Zebra Swallowtail (NPS Manassas National Battlefield Park Butterflies and Moths)

Zebra Swallowtail

Eurytides marcellus

Summary ⁶

The Zebra Swallowtail (Protographium marcellus, formerly listed under genera Eurytides, Iphiclides, Graphium and Papilio by some authorities) is a swallowtail butterfly native to the eastern United States and southeast Canada. Its distinctive wing shape and long tails make it easy to identify, and its black and white-striped pattern is reminiscent of a zebra. The butterflies are closely associated with pawpaws, and are rarely found far from these trees. The green or black caterpillars feed on the...

Habitat ⁷

The zebra swallowtail prefers corridors of wooded land alongside bodies of water such as riversides, lakeshores, marshes and open moist woods.

Habitat Regions: temperate

Terrestrial Biomes: forest

Other Habitat Features: riparian

Number of occurrences ⁸

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

Behaviour ⁹

Mostly residential in America north of Mexico (Scott 1986).

Life cycle ¹⁰

In the life cycle of the butterfly, it takes about one month for the zebra swallowtail to mature from an egg to an adult. The chrysalis, or pupa, is attached to a stem or leaf by the tail and by a girdle of silk around the thorax. It hangs head upward in this position.

Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis

Reproduction ¹¹

Males usually patrol places near host plants searching for females. Small aggregations of patrolling males often form close to mud puddles or moist stream banks.

Female zebra swallowtails lay their eggs singly on the underside of pawpaw leaves.

Key Reproductive Features: fertilization (Internal ); oviparous

Conservation status ¹²

This butterfly needs no special protective status.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

Sources and Credits

(c) Larry Meade, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/34323709@N07/3690713823
(c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2034/2622596677_1b8f094d25.jpg
(c) capnr0n, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1359/1012853282_6b0de2516e.jpg
(c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5920086466_728704bcb4.jpg
(c) Larry Meade, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2578/3690713823_992b34ba83.jpg
Adapted by Allie Hay from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurytides_marcellus
Adapted by Allie Hay from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31394525
Adapted by Allie Hay from a work by (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28748497
Adapted by Allie Hay from a work by (c) Leslie Ries, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/17780149
Adapted by Allie Hay from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31394527
Adapted by Allie Hay from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31394528
Adapted by Allie Hay from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31394533

More Info

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