| Schaus' Swallowtail | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Papilionidae |
| Genus: | Papilio |
| Species: | P. aristodemus |
| Binomial name | |
| Papilio aristodemus Esper, 1794 |
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| Synonyms | |
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Heraclides papilio |
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The Schaus' Swallowtail or Island Swallowtail (Papilio aristodemus) is a species of American butterfly in the Papilionidae family. It is found in the southern Florida with subspecies in the Bahamas, Hispaniola, and Cuba. Historically it occurred in tropical hardwood hammock from South Miami to Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida. It is named in honour of William Schaus.
Caterpillar host plants are in the family Rutaceae and include Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata), Citrus species, Sea Torchwood (Amyris elemifera), and Lime Prickly-ash (Zanthoxylum fagara).[2]
Contents |
Dorsal sides of forewing are dark brown with a central yellow or white band. Tails have yellow margins and a row of yellow or white crescents. Wingspan is 9.2–11.8 cm (3.6–4.6 in).
S. a. ponceanus was listed as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1984 due to dramatic declines in numbers and contraction of range. Threats include mosquito control and destruction of its tropical hardwood hammock habitat.[3]