Appalachian Tiger Swallowyail in suburban north New Zyork

[Grkovich, Alex]

I stopped at Cross River, Westchester Co., NY on Friday early afternoon
after visiting New York City. Along Rt. 121 south of Rt. 35, I noted a big
flight of fresh male "Tiger" Swallowtails. These were primarily seen in
forest clearings and along roads inside the forest, patrolling and perching
on dirt and gravel roads. They demonstrated a low, almost ground-hugging
rapid flight - quite unlike, I might add, what is seen in the Eastern Tiger
(glaucus). No females were seen.

I managed to collect one vouncher specimen. This is almost surely the
recently-deescribed Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio
(Pterouras)appalachiensis. It is characterized by fairly large size, a
noticeably pointed FW, crisp well-spaced FW stripes (with a wide space
between stripes 2 and 3); and below, a rather narrow black submarginal HW
band with silver-blue color inside (reminiscent of the Canadian Tiger), with
the black margin straight and not undulating. There is very little diffusion
between the black and yellow areas on the VHW (the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
tends to have this area wide and diffuse, and strongly undulating). The VFW
submarginal spotband is somnewhat broken, not as much as in glaucus but more
so than in candensis. The tails are long but are not strongly clubbed as
they are in glaucus (in glaucus the tails are very wide and clubbedd both in
and out).

The "look" of this male is very much like the photo of the living specimen
in Scott 1985 (Pl. 6, Fig. 18) from Berkeley Heights, NJ (also suburban NYC)
which is almost certainly appalachiensis.

I made a trip to Hubbard park, Meriden, CT on May 18. Besides finding the
Falcate Orange Tip (males and females) still flying in fairly good numbers
on the ridgetop, I noted that here and generally thoroughhout southern CT
"Tigers" were still flying. Here, males (which would have been on the wig
since mid-late April) were typically observed sailing high above the
surface, patrolling among the mid-levels of the deciduous trees. I would
suggest that these were the spring flight of glaucus (Eastern Tiger) which
have given way to the single known flight of appalachiensis.

Further north, in Massachusetts, a smaller version, preseumably of
appalachiensis, has also within the past few days begun its flight; also  a
ground-hugging low flight predominates. These are very similar to the Appys
seen near New York, except, again, that they are smaller. No females were
seen. And similarily, a spring flight of glaucus has presumably ended in
MA...this flight is not nearly as numerous in (north)eastern MA as it is in
CT...

I would suggest keeping an eyeout for this flight...and being careful not to
simply write these off as "Eastern Tigers..." Observations of trees upon
which females will be ovipositing should be made if possible. Hawthorne is
suspected. Voucher specimens, especially of females (as well as males) would
be appreciated. MA females tend to be sonmewhat different than females from
the southern Appalachians...among other things, they have much more
submarginal blue on the DHW, but this blue is "block-shaped", and not as
extensive as in glaucus nor nearly as diffuse outwardly. They also appear to
have mnore extensive black stripe markings. If any are taken, please
contact me.

Also, it will be curious to note when in CT and southern New England this
flight ends. In MA, strangely enough, I have previously noted what appeared
to be two distinct peaks of fresh males...one in late May/early June and
then another in early July...

Alex   


  


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