SCHAUS SWALLOWTAIL , aristodemus ponceanus Schaus , Fish & Wildlife Service U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE DIVISION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES

SPECIES ACCOUNTS

Source: Endangered and Threatened Species of the Southeastern (The Red Book) FWS Region 4 -- As of 2/91

SCHAUS

Papilio aristodemus ponceanus

FAMILY: Papilionidae

STATUS: Endangered, Federal Register, August 31, 1984

DESCRIPTION: Adults have black-brown wings with yellow markings, and a broad rusty patch underneath the hind wing at the outer end of the discal cell and a short distance around the sides of the cell. The single pair of tails is straight and of constant width with a dark center and yellow margin. The Schaus swallowtail is distinguished from the closely-related giant swallowtail (P. cresphontes) by smaller size and by the upper forewing submarginal spots being parallel to the margin of the wing.

The newly emerged larvae are black-brown with a white thirteenth segment and a light speck on each side of the seventh ring. This speck becomes a white spot at the first molt. The second instar larvae are lighter in color with blue or metallic dots; white coloring on the anal segment extends into the twelfth segment. The third instar larvae have irregular light blotches along the sides of the body, and a seventh ring white spot that extends into the eighth ring. The fourth instar larvae (2O days) have creamish yellow markings except on the anal segment hood and the third ring, which have robin's egg blue spots on a maroon background. The fifth instar has blackish-brown true legs and white prolegs and anal prolegs. In all, the instar's coloring resembles a bird dropping. When this butterfly is disturbed, a white bifurcated organ protrudes from its nape and exudes a strong odor. Mature larvae are 56 millimeters long. In addition to the Schaus swallowtail, there are also two other subspecies of P. aristodemus, one is found in Haiti and the other in .

FEEDING HABITS: Adults feed on the nectar from blossoms of guava (Psidium guajava), wild tamarind, and cheese shrub (Morinda royoc). The larvae feed on the tender new growth of torchwood ( elemifera) and wildlime (Xanthoxylum fagara). Both of these are pioneering shrubs in whose shade sprout hardwood seedlings which eventually form the hammock.

REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT: Most reproduction is correlated with the beginning of

http://www.fws.gov/endangered/i/i/sai02.html (1 of 3)7/15/2005 4:56:02 AM SCHAUS SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY, ponceanus Schaus , Fish & Wildlife Service the rainy season, April to June. This seems to trigger a synchronous emergence of adults. Eggs are deposited singly on top of young developing at the branch tips of the host plants. The pale, greenish-colored eggs hatch in about 3 to 5 days. At the age of 2O days the larvae enter their fourth and last molt. The larvae are solitary. The mature larva forms an upright or vertical chrysalis which is gray or rusty brown. The pupal stage remains dormant for a year or two and is presumably a mechanism to synchronize adult emergence with the rainy season and the appearance of new growth. Adults have a life span of about 1 month.

RANGE AND POPULATION LEVEL: The Schaus swallowtail butterfly occurs at present in the upper Keys from Elliot Key in to northern Key Largo and on Upper Matecumbe Key. In the past, it ranged from the south Miami area down the Florida Keys to Lower Matecumbe Key. Annual population levels have not exceeded 1,OOO adults in the last 4 years, and the only sizeable populations are restricted to Keys within Biscayne National Park. The 1988 population size was estimated at 7OO to 85O adults.

HABITAT: The Schaus swallowtail is limited to tropical hardwood hammocks. The adults prefer shady habitat for feeding and oviposition while the larvae are more commonly found on host plants which grow in open areas. The primary larvae host , torchwood, is most abundant in disturbed areas which have been partially deforested by storm or fire, or which have been cleared for trails or powerline rights- of-way. However, the relative abundance of torchwood is also high within mature hammocks.

REASONS FOR CURRENT STATUS: Factors considered as probable causes for the decline include: habitat destruction by developers, overcollecting of larvae, the widespread aerial application of insecticides, and extreme climatic conditions such as hurricanes, freezes, and droughts. Collection of eggs and larvae is considered more serious than collection of adults because the adults lay eggs soon after emerging and are short-lived.

MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION: Actions recommended for the recovery of the Schaus swallowtail butterfly include the following: (1) Maintain existing colonies by surveying for colonies and acquiring land to protect hammocks from development; (2) Determine limiting factors such as habitat requirements, factors affecting population dynamics, and the effects of currently-used insecticides and their application; (3) Reestablish colonies in appropriate areas within the historic range; and, (4) Monitor reestablished colonies and habitat.

Recent studies completed by the Department of Entomology at the University of Florida indicate pesticides play a critical role in the survival of the Schaus swallowtail butterfly. Surveys conducted before and after control applications showed dramatic decreases in population numbers. Butterfly populations are the most vigorous in areas where mosquito control pesticides are prohibited, such as Biscayne National Park. Continued research and management of these areas is essential to the survival of the Schaus swallowtail butterfly.

REFERENCES:

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Brown, L. N. 1973. Populations of bonhotei Sharpe and Papilio aristodemus ponceanus Schaus (Papilionidae) in Biscayne National Monument, Florida. J. Lep. Soc. 27:136-140.

Emmel, T. C. 1988. Habitat Requirements and Status of the Endemic Schaus Swallowtail in the Florida Keys. Final Project Report No. GFC-86-023. Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Tallahassee, Florida.

Rutkowski, F. 1971. Observations of Papilio aristodemus ponceanus (Papilionidae). J. Lep. Soc. 25:126- 136.

U.S. Department of Interior. 1977. Species accounts for Sensitive Wildlife Information System (SWIS). Compiled by Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Laboratory, Gainesville, Florida.

**U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1982. Recovery Plan for the Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Atlanta, Georgia. 57 pp.

For more information please contact:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 31OO University Boulevard, South Suite 12O Jacksonville, Florida 32216

Telephone: 9O4/791-258O

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