Pipevine Swallowtail in Riverdale

[Don Baxter]

My neighbour and I have been watching a large black swallowtail which flashes irridescent blue on the hindwing for the past couple of weeks, - feeding on a buddleia in her front yard.  We have been debating whether it is a Spicebush Swallowtail or a Pipevine Swallowtail since it does not have the yellow spots of a black swallowtail.  She has just photographed it and the underwing clearly shows one single row of large orange spots, not two, which tells me, improbable as it seems that it is a Pipevine Swallowtail.  How possible is it that a Pipevine Swallowtail could show up in Toronto??

[gary yankech]

It's not improbable, a photo would be nice to see. Seeing a Black Swallowtail is a great sighting but a Pipevine would be amazing! Pipevine Swallowtails have been seen in Toronto, but are not annual occurrence, and are not likely to be seen.  They are generally found in woodland areas but do visit orchards and gardens. There is a free publication called "Butterflies of Toronto" a city of Toronto Biodiversity Series; it is a good resource for Butterflies in the GTA. Hope this helps. Report your sighting to the TEA as they keep record of Butterflies in Ontario on an annual base. They would love to include this sighting in their atlas. Let me know if you need details on this. Take care.

[Don Baxter]

Thanks for the information Gary.  I have not yet figured out how to upload photos on this forum, but I took your suggestion and forwarded my neighbour's email with the photos to the TEA, who verified that it was a Pipevine Swallowtail. The spokesperson mentioned that there are usually five or so reports per year from all of Ontario, but that this year, for whatever reason, the reports were more numerous. Both my neighbour and I are pretty thrilled that this rare and very beautiful butterfly has decided to call our neighbourhood home for the summer.

[Bluffs Birder]

Hi Don,

I was extremely fortunate to find 2 Pipevine Swallowtails over on the Toronto Islands on July 18th, a male and a female together.  This was my first ever sighting of these black beauties.

The reason that we're seeing more of these and other southern migrant butterflies this year is due to all the high heat between here and the southern states.  It's opened up a kind-of super-highway for the butterflies.  It's been an interesting year so far.

Walter

[Don Baxter]

I can appreciate your amazement.  What I also learned from the spokesperson of the Toronto Etemological Association was that the pipevine that this butterfly feeds on is not the species of ornamental pipevine available from most nurseries, but Wooly Pipevine, A. tomentosa.  I see from the internet that the plant is available from nurseries in the U.S, but I haven't found any source for it in Canada so far. It is classified as zone 5, which means it is easily hardy in Toronto. However I will pursue this search and see if I can promote the growth of this vine in Toronto - starting with my friends who are gardeners.  This year's incursion of swallowtails may not indicate a long term trend, but I figure having the food plant available here can't hurt.  It is a specatcular butterfly to see in the flesh. It would be wonderful to see more of them.