterfly!
Very good shot of this beauty!
Wonderful colors of the underside of the ings!
Also common in Portugal.

Hi Stephane. This is a lovely shot, detailed, sharp and well exposed. Your DOF is well chosen, making something really special of the butterfly against the BG. I like the POV and composition too.

This lovely little insect is not common in the UK at all. I had hoped to spot one during my trip to Norfolk which is one of its main haunts but it is on the wing there only for a few short weeks and I was just a week or two too late. All in all I'm quite jealous ;) Very well done :)

Salut Stéphane,
très jolie prise, le point de vue est parfaite, la PDC est peut être juste un peu trop importante, mais au moins tout le papillon est net ! par contre j'aurai cloné ou coupé la partie de gauche un peu dérangeante avec cette tige en haut

Amicalement,

Vincent

Hello Stephane,
this is a beautiful swallowtail, great colours. Well done and TFS.

BR
Martina

Hello Stephane

Nice shot. Good light, POV, details, clarity and OOF BG. Looks a wee bit soft on focus. Nice work all the same. Thanks.

cette image est intéressante: la lumière et la netteté sont parfaites. J'aime beaucoup la position du papillon, cette aile mise en évidence et cette vue des détails de la tête et des pattes. Il est vrai cependant que sur la gauche, la tige verte aurait pu être coupée. Bravo.

bonjour
tres joli MACAON, belles couleurs malgré un peu de flou dessus, mais bon travail sur excellent BG
bravo
et merci de partager
edith

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