Papilio aristodemus

There are five subspecies:

• P. a. aristodemus, the nominate subspecies, found on Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti) and possibly Puerto Rico.
• P. a. bjordalae, found on Great Inagua in The Bahamas.
• P. a. majasi, found on Crooked and Acklins Islands in The Bahamas.
• P. a. ponceana, found in Southern Florida in the United States. It was elevated to species status in 2020{{cite journal|last1=Zhang|first1=Jing|last2=Cong|first2=Qian|last3=Shen|first3=Jinhui|last4=Opler|first4=Paul A.|last5=Grishin|first5=Nick V.|title=Genomic evidence suggests further change of butterfly names|journal=The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey|year=2020|volume=8|id=7|pmid=35098145|pmc=8794283}}{{cite web|url=http://butterfliesofamerica.com/US-Can-Cat.htm|last=Pelham|first=Jonathan P.|title=A Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada|date=15 February 2023|access-date=18 February 2023|website=Butterflies of America}} while its subgenus, Heraclides, has again{{cite book|pages=64–65|title=A Catalogue/Checklist of the Butterflies of America North of Mexico|last1=Miller|first1=Lee D.|last2=Brown|first2=F. Martin|publisher=The Lepidopterists' Society|id=Memoir No. 2|year=1981|lccn=81082185|isbn=0-930282-02-7|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/218278#page/71/mode/1up|access-date=18 February 2023|via=Biodiversity Heritage Library}} been elevated to a genus.{{cite journal|last1=Zakharov|first1=Evgueni V.|last2=Caterino|first2=Michael S.|last3=Sperling|first3=Felix A.H.|title=Molecular Phylogeny, Historical Biogeography, and Divergence Time Estimates for Swallowtail Butterflies of the Genus Papilio (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)|journal=Systematic Biology|year=2004|volume=53|issue=2|pages=193–215|doi=10.1080/10635150490423403 |jstor=4135408|pmid=15205049 }} Heraclides ponceana is considered Critically Imperiled by NatureServe.{{cite web |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.109828/Papilio_aristodemus_ponceana|author=NatureServe|title=Heraclides ponceana - Schaus, 1911 |website=NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer |publisher=NatureServe|location=Arlington, Virginia |access-date=18 February 2023|date=3 February 2023}}
• P. a. temenes, found on Cuba and the Cayman Islands.

Schaus' swallowtail has black-brown wings with yellow markings and a broad rusty patch underneath the hindwing.{{cite journal|last1=Andrews|first1=Lee|title=Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly Partnerships with Private Landowners: A Vital Piece of the Conservation Puzzle|url=http://www.fws.gov/southeast/publications/Endangered_FL_SchausSwallowtailFacts.pdf}} The male's antennae are black with a yellow knob, while the female's antennae are all black. Their forewings have a dull yellow median band from the apex to about midpoint of the inner margin, with a short side branch to costa about one-third the distance from the apex.{{cite journal|last1=Emmel|first1=T.I.|url=http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/schaus_swallowtail_recovery_plan_1999_revised.pdf|title=Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly}} This species may be confused with Papilio cresphontes the giant swallowtail, but they can be differentiated by the small red patch on the ventral wing (within the small blue band) of the giant swallowtail, which the Schaus' swallowtail doesn't have.{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237833636|title=Giant Swallowtail, Orangedog, Papilio cresphontes Cramer (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)1 (PDF Download Available)|website=ResearchGate|language=en|access-date=2017-11-14}}

Schaus' swallowtail has a wingspan of {{frac|3|1|4}} by {{frac|3|3|4}} inches (82 by 95 mm).

Torchwood is the primary source of food. Adults have been observed taking nectar from blossoms of guava, cheese shrub, hibiscus and wild coffee. Guava, although an exotic, seemed to be the nectar source preferred by individuals. Schaus' swallowtails will fly some distance from their homes to find blooming guava flowers.{{cite journal|last1=Rutkowski|first1=Frank|year=1971|title=Observations on Papilo aristodemus ponceanus (Papilionidae)|journal=Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society|volume=25|issue=2|url=https://images.peabody.yale.edu/lepsoc/jls/1970s/1971/1971-25(2)126-Rutkowski.pdf|access-date=18 February 2023|pages=126–136|via=Yale Peabody Museum}} 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).{{cite web |url=http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1367 |title=Schaus' Swallowtail Papilio aristodemus Esper, 1794 |publisher=Butterflies and Moths of North America |access-date=2009-11-27}}

In the United States, Schaus's swallowtail is indigenous to the southern tip of Florida. Historically it occurred in tropical hardwood hammock from South Miami to Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida. These butterflies inhabit the hardwood hammocks of the area where they prefer to stay out of direct sunlight. While they inhabit the islands around southern Florida, they are known to live at a relatively high elevation (3.0 to 4.6 meters above sea level), staying away from the tidal waters.{{cite web|url=http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/schaus_swallowtail_recovery_plan_1999_revised.pdf |title=Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly |website=xerces.org|access-date=23 October 2014}} Today, it is only found around the Florida Keys, mainly in the islands of Biscayne National Park and Key Largo.{{cite web|last1=Daniels|first1=Jaret C.|title=Schaus Swallowtail|url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN69800.pdf|website=edis.ifas.ufl.edu|publisher=University of Florida|access-date=23 October 2014}} It is also found in The Bahamas, Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti), the Cayman Islands, Cuba, and possibly Puerto Rico.

Schaus' swallowtails seem to be territorial. Males are seen to patrol females and investigate other butterflies entering their area. Male butterflies have been reported to patrol tree tops as high as {{convert|10|ft|m}} on hot afternoons. They also linger in open areas for female Schaus' swallowtails. The flight pattern is usually rapid and unpredictable at about 1 to 2 m off the ground.{{cite journal|last1=Emmel|first1=T.C|title=Status survey of the Schaus swallowtail in Florida in 1984.|date=1985|issue=Technical report No. 145, Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Florida|url=http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/schaus_swallowtail_recovery_plan_1999_revised.pdf}} Research also notes that male Schaus' swallowtail butterflies are remarkably adapted to flight within hardwood hammocks and are able to pick their way among branches and around spider webs. Schaus' swallowtails spend much of their time within hammocks, particularly where sunlight penetrates to give a dappling effect.{{cite journal|last1=Emmel|first1=T.C|title=Status survey of the Schaus swallowtail in Florida in 1984.|date=1985|issue=Technical report No. 145, Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Florida|url=http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/schaus_swallowtail_recovery_plan_1999_revised.pdf}} Tropical hardwood hammocks are the environment for these butterflies which are found in the Florida Keys and the northern shores of the Florida Bay. Consequently, Florida is the place where Schaus' swallowtails live. Unfortunately, with hurricanes and the destruction of these hammock habitats, the Schaus has lost much of its population. These tropical hardwood hammocks are essential for the butterfly’s mating and nectaring activities. The butterfly appears to be diurnal with sightings from as early as 7 am to as late as 7 pm.

Schaus' swallowtail is capable of flying as far as {{convert|5.8|mile|km}} a day and travel between the Florida Keys. In 1986, a Schaus' swallowtail butterfly was seen crossing about 360 m from Old Rhodes Key to Swan Key.{{cite journal|last1=Emmel|first1=T.C|title=Status survey and habitat requirements of Florida's endemic Schaus swallowtail butterfly|journal=Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Final Report GFC-84-028|url=http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/schaus_swallowtail_recovery_plan_1999_revised.pdf}} This observation indicates that these butterflies can travel across open water for a considerable distances among the Upper Keys and may be able to travel to and from the mainland.

Schaus' swallowtail butterflies have a single annual flight season, primarily in May and June, where adults are active; most sightings have been recorded between mid-April and mid-July.{{cite book|year=1999|author=Southeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service|chapter=Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly|title=South Florida Multispecies Recovery Plan|publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service|location=Atlanta, Georgia|chapter-url=https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/sfl_msrp/SFL_MSRP_Species.pdf|url=https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/140903.pdf|access-date=18 February 2023|pages=743–765}}{{rp|748}} There is only one generation of Schaus' swallowtail butterfly per year and adults are short lived.{{cite report|last=Emmel|first=T.C|title=Status survey of the Schaus swallowtail in Florida in 1984|date=1985|id=Technical report No. 145|publisher=Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Florida|location=Gainesville}}

File:Schaus Swallowtail caterpillar at the University of Florida Entomology Department. (14356266651).jpg

Papilio aristodemus produces only one generation per year. This fact is in large part the reason that the Schaus are at high risk of endangerment. The female swallowtail lays pinhead-sized eggs on wild lime between April and June. Up to ten days later, the larvae emerge and after three to four weeks later they mature into caterpillars. These caterpillars can grow up to three inches (76 mm) in length. After the caterpillars mature they then pupate (a pupa is an insect at the immobile non-feeding stage of development between larva and adult, and pupating is when many internal changes occur in the pupa stage) and remain in their chrysalis until the following spring.{{cite news|title=Life cycle of rare Schaus' Swallowtail Butterflies|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/life-cycle-of-rare-schaus-swallowtail-butterflies/3/|access-date=23 October 2014|agency=CBS News}} Some caterpillars hibernate in their chrysalids, and they can remain dormant for up to two years. Before the females can lay the eggs however, they must mate with a male. The male butterflies patrol in tree canopies looking for any receptive females.{{cite web|title=Attributes of Papilio aristodemus|url=http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Papilio-aristodemus|website=butterfliesandmoths.org|access-date=23 October 2014}}

The adult emergence of this species is commonly triggered by rainfall. Their primary flight sequences frequently begin in late April to mid-June; however, some adults fly in late July and early September. They have also, over time, developed the unique ability to stop in mid-air and fly backwards in order to avoid their predators, such as birds, lizards, spiders, etc.{{cite web|title=Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly|url=http://www.fws.gov/southeast/publications/Endangered_FL_SchausSwallowtailFacts.pdf|website=fws.gov|access-date=23 October 2014}}

Caterpillar hosts include plants in the citrus family (Rutaceae), such as citrus species, hop tree (Ptelea trifoliata), Zanthoxylum species, and torchwood (Amyris elemifera).

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.fws.gov/verobeach/images/pdflibrary/Schaus_Swallowtail_Butterfly_Coservation_Guidelines.pdf |title=Schaus' Swallowtail Butterfly |work=Species Conservation Guidelines for South Florida |publisher=South Florida Ecological Services Office |date=2004-02-19 |access-date=2009-11-27}} Aside from this, they are also known to be susceptible to dramatic weather conditions such as hurricanes and droughts. For instance in 1992, Hurricane Andrew devastated the region and nearly wiped out the entire population of Schaus's swallowtail, leaving only 73 documented individual survivors.{{cite web|title=Schaus' swallowtail butterfly|url=http://myfwc.com/media/2211691/Schaus-Swallowtail-Butterfly.pdf|website=myfwc.com|publisher=Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission|access-date=23 October 2014}} It was considered "uncommon and local" on Hispaniola in a 2020 survey (with the Dominican Republic being the only place aside from Florida where records are available), and was considered rare on the Cayman Islands during a report there in 1975.

Captive rearing has proven to be a successful method of maintaining the population of swallowtails. Preemptive planning prior to Hurricane Andrew led to the first mating and pupae production in captivity in 1993.{{cite web|title=Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly|url=http://butterflyrecovery.org/species_profiles/schaus-swallowtail-butterfly/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141024031446/http://butterflyrecovery.org/species_profiles/schaus-swallowtail-butterfly/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 24, 2014|website=butterflyrecovery.org|publisher=Butterfly Conservation Initiative|access-date=23 October 2014}} In 2011 only 41 individual butterflies were counted. When the 2012 census resulted in only five, emergency procedures were initialized in June 2012. Up to four of the five, including the presumed only female will be caught and held until they will lay eggs. Those eggs will be removed and bred at the University of Florida McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. The caught butterflies and those bred from the eggs will be set free inside Biscayne National Park.National Park Service: [http://www.nps.gov/news/release.htm?id=1346 Emergency action underway to protect endangered Schaus swallowtail butterfly], press release, June 13, 2012 By June 2013 several larvae and one living female with one egg had been taken in custody.National Park Service: [http://www.nps.gov/bisc/parknews/schaus-capture.htm Biscayne National Park − Capture of Imperiled Butterfly in Biscayne National Park Raises Hope for a Species], June 3, 2013 In August the National Park Service announced the spotting of 31 adult butterflies, several female laying eggs and a large number of larvae along with nine adult Papilio andraemon, thought to be extinct in the US, on one of the more remote islands of the national park.[https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=609437239078519&l=36b8263c79 Report of the Spotting] on the National Parks facebook timeline, August 23, 2013

Due to the rapid reproduction cycle of butterflies, the breeding program at the University of Florida resulted with more than a thousand larvae within two years. In June 2014 a first batch of eleven adult females, four males and 308 larvae were released on Elliott Key within Biscayne National Park.National Park Service: [http://www.nps.gov/bisc/parknews/endangered-schaus-swallowtail-butterfly-release-in-biscayne-national-park.htm Endangered Schaus’ Swallowtail Butterfly Release in Biscayne National Park], June 5, 2014

Papilio andraemon is a member of the Papilio thoas species group.

{{Reflist}}

• Hyett, Barbara Helfgott. "Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly". College English 56.5 (1994): 572. Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus. Web.
• http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/schaus_swallowtail_recovery_plan_1999_revised.pdf

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1367 Schaus' Swallowtail], Butterflies and Moths of North America
• [http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20o?search=Papilio+aristodemus Island swallowtail; Schaus' swallowtail]
• [http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/schaus_swallowtail.htm Schaus swallowtail] on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
• [http://www.eol.org/pages/131309 Schaus' Swallowtail at EOL]
• [http://en.butterflycorner.net/Papilio-aristodemus-Island-Swallowtail.1615.0.html Butterflycorner] Images from Naturhistorisches Museum Wien
• {{cite book |last1=Collins |first1=N. Mark |last2=Morris |first2=Michael G. |title=Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/98674#page/7/mode/1up |year=1985 |publisher=IUCN |location=Gland & Cambridge |isbn=978-2-88032-603-6 |via=Biodiversity Heritage Library}}
• [https://insecta.pro/taxonomy/16257 Insecta pro]

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aristodemus

Category:Butterflies described in 1794

Category:Butterflies of Cuba

Category:Fauna of Hispaniola

Category:Insects of the Dominican Republic

Category:Insects of Haiti

Category:Taxa named by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper

Category:Lepidoptera of the United States