1968 J oumal of the Lepidopterists' Society

ILLUSTRATED LIFE HISTORY AND NOTES ON PAPILlO OREGONIUS

53

STEPHEN F. PERKINS, EDWIN M. PERKINS, In. AND F. STUART SHININGER

Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon

The life history of Papilio oregonius Edwards 1876, described by New­comer (1964), has not heretofore been illustrated. The accompanying photographs and legends are self-explanatory (Figs. 1-11).

The rearing of large numbers of larvae necessitated the establishment of criteria by which the instars could be quickly and accurately dis­tinguished. The following is a resume of these characteristics :

Instar I II III IV V Possess Tubercles (Spines) + + + + Saddle on Segments

6 and 7 + + + Color of Saddle Blue-White Yellow Yellow Predominant Body Color Black Black Mottled Black Pale Green Pale Green Lateral, Black Diagonal

Marks

Figs. 1-9. Early stages of Papilio oregonius Edwards. Fig. 1. Egg lateral aspect. Diameter- 1.2 mm. Fig. 2. Same dorsal aspect. Fig. 3. First instar larva. Length­.'5.5 mm. Fig. 4. Second ins tar larva. Length-8 mm. Fig. 5. Third instar larva. Length-16 mm. Fig. 6. Fourth instar larva. Length-28 mm. Fig. 7. Fifth instal' larva. Length-45 mm. Fig. 8. Pupa, dorsal aspect. Length-32 mm. Fig. 9. Same, lateral aspect.

54 PERKINS ET AL.: Papilio oregonitls Vol. 22, no. 1

Fig. 10. Adult, 6 Papilio o1'egonittS Edwards, The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon. 150', ll-VI-62 (S. F. Perkins) . Fig. 11. Adult, ~ P. oregonius. Same data (E. M . Perkins, J r. ) .

1968 ] at/mal of the Lepidopterists' Society 55

Fig. 12. Spanish Hollow Canyon, .5 mi W. Biggs, Sherman County, Oregon. 2.50' (looking north toward Columbia River and bluffs of Washington). Fig. 13. Same locale depicting Papilio oregonitls foodplant (Artemisia c!rac1tTlclllus).

56 PERKINS ET AL.: Papilio oregonius Vol. 22, no. 1

Papilio oregonius was originally described on the basis of a single female sent to W. H. Edwards by Henry Edwards (not Morrison) from The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon (Figs. 10 and 11 are topotypes).

Two broods of Papilio ol'egonius occur in Oregon: adults are on the wing from mid-May to June and from July to mid-September. In Oregon, the authors have encountered Papilio oregonius along the length of the Columbia River, east of The Dalles, i.e., in Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla counties. Here in arid, sage-covered country it flies about its foodplant, Artemisia dmcunculus L., or frequents the hot, wind-swept lower canyons, (Figs. 12 and 13). During five seasons of field work captures from flowers (Cirsium and Vicia) represent less than one percent of our captures.

Occasional records also originate from canyons of the upper plateau, including Jefferson and Baker counties (which represent the southern­most, verified Oregon records).

Some of the finest collecting areas in Oregon have vanished in recent years because of highway construction, floods and rising waters due to new dams along the Columbia River. If the Oregon swallowtail is as hardy and adaptable as its foodplant, Papilio oregonius will likely be little affected.

LITERATUHE CITED

NEWCOMER , E. J., 1964. Life Histories of Papilio indra and P. oregol1ill~. Jom. Res. Lepid., 3( 1 ): 51-54.