The Oregon swallowtail (''Papilio machaon oregonius'', sometimes classified as ''Papilio oregonius'' or ''Papilio bairdii oregonius''
) is a
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of
swallowtail butterfly
Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies in the family Papilionidae, and include over 550 species. Though the majority are tropical, members of the family inhabit every continent except Antarctica. The family includes the large ...
native to the
United States of America,
Oregon,
Washington, and
Idaho and south-central
British Columbia in
Canada.
In 1976, it became one of the first four butterflies that the
United States Postal Service placed on a U.S. stamp.
The Oregon swallowtail was declared the
state insect
State insects are designated by 48 individual states of the fifty United States. Some states have more than one designated insect, or have multiple categories (e.g., state insect and state butterfly, etc.). Iowa and Michigan are the two states with ...
of
Oregon in 1979 by the
Legislative Assembly.
[Chapter 186 — State Emblems; State Boundary]
Oregon Revised Statutes
Description
The adult Oregon swallowtail has a yellow abdomen with black lines. It has a wingspan of to . Its wings have concave spots that are scalloped inwards with a reddish-orange eyespot along the lower border, similar to, but smaller than, the eyespot of the common
Old World swallowtail. The yellow markings on the wings of the Oregon swallowtail are also brighter than the common swallowtail. It has a tail characteristic of all swallowtail butterflies. The caterpillar is black with yellow markings.
It reproduces twice a year, and can be seen flying from April to September. The butterflies seen toward the beginning of the year are lighter in color than those seen later and blend well with the color of early plants.
Range and habitat
The range of the Oregon swallowtail is from southern
British Columbia, eastern
Washington and Oregon, to
Idaho and western
Montana, primarily in the lower
sagebrush canyons of the
Columbia River
The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...
and many of its tributaries.
[ In its ]caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
(larva) stage, it feeds on tarragon sagebrush. As an adult, it eats flower nectar, preferring thistles, balsamroot
''Balsamorhiza'' is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae known commonly as balsamroots. These are perennials with fleshy taproots and caudices bearing erect stems and large, basal leaves. Atop the tall stems are showy yellow sunflower-like ...
, and phlox. Chrysalids of this subspecies can overwinter.Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
crosses the river.
U.S. Postal Service stamp
On June 6, 1977, the United States Postal Service released sets of four 13-cent stamps illustrating American butterflies, including the Oregon swallowtail. Shortly thereafter, the butterfly was chosen as Oregon's state insect.[
]
See also
* List of U.S. state insects
* List of U.S. state butterflies
* List of butterflies of Oregon
References
External links
Encyclopædia Britannica
{{Taxonbar, from=Q61917879
machaon oregonius
Butterflies of North America
Symbols of Oregon
Butterflies described in 1876
Taxa named by William Henry Edwards
Butterfly subspecies