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Post by Crake on Apr 10, 2022 18:10:54 GMT -8
Hi all. I’m currently on vacation and have several pterourus species emerging in my absence that are being taken care of by a friend. This evening the following multicaudata male emerged. It is shockingly asymmetrical and seems to display melanic “suffusive” patterning on the submarginal area and lunules of the right HW. Would it be possible to get some of your professional opinions on it? Thanks. (Also, sorry for the link. I currently do not have access to my computer. Try copy/pasting and searching it up.) drive.google.com/file/d/105oMaOoVW8cOVG4M32ChGTomfkRHsyMq/view?usp=drivesdkUpdate: link has been edited for public access. |
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Post by Adam Cotton on Apr 11, 2022 0:06:59 GMT -8
The item in the link has not been given public access permission, so no-one can open it.
Adam.
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Post by Crake on Apr 11, 2022 5:42:10 GMT -8
Hi Adam. I just updated the link. Hopefully it works now.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Apr 11, 2022 6:36:11 GMT -8
Yes, I can access it now. I suspect this is a developmental aberration rather than a gynandromorph.
Adam.
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Post by eurytides on Apr 11, 2022 7:26:25 GMT -8
Just deformed, that’s all. The left side is male and there are claspers. The right side is not female though. Just deformed hind wing.
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Post by papiliotheona on Apr 12, 2022 11:47:37 GMT -8
Not a gyno, a pupal deformity of some kind. Male.
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Post by livingplanet3 on Apr 16, 2022 18:26:29 GMT -8
P. multicaudata is high on the list of species that I hope to raise someday. It occurs in the western half of my state, but I'm a bit too far east to be within its range. It's difficult to choose a favorite, but I consider it to be one of the most beautiful North American swallowtails. Quite large too - I've heard that it nearly reaches the size of P. cresphontes, and has even broader wings.
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Post by Crake on Apr 17, 2022 18:26:53 GMT -8
livingplanet3, multicaudata is easily the largest butterfly I’ve ever had in captivity. I’m unaware of the record holder for cresphontes but I’d say that this species could easily be a contender for the largest Papilio in the USA. The size was truly impressive when my first female emerged. When she held her wings at an open resting position they measured 5.8 inches horizontally.
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Post by Crake on Apr 17, 2022 18:29:30 GMT -8
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Post by palikan on Apr 19, 2022 7:07:41 GMT -8
P.multicaudata is a beautiful butterfly and I can only recommend breeding. It's a lifelong experience, butterflies are big and imposing. Here is a slight color abb.female from my breeding.   |
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Post by trehopr1 on Apr 19, 2022 9:11:44 GMT -8
Easily the most "magnificent of all the North American swallowtail species !
The further south you go the larger the subspecies become; with those in Mexico and Guatemala also having longer tails. Also, they acquire a much more orange hue infused in with the yellow of their wings. Just stunning creatures !!
I believe now that (females) of the Guatemalan subspecies (which are immaculate examples) now fetch somewhere between 400 and 600 USD at the European fairs.
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Post by livingplanet3 on Apr 19, 2022 12:19:02 GMT -8
livingplanet3 , multicaudata is easily the largest butterfly I’ve ever had in captivity. I’m unaware of the record holder for cresphontes but I’d say that this species could easily be a contender for the largest Papilio in the USA. The size was truly impressive when my first female emerged. When she held her wings at an open resting position they measured 5.8 inches horizontally. P.multicaudata is a beautiful butterfly and I can only recommend breeding. It's a lifelong experience, butterflies are big and imposing. Here is a slight color abb.female from my breeding... Yes - certainly, P. multicaudata is just as impressive as many exotic, tropical Papilio species. I have no idea of how or when I might be able to obtain some live stock of multicaudata for rearing. Even if I do however, I'm not sure of whether I have any local host plants that the larvae would find acceptable. Some host plants are listed here - bugguide.net/node/view/23914#foodI do have easy access to Fraxinus and Prunus, although they are probably different species than those that multicaudata would normally feed on. |
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Post by trehopr1 on Apr 19, 2022 14:16:29 GMT -8
Palikan, could we see a bigger snapshot of your avatar ?
"Smokey" tigers (as some refer to them) are mighty tough individuals to run across. Yours looks to be an exceptionally nice one !
One friend of mine managed to pick up one over all his years; another has found three. All were collected by sheer luck/happenstance. They are every bit as unique and rare as any gynandromorph. Each is a one of a kind individual with varying amounts of a (smokey) colored intermix of both female forms.
I believe they are perfectly fertile butterflies but, the conditions which produce them are few and far between.
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erebia
Junior Member
Posts: 30
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Post by erebia on Apr 19, 2022 17:44:50 GMT -8
If you are passing though Utah in July and August you can generally find good numbers of P. multicaudata pusillus larvae in chokecherry trees in the parking strips of shopping centers in town. Fortunately the larvae are usually within reach at about eye level. I usually find several dozen larvae in the trees in front of our Home Depot, most of which I give to local kids to rear and release. Last summer while waiting for my wife to finish shopping at TJ Maxx a female P. multicaudata laid four eggs in the tree next to the car. If you are in the southern Utah, especially Washington and Kane counties, you can find larvae of the larger and darker P. m. multicaudata in the same parking lot environments where they will be using ash (Fraxinus).  |
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Post by livingplanet3 on Apr 20, 2022 8:46:14 GMT -8
If you are passing though Utah in July and August you can generally find good numbers of P. multicaudata pusillus larvae in chokecherry trees in the parking strips of shopping centers in town. Fortunately the larvae are usually within reach at about eye level. I usually find several dozen larvae in the trees in front of our Home Depot, most of which I give to local kids to rear and release. Last summer while waiting for my wife to finish shopping at TJ Maxx a female P. multicaudata laid four eggs in the tree next to the car. If you are in the southern Utah, especially Washington and Kane counties, you can find larvae of the larger and darker P. m. multicaudata in the same parking lot environments where they will be using ash (Fraxinus). There are a number of places in UT that I hope to someday visit, but in the nearer future, I plan to go to southeastern AZ (possibly between late Jul / early Aug of this year). Hopefully, I'll be able to find some adult multicaudata while there, and perhaps some larvae as well. |
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