Female. San Clemente, Orange County, CA. 7/20/12. © Robert Gorman

Pipevine swallowtail

Battus philenor

Lepidoptera: Papilionidae


Female. San Clemente, Orange County, CA. 7/20/12. © Robert Gorman

Female. San Clemente, Orange County, CA. 7/22/12. © Robert Gorman

Female. San Clemente, Orange County, CA. 7/22/12. © Robert Gorman

Female. San Clemente, Orange County, CA. 7/16/12. © Robert Gorman

Female

San Clemente, Orange County, CA. 7/16/12. © Robert Gorman

San Clemente, Orange County, CA. 7/19/12. © Robert Gorman

Larva. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 5/2/2010. © Ron Hemberger

Pupae. San Clemente, Orange County, CA. 7/2/12. © Robert Gorman

Female? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/26/2010. © Ron Hemberger

Female? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/26/2010. © Ron Hemberger

Female? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/26/2010. © Ron Hemberger

Female? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/26/2010. © Ron Hemberger

Male? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/26/2010. © Ron Hemberger

Male? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/26/2010. © Ron Hemberger

Male? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/26/2010. © Ron Hemberger

Male? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/26/2010. © Ron Hemberger

Male? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/26/2010. © Ron Hemberger

Male? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/26/2010. © Ron Hemberger

Male? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/27/2010. © Peter J. Bryant

Male? Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, CA. 4/27/2010. © Peter J. Bryant

Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve, Orange County, CA. 8/4/08. © Trude Hurd
 

Characteristics: A predominantly black, large butterfly with iridescent blue on DHW and VHW, and tails on the HW. Orange spots on VHW. Distinct from our other local swallowtails.

Habitats, Behavior: Adults often have a swift and erratic flight, and are easier captured nectaring at flowers.

Distribution: Strays are infrequently taken in Orange County. Erich Walter recalls seeing several in the early 1940's in an orange grove at his home in Anaheim. Theodore Hower mentions seeing philenor at the Laguna Lakes many years ago. More recently, John Emmel observed several flying northward along the water's edge at San Clemente in the 1950's. This butterfly may now be establishing itself at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, where the food plant has been present for over 30 years.

Larval Foodplant: Aristolochia californica (pipevine)

Other Remarks: It is doubtful that this beautiful swallowtail is a resident species in Orange County although its larval foodplant is occasionally planted as an ornamental vine. Our records are probably representatives of the subspecies philenor, although it is conceivable that the northern California subspecies hirsuta (characterized by long hairs on the abdomen) might stray here, since Gunder (1930) records a stray representing this race from Los Angeles County. Typical philenor breeds in Arizona and our autumn Santa Ana winds probably assist in carrying some Arizonian specimens into coastal southern California every year.

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. with updates.

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