Pterourus appalachiensis (Papilionidae: Papilioninae), a New Swallowtail Butterfly from the Appalachian Region of the United States
Pavulaan H and Wright DM. 2002. Pterourus appalachiensis (Papilionidae: Papilioninae), a New Swallowtail Butterfly from the Appalachian Region of the United States. The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey. 3(7):1-20
ABSTRACT: A new univoltine species of Tiger Swallowtail, Pterourus appalachiensis, is described from the southern Appalachian Mountain region of the eastern United States. This distinct swallowtail has remained unrecognized by lepidopterists since the description of its sympatric congener Pterourus glaucus (Linnaeus) in 1758. Historical accounts of Tiger Swallowtails from this region pertain specifically to glaucus and cannot be attributed to this new species. Morphology, voltinism, phenology, distribution, and behavioral traits indicate species level status of appalachiensis. Although appalachiensis shares several phenotypic characters with the recently elevated species canadensis (Rothschild & Jordan), preliminary mitochondrial DNA analysis indicates that appalachiensis is more closely related to glaucus. Additional work is needed to identify the natural hosts and evolutionary origins of this fascinating species.