Eurytides marcellus

Eurytides marcellus range throughout the eastern United States, although are most abundant in the southeast. (Pyle, 1981; Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

The zebra swallowtail prefers corridors of wooded land alongside bodies of water such as riversides, lakeshores, marshes and open moist woods. (Holland, 1910; Pyle, 1981)

The zebra swallowtail butterfly has a wing span of 5-9 cm. It has long, triangular wings with swordlike tails. The color and size varies between spring and summer butterflies. The early spring zebra swallowtail is smaller with pale greenish-white wings which are crossed by black stripes and bands. They also have shorter tails. The summer zebra swallowtail is larger with light blue-green wings, which are crossed by black stripes and bands, and have longer tails. The hindwings of both the spring and summer zebra swallowtail have two deep blue spots at the base and a red spot closer to the body.

Caterpillars are generally hairless. They have a forked gland called the osmeterium that can protrude from the back of the head if the butterfly is alarmed. This releases a bad smell that is used as defense mechanism. There are two color morphologies of caterpillars. The first is green with yellow and black bands, and the other is dark brown with orange and white bands. (Holland, 1910; Parenti, 1977; Pyle, 1981; Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

In the life cycle of the butterfly, it takes about one month for the zebra swallowtail to mature from an egg to an adult. The chrysalis, or pupa, is attached to a stem or leaf by the tail and by a girdle of silk around the thorax. It hangs head upward in this position. (Holland, 1910; Parenti, 1972; Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

An adult Eurytides marcellus butterfly can live up to 6 months in its natural environment. (Holland, 1910; Parenti, 1972; Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

The zebra swallowtail flies near the ground using shallow wingbeats. Its flight has been described as bat-like and erratic. (Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

The zebra swallowtail rarely strays away from the habitats where various species of pawpaw are found. The common food plants for the larvae are the pawpaw and dwarf pawpaw. Some larvae will eat other caterpillars found on the same plant. The adult zebra swallowtail will eat nectar from a variety of flowers. Adults generally eat from taller flowers, because they have a long, flexible "tongue" called a proboscis and can feed from longer, tubed flowers. (Col, 1999; Holland, 1910; Stokes, Stokes, and Williams, 1991; Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

Currently it does not adversely affect humans.

Economic benefits from this species have yet to be discovered.

This butterfly needs no special protective status.

The zebra swallowtail was first grouped under the genus name Papilio. Then it was later renamed Graphium marcellus. Today it is known by its Latin name Eurytides marcellus. Zebra swallowtails are called swallowtails because their "tails" are long on their hindwings. These look similar to the long, pointed tails on swallows Hirundinidae. . (Col, 1999)