Santiago Truck Trail, Orange County, CA. 4/25/09. © Peter J. Bryant

Pale swallowtail

Papilio eurymedon

Lepidoptera: Papilionidae

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Peter's Canyon, Orange, Orange County, CA. 6-7-05. © Ron Hemberger

Top of the World, Laguna Beach, CA. 06/04/05. © Peter J. Bryant

Top of the World, Laguna Beach, CA. 06/04/05. © Peter J. Bryant

With Square-spotted Blue. Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 6-22-11. © Robert Gorman.

Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 6-22-11. © Robert Gorman.
 

Characteristics: A large butterfly with tails on HW. Black with cream-colored markings.

Similar Species: Western Tiger Swallowtail, (Papilio rutulus). In flight, rutulus appears yellow with black whereas eurymedon appears black and white.

Habitats, Behavior: The Pale Swallowtail is most often found flying along undisturbed water courses or in moist canyon areas. The species is also a common hilltopper on our higher peaks. Ron Vanderhoff (Huntington Beach) found it nectaring on thistle (Cirsium sp.), an often-used nectar source, in Silverado Canyon on several occasions .

Distribution: Papilio eurymedon is primarily a montane species. In Orange County it is found throughout the Santa Ana Mountains, in the canyons (Silverado, Modjeska, Trabuco) or on the higher peaks (Santiago, Modjeska Peaks). Hilltopping at Sitton Peak (33.589368,-117.446264) on 5/27/06. It is also relatively common at the Firestone Scout Reservation and in Carbon Canyon (Brea Hills). It has been captured at Villa Park Dam. Papilio eurymedon evidently once commonly strayed onto the coastal plains of Orange County, before there was extensive settlement (Hower, personal communication). Common on the hills above Laguna Beach (e.g. 33.566883, -117.756573 on 06/04/05).

Flight Period: February to early August; multiple brooded.

Larval Foodplants: Redberry (Rhamnus crocea), California Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica), California lilac (Ceanothus spp.), and Holly-leafed Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia) are recorded. All of these occur in the Santa Ana Mountains. Rhamnus ilicifolia is closely related to R. crocea; it, along with Ceanothus are probably the most abundant of these potential foodplants growing in the Orange County chaparral. Theodore Hower and James Mori also record oviposition on peach.

Further Information: For more detail on foodplants, see Emmel and Emmel (1973) and Tyler (1975).

Based on Orsak, L. J. (1977). The Butterflies of Orange County, California. Center for Pathobiology Miscellaneous Publication #3.  University of California Press, New York.  349pp.