Where do Schaus swallowtails live?
Florida
Schaus’ swallowtail inhabits tropical hardwood hammocks in Key Largo and the islands in Biscayne National Park that support the species primary habitat (Florida Natural Areas Inventory 2001).
How many Schaus swallowtail butterflies are left?
350 Schaus swallowtail
Only about 350 Schaus swallowtail adults are left in the Florida Keys — this swallowtail’s only known home. To avoid extinction, this species needs to start repopulating other suitable habitat from Biscayne Bay to Matecumbe Key, where Cheeca Lodge is located. This area also includes Key Largo and Plantation Key.
Why is the Schaus swallowtail butterfly endangered?
Habitat loss, pesticide use, and other human activities limited this beautiful butterfly’s range and decimated the population. Now you can find it in just a few Keys, and its main stronghold is in Biscayne National Park. The Schaus swallowtail has been listed under the Endangered Species Act since April 28, 1976.
What do Schaus swallowtail butterfly eat?
The survival of the Schaus swallowtail butterfly depends on survival of sufficient stands of its primary food plants, torchwood and wild lime, in appropriate tropical hardwood hammocks in the upper Florida Keys. These two rutaceous species are the only known foods for this species in nature (Emmel 1985, FWS 1982).
Which is the rarest butterfly in the world?
| The very rarest butterflies | |
|---|---|
| Lotis blue | Lycaeides argyrognomon lotis |
| Schaus swallowtail | Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus |
| Lange’s metalmark | Apodemia mormo langei |
| Palos Verdes blue | Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis |
Are swallowtails endangered?
Not extinct
Swallowtail butterfly/Extinction status
Are swallowtail butterflies poisonous?
The pipevine swallowtail is highly poisonous, for its caterpillars feed on plants in the genus Aristolochia, which are defended by aristolochic acids. Black swallowtail adults have no chemical defenses, but their similarity to a poisonous butterfly makes predators wary, protecting the undefended black swallowtails.
Are swallowtail butterflies rare?
There are many kinds of swallowtail butterflies throughout the world, and most of them are common, or at least not on endangered lists. One of the more familiar swallowtails in North America is Pterourus glaucus, the tiger swallowtail. It’s a big, beautiful species with black tiger stripes on its deep yellow wings.
How long do swallowtails stay in chrysalis?
Black Swallowtail Life Cycle: Overview and Timings
| Stage | Typical Duration |
|---|---|
| Egg stage | Generally 4 to 10 days, depending on temperature and host plant |
| Caterpillar (larval) stage | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Chrysalis (pupal) stage | 10 to 20 days (except for overwintering pupae) |
| Adult butterfly stage | 6 to 14 days |