Anise Swallowtail
Papilio zelicaon Lucas, 1852
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Identification: Upper surface of hindwing has yellow-orange eyespot near tail with round black center that is not connected to hindwing margin. Anal cell of hindwing is primarily yellow.
Wing Span: 2 3/4 - 3 1/2 inches (7 - 9 cm).
Life History: Males perch on hilltops and patrol for receptive females. Female lays eggs singly on host plant leaves and flowers. Young caterpillars eat leaves while older ones eat flowers. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One flight from April-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Many species in the parsley family (Apiaceae), and some in the citrus family (Rutaceae).
Adult Food: Not reported.
Habitat: Bare hills, mountains, gardens, fields, vacant lots, and roadsides.
Range: From British Columbia southeast to North Dakota, south to s. California, Arizona, New Mexico; Baja California; Mexico. A rare stray to central Nebraska and eastern North Dakota.
Conservation: Not usually of concern.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None noted.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 1096 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 29, 2025
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 31, 2025
Observation date: Mar 24, 2025
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 27, 2025
Observation date: Mar 20, 2025
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 22, 2025
Observation date: Mar 19, 2025
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 20, 2025
Observation date: May 20, 2013
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Mar 20, 2025
Observation date: Jul 01, 2012
Submitted by: RobSimpson
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Mar 17, 2025
Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 08, 2025
Observation date: Feb 17, 2020
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 18, 2024
Observation date: Oct 04, 2024
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 10, 2024
Observation date: Aug 29, 2024
Submitted by: Aorta321
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 07, 2024
Observation date: Aug 15, 2024
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Lassen County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 03, 2024
Observation date: Aug 25, 2024
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 30, 2024
Observation date: Aug 14, 2024
Submitted by: CJ on the CC
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 23, 2024
Observation date: Sep 30, 2015
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 12, 2024
Observation date: Jul 08, 2014
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Washoe County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 12, 2024
Observation date: Jul 05, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Pennington County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 11, 2024
Observation date: Sep 13, 2020
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 05, 2024
Observation date: Aug 04, 2024
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 05, 2024
Observation date: Apr 19, 2024
Submitted by: KCarleton
Region: Kootenai County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
Observation date: May 08, 2024
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Cibola County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 23, 2024
Observation date: Jul 13, 2024
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 17, 2024
Observation date: Jul 13, 2024
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 16, 2024
Observation date: Jul 05, 2024
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 08, 2024
Observation date: Jun 23, 2024
Submitted by: k.d.stutzman
Region: Park County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 08, 2024
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