Here we compare the third and fourth instar larvae of the black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius), anise swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) and a ♀ Papilio polyxenes asterius × ♂ Papilio zelicaon hybrid cross. Now that we have mature third instar larvae of all three types of larvae, we decided to compare them side by side. The major difference between Papilio polyxenes asterius and P. zelicaon third instars is the amount of white. The latter always has a checkered white saddle and has minimal white dots along the body, especially near the rear. The P. polyxenes asterius larvae have a more or less solid chunk of white on for the saddle where even the tubercles are white, allowing the faint yellow spots there to be more easily seen. Another obvious difference is the size; P. zelicaon is indisputably larger, which would make a lot of sense because they have much larger eggs that hatch into larger first instars. As for the hybrid larvae, it is intermediate in size between the two species (perhaps even as large as P. zelicaon since the individual in the picture isn't quite full grown) but has a pattern that matches much more closely to P. polyxenes asterius. Some of the spots at the rear are blacked out though. We don't quite have any fourth instar hybrid larvae yet, but we can compare the fourth instars of the pure breeds. The fourth instar P. polyxenes asterius larvae is a markedly different thing than the P. zelicaon. Like the third instar, the P. polyxenes asterius is much lighter (all of the fourth instars, reared indoors, we have so far are light whereas only a very small percentage of indoor reared fourth instar P. zelicaon are light), even lighter than the light form fourth instar P. zelicaon in the photographs. In fact, the P. polyxenes asterius could almost pass as a newly molted fifth instar P. zelicaon because the white saddle is completely gone. All of the black stripes there are complete and consistent, unlike P. zelicaon light form larvae, and the tubercles are extremely reduced. Another indisputable difference that could not possibly be from natural variation within the species are the dots on the thickest thoracic stripe right before the head. The P. polyxenes asterius larvae are completely lacking in them, a characteristic that is completely unique to the fifth instar in P. zelicaon. ![]() Authors Brian Liang
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Timeline 2012–2017
Albany, California This timeline is a series of daily posts recording our observations on and experiences with various insects in Albany California and surrounding areas, from 2012-2017. Since we did not publish this site until 2016, posts before that were constructed retroactively. Starting in August 2017, we moved to Ithaca, New York; posts from there on can be viewed at Timeline 2017-present: Ithaca, New York. Archives (1,011)
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![]() ![]() Full Species List (Alphabetical by scientific name) Note: - Not every species we encounter is necessarily presented on this site, rather a selection of those that were of particular interest to us and that we felt were worth documenting. - We can't guarantee that all species have been identified accurately, particularly taxa we are not as familiar with. Lepidoptera Actias luna Adelpha californica Agraulis vanillae Allancastria cerisyi Antheraea mylitta Antheraea polyphemus Anthocharis sara Argema mimosae Attacus atlas Battus philenor hirsuta Bombyx mori Caligo atreus Callosamia promethea Coenonympha tullia california Citheronia regalis Cricula trifenestrata Danaus plexippus Eacles imperialis Erynnis tristis Estigmene acrea Eumorpha achemon Eupackardia calleta Furcula cinereoides Heliconius erato Heliconius hecale Heliconius sapho Heliconius sara Hyalophora cecropia Hyalophora columbia Hyalophora euryalus Hylephila phyleus Hyles lineata Junonia coenia Langia zenzeroides formosana Lophocampa maculata Manduca sexta Morpho peleides Nymphalis antiopa Orgyia vetusta Orthosia hibisci quenquefasciata Pachysphinx modesta Papilio cresphontes Papilio eurymedon Papilio glaucus Papilio machaon oregonius Papilio multicaudata Papilio polyxenes asterius Papilio rumiko Papilio rutulus Papilio zelicaon Phyciodes mylitta Phyciodes pulchella Pieris rapae Plejebus acmon Poanes melane Polites sabuleti Polygonia satyrus Pyrgus communis Rothschildia jacobaeae Samia cynthia advena Samia ricini Smerinthus cerisyi Smerinthus ophthalmica Strymon melinus Trichoplusia ni Uresephita reversalis Vanessa annabella Vanessa atalanta Vanessa cardui Unidentified Lepidoptera Hybrids Papilio glaucus × Papilio rutulus Papilio polyxenes asterius × Papilio zelicaon Orthoptera Melanoplus devastator Phaneroptera nana Pristoceuthophilus pacificus Scudderia mexicana Trimerotropis pallidipennis Phasmatodea Carausius morosus Phyllium giganteum Mantodea Mantis religiosa Phyllocrania paradoxa Hymenoptera Apis mellifera Bombus vosnesenskii Brachymeria ovata Linepithema humile Pediobius sp. Polistes dominula Xylocopa varipuncta Unidentified Diptera Lucilia sericata Unidentified Hemiptera Brochymena sp. Leptoglossus sp. Nezara viridula Odonata Argia vivida Libellula croceipennis Coleoptera Coccinella septempunctata Cycloneda polita Diabrotica undecimpunctata Hippodamia convergens Araneae (Class: Arachnida) Araneus diadematus Phidippus johnsoni |