Page 59 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Papilionidae
DISTRIBUTION Western North America, from British Columbia to Guatemala
HABITAT Canyon bottoms, roadsides, riparian areas, shrub-steppe,
parks, and gardens
HOST PLANTS Cherry and plum (Prunus spp.), ash (Fraxinus spp.),
and serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)
NOTE Rarely seen caterpillar that is among the largest in North America
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but common within its range

ADULT WINGSPAN
4⅝–5 in (120–130 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
PAPILIO MULTICAUDATA 2–2⅜ in (50–60 mm)
TWO-TAILED TIGER
SWALLOWTAIL 57

W. F. KIRBY, 1884

The Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar hatches from large
eggs laid singly on the upper side of host plant leaves. The first

instar consumes the eggshell before feeding on terminal leaves.
Second instars spin a thin silk mat on the upper side of a leaf to
which they return when not feeding. Older caterpillars produce
similar mats, curving them into an upwardly convex shape; such
“nest” leaves are not eaten. Later instars eat large gaps in leaves,
or entire leaves, and sometimes rest on the underside of a leaf.

Camouflage protects the caterpillars, as the defensive chemicals

they emit—mainly from the orange, forked osmeterium—also
protect them. Development is rapid, taking about 33 days
from egg hatch to pupation. There are four or five instars; The Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar
is bright green with two to six small, blue
environmental cues may dictate the number. Pupation occurs spots on segments three, four, and seven to ten.
at the base of the host plant, on the trunk, or on a stem, and Between the third and fourth segments there
is a black transverse band anteriorly edged in
the pupa overwinters. There are one to three broods annually white. There are complex false eyespots dorsally
according to elevation and latitude. on segment three, mostly yellow and narrowly
outlined in black with a blue dot in the center.

Actual size