Insect · GBIF taxon 1939134
Zebra Swallowtail
Protographium marcellusAlso known as Pawpaw Butterfly
Zebra Swallowtails are pale butterflies crossed by bold black stripes and finished with exceptionally long hindwing tails. They remain closely tied to pawpaw trees, whose leaves feed the caterpillars in moist eastern North American woodlands.
zebra stripeslong wing tailspawpaw specialist
Licensed referenceMegan McCarty / CC BY 3.0 · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Adults drink flower nectar and dissolved minerals; caterpillars feed exclusively on pawpaw leaves
Predators
- insect-eating birds
- spiders
- parasitoid wasps
ThreatsRemoval of pawpaw thickets, broad-spectrum insecticides, woodland fragmentation, and intensive roadside mowing
HabitatsMoist woodland, river bottoms, forest openings, roadsides, and gardens near pawpaw patches
Life spanAdults live for several weeks, while multiple generations may complete within one warm season
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPapilionidae
- SpeciesProtographium marcellus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Catching or pinching the wings removes scales and can prevent normal flight and escape behavior.
Responsible observation
- Find: Search sunny gaps beside pawpaw thickets and damp ground where males gather minerals.
- Identify: Check for black zebra striping, red hindwing marks, and two very long tapering tails.
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