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Insects and Butterflies

Insects and Butterflies

 

 

 

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Arizona State ButterflyArizona State Butterfly - Two-tailed Swallowtail

Two-tailed Swallowtail

(Papilio multicaudata)
Adopted on May 9, 2001.

 

The Two-tailed Swallowtail,  Papilio multicaudata, was adopted on May 9, 2001 as Arizona's state butterfly.

 

 

 
Arizona Legislature Archives
41-860. State butterfly
A. The papilionidae papilio multicaudata, two-tailed swallowtail is the official state butterfly.
B. Designation of the state butterfly pursuant to this section shall not constitute grounds for protection of the butterfly or its habitat.

 

Characteristics

Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata Kirby)

 

Wing span: 3 1/2 - 5 inches (9 - 12.7 cm).

 

Identification: Upper surface of male forewing with narrow black stripes. Each hindwing has 2 tails.

 

Life history: Males patrol stream courses or city streets for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on leaves of host plant. Caterpillars eat leaves and rest on silken mats in shelters of curled leaves. Chrysalids hibernate.

 

Flight: One flight May to mid-August in North, most of year in South.

 

Caterpillar hosts: Leaves of ash (Fraxinus), hop tree (Ptelea), and chokecherry (Prunus).

 

Adult food: Nectar from thistles, milkweeds, California buckeye, lilac, and many others.

 

Habitat: Foothill slopes and canyons, moist valleys, streamsides, woodlands, parks, roadsides, suburbs, and cities.

 

Range: Western North America south from British Columbia, east to central Nebraska and central Texas, south through Mexico.

 

 --------------------------
House Engrossed
--------------------------
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Forty-fifth Legislature
First Regular Session
2001
--------------------------
CHAPTER 388
--------------------------
HOUSE BILL 2247
--------------------------

AN ACT

AMENDING TITLE 41, CHAPTER 4.1, ARTICLE 5, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES, BY ADDING SECTION 41-860; RELATING TO STATE EMBLEMS.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 41, chapter 4.1, article 5, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-860, to read:

41-860. State butterfly

A. THE PAPILIONIDAE PAPILIO MULTICAUDATA, TWO-TAILED SWALLOWTAIL IS THE OFFICIAL STATE BUTTERFLY.

B. DESIGNATION OF THE STATE BUTTERFLY PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE GROUNDS FOR PROTECTION OF THE BUTTERFLY OR ITS HABITAT.

APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR MAY 9, 2001.

FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE MAY 9, 2001.
 
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom Animalia -- animals
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Insecta
Order Lepidoptera
Family Papilionidae
Genus Papilio
Species Papilio multicaudata

 

 

 

 

State Insects

State Insects and Butterflies

 

Many states have selected insects as one of their state symbols, however nine states (out of 50) have no official state insect as of 2008 .

 

in·sect (in′sekt′)
noun

1. any of a large class (Insecta) of small arthropod animals characterized, in the adult state, by division of the body into head, thorax, and abdomen, three pairs of legs on the thorax, and, usually, two pairs of membranous wings, including beetles, bees, flies, wasps, and mosquitoes
2. popularly any small arthropod, usually wingless, including spiders, centipedes, pill bugs, and mites


 

but·ter·fly (-flī′)
noun pl. -·flies′


1. any of various families of lepidopteran insects active in the daytime, having a sucking mouthpart, slender body, ropelike, knobbed antennae, and four broad, usually brightly colored, membranous wings

 

 

 

 

 
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