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Aristolochia californica, the California pipevine, California Dutchman's-pipe, or California snakeroot [2] is a perennial woody vine of western North America. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] Distribution and habitat
Battus philenor hirsuta, the California pipevine swallowtail or hairy pipevine swallowtail, is a subspecies of the pipevine swallowtail that is endemic to Northern California in the United States. The butterfly is black with hindwings that have iridescent green-blue coloring above and a row of red spots below; the caterpillars are black with ...
The pipevine swallowtail has a wide distribution across the Northern Americas. In the United States, the butterfly is found in New England down to Florida west to Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Oregon. [4] There is also an isolated population in central California.
Aristolochia (English: / ə ˌ r ɪ s t ə ˈ l oʊ k i ə /) is a large plant genus with over 500 species that is the type genus of the family Aristolochiaceae.Its members are commonly known as birthwort, pipevine or Dutchman's pipe and are widespread and occur in the most diverse climates.
Pipevine swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs on pipevine (Aristolochia species), and the larvae feed on the plant, but are not affected by the toxin, which then offers the adult butterfly protection against predators.
Battus is a New World genus of butterflies that are usually found around pipevine (genus Aristolochia) plants. The caterpillars feed off the poisonous pipevines, making the insects poisonous themselves; they taste very bad to ward off predators. [1] Since birds avoid these butterflies, other swallowtail species mimic their coloration.
Of California's total plant population, 2,153 species, subspecies, and varieties are endemic and native to California alone, according to the 1993 Jepson Manual study. [4] This botanical diversity stems not only from the size of the state, but also its diverse topographies , climates, and soils (e.g. serpentine outcrops ).
Without the pigmentation, the butterfly appears mostly black (the melanic form) and is a Batesian mimic of Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail. There are also Papilio glaucus that are not wholly black; several possess an intermediate "sooty" color and are sensitive to temperature. [22]