Summary ³

Papilio zelicaon, the anise swallowtail, is a common swallowtail butterfly of western North America. The chrysalis can be either green or brown.

Host Plant ⁴

The butterfly gets its name from the caterpillar's preference for a type of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) that smells like licorice. This plant is sometimes referred to as wild fennel or anise.

Other host plants for the anise caterpillar are seaside angelica, cow parsnip, carrots, parsley, and citrus trees.
https://www.butterfliessite.com/aniseswallowtail.html

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Josie, all rights reserved, uploaded by Josie
2. (c) Peter Prehn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/70414856@N00/2665803331
3. Adapted by Josie from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_zelicaon
4. (c) Josie, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• Butterflies and Moths of North America
• CalPhotos
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• Moth Photographers Group
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• Pacific Northwest Moths

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