The first female Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly of the season appeared in my
(Phil's) garden on the first of April. Remarkably, this beautiful black butterfly is
able to pick up and zero in on the chemical signature of a very infrequently
encountered native vine, California Dutchman's Pipe Vine, Aristolochia californica.
As many of you know, the Dutchman's Pipe Vine is the only plant this swallowtail
lays its eggs on and upon which its caterpillars can feed. Interestingly, the
female butterfly in my garden focused her egg-laying on the Pipevines that were
twining amongst low plants in the dappled sun and ignored the nearby
shaded vine climbing a tree trunk.
The species name for the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly is Battus philenor,
presumably because of its striking resemblance to a bat.
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